Brown spots or stains everywhere!!!

f!shRelaxMe · 03-19-2008, 07:59 AM

Please help!!!....I am in the process of cycling my 55g freshwater tank and I am in the stage where there is no ammonia detected, but there are still high levels of nitrite....When I came back home from a 3 day vacation...The walls of the tank, substrate rocks, plants, and other tank accessories had brown spots/stains on them...What caused this and should I clean the spots from everything? It doesn't look good....PLEASE HELP!!!

trashion · 03-19-2008, 09:20 AM

Calm down!

It's probably a type of algae AKA diatoms. Just clean it off with a scrubby pad. It's really common in new aquariums, so don't worry.

shade2dope · 03-19-2008, 09:50 AM

I dito what julie says,Its comes when the nitrite's do.You should be happy your very close to being done.But it could be from bad lightng or low o2levels but as you said your at that stage.

**TheOldSalt** · 03-19-2008, 09:54 AM

These are very common in new tanks.
The bad news is that they can last for months.
The good news is that they eventually do go away forever.

Basically, they tend to grow best when things in the tank aren't very good for higher plants. Once the tank becomes more suitable for higher plant growth, they fade away again.

oliesminis · 03-19-2008, 11:33 AM

scrub it off the glass but dont worry algae is common in new tanks

you may find this link ( http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/ma...algaebrown.htm ) hope it helps

-olie

f!shRelaxMe · 03-20-2008, 06:12 PM

So....can I leave the brown algae in the tank? Should I clean it or will it just go away eventually? What should I do

f!shRelaxMe · 03-20-2008, 06:27 PM

Also...I've been cycling my tank for....it will be 4 weeks this Sunday (3/23/08)...and the ammonia level is 0 but the nitrites are high and haven't even shown a glimpse of going down for the week and a half....Is this normal in the cycling process?

COM · 03-21-2008, 05:49 AM

Do a partial water change and scrub the algae off of the glass with an algae brush. That should help with your nitrites and your algae.

03-19-2008, 07:59 AM	#1
f!shRelaxMe Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 5 User Feedback: (0)	Brown spots or stains everywhere!!! Please help!!!....I am in the process of cycling my 55g freshwater tank and I am in the stage where there is no ammonia detected, but there are still high levels of nitrite....When I came back home from a 3 day vacation...The walls of the tank, substrate rocks, plants, and other tank accessories had brown spots/stains on them...What caused this and should I clean the spots from everything? It doesn't look good....PLEASE HELP!!!

03-19-2008, 09:20 AM	#2
trashion girl anachronism Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 1,142 User Feedback: (0)	Calm down! It's probably a type of algae AKA diatoms. Just clean it off with a scrubby pad. It's really common in new aquariums, so don't worry. __________________ current setup: 5.5 gallon low-light planted tank -1 dwarf puffer named Beep. for reference: my name is Julie

03-19-2008, 09:50 AM	#3
shade2dope Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Age: 19 Posts: 371 User Feedback: (0)	I dito what julie says,Its comes when the nitrite's do.You should be happy your very close to being done.But it could be from bad lightng or low o2levels but as you said your at that stage. __________________ 3 Aulonocara Sp Maleri 2 female Two eletric blu ali 1 male 1 female,Clown Pleco,abn,Yellow Lab Two Haplochromis ruby green and some juvies, two flame backs one female, compressicep,Fancy Guppies Goby Dragon,Jack Demsey,Altolamprologus calvus (Chaitika)

03-19-2008, 11:33 AM	#5
oliesminis FISH ARE FREINDS NOT FOOD Join Date: May 2007 Location: England, Milton Keynes Age: 15 Posts: 490 User Feedback: (0)	scrub it off the glass but dont worry algae is common in new tanks you may find this link ( http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/ma...algaebrown.htm ) hope it helps -olie __________________ OllieCoxPhotography Why, in a world of thousands of languages, does everbody laugh the same

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Members currently in the Chat:2
	Users In Chat Room: mesapod, ivwarrior Come On In!

03-19-2008, 09:54 AM	#4
TheOldSalt Darth Ichthyos Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 4,234 User Feedback: (6)	These are very common in new tanks. The bad news is that they can last for months. The good news is that they eventually do go away forever. Basically, they tend to grow best when things in the tank aren't very good for higher plants. Once the tank becomes more suitable for higher plant growth, they fade away again.

03-20-2008, 06:12 PM	#6
f!shRelaxMe Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 5 User Feedback: (0)	So....can I leave the brown algae in the tank? Should I clean it or will it just go away eventually? What should I do

03-20-2008, 06:27 PM	#7
f!shRelaxMe Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 5 User Feedback: (0)	Also...I've been cycling my tank for....it will be 4 weeks this Sunday (3/23/08)...and the ammonia level is 0 but the nitrites are high and haven't even shown a glimpse of going down for the week and a half....Is this normal in the cycling process?

03-21-2008, 05:49 AM	#8
COM Rebel Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Buffalo, NY Posts: 504 User Feedback: (0)	Do a partial water change and scrub the algae off of the glass with an algae brush. That should help with your nitrites and your algae.

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Help...Brown water!	fishbguy	General Freshwater	10	03-06-2008 01:26 PM
Brown algae going away. Now green?	dm800	General Freshwater	3	01-15-2008 06:23 PM
Brown Spots	Betta1	General Freshwater	3	02-06-2007 09:25 PM
plants turning brown	RockabillyChick	Aquatic Plants	10	03-27-2006 08:34 AM
brown spots on kissing gourami	dcollcutt	General Freshwater	1	05-08-2005 11:19 AM