Brown stuff

[Joe Fish]

I've noticed that my tank is starting to get this brown colored stuff covering the things I have in the tank. What is this stuff and how can I get rid of it? I have a sponge filter with 5 fish in my tank. They are all small fish. I also have one snail.

 

[MortiferousSoul]

its just algae, id suggest getting like 3 oto's, they love the brown algae and well have it cleaned up in a matter of days

 

[Submariner]

Mollies are good algae eaters too, especially if you underfeed them at first. My three mollies and my pleco cleaned my tank spotless in a few days, too.

 

[Joe Fish]

What is an oto?

 

[Joe Fish]

I was thinking about getting a small little white catfish. I can't remember what they are called.

 

[MortiferousSoul]

perhaps your thinking albino cory ?

an oto is in otocinclius catfish i am very happy with mine, and are suprisngly active for an algae eater

http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_oto.php

 

[Joe Fish]

I couldn't find one of those otocinclius catfish but i'll keep checking. I ended up getting one of those albino cory catfish. Will they eat brown algae? I also got a couple ghost shrimp. How about them? Will they help at all?

 

[MortiferousSoul]

i dont know about the cory's but the ghost shrimp dont typically eat algae.

 

[Joe Fish]

I'll have to check another lfs for a oto catfish.

 

[Joe Fish]

Just read some info on the albino cat,

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=953

Don't think it's going to do what I want it to do. Although, while I was gone today my snail ate all that brown algae. So I might wait to see. I might just get another snail. Also I read the oto cat will eat the junk on my plants. I don't have any real plants yet, but I soon hope to after I get my water quality in check. Will a live plant develop algae on it?

 

[MortiferousSoul]

yeah it can but an oto will eat it just the same ^_^

 

[Joe Fish]

I was wrong, the snail didn't eat the brown crap.

 

[Lotus]

Just wipe the brown algae off when you see it. It will go away within a few weeks anyway.

 

['-JIN-']

Ohh,i agree with mortiferous,otocinlus will be da best to clean up algae.U can try feed some algae eater shrimp,i cant rememba wat it is call,but mine i use my profesional fish,golden algae eater,they get almost three inch in size or smaller,they r a hardy,bt tense to gt aggresive when they r older.Or make it easier do as wat Lotus told,wipe it away.Gd luck with ur tank

 

[Joe Fish]

I found some of them oto catfish. I got two of them today and after putting them into my tank one died. So I took him back to the store for a replacement. Now I just checked before bed and another looks like he isn't going to make it until the morning... Any ideas what it could be? The other one is still eating away. Right now my ph is a little high and my water is somewhat hard. Could that have anything to do with it?

 

[MortiferousSoul]

alot of times an oto wont make it cause of poor shipping conditions, if the lfs just got them in thats probably the problem.

 

[Joe Fish]

Ok, now all the oto are gone. Guess I'll have to try another.

 

[Joe Fish]

Well I can't find one of them so I'm not sure, but he's probably gone. All my other fish seem to be fine. I got the fishes at Pet Smart.

 

[Joe Fish]

Thankfully, one of them is still alive and well.