Is brown and green algae a cause for concern?

[Jack]

I've attached 3 photos of my tank for you to take a look. One of the plants has brown spots on its leaves - I'm not sure if it's brown algae that'll go away on its own, or something else entirely. The thing is, I have no idea what this plant is, and the brown spots look a bit worse in person than they do in the photos.

I've also got a large centflake rock with Christmas moss on it, and I've noticed some green stuff starting to show up - is this algae I should be worried about?

If I do need to take action, what's the best course of action? I'd appreciate any advice you can offer.

Just to give you a better idea of my tank's setup, I've got a banana plant, dwarf hairgrass, water sprite, Christmas moss, Java moss, Dwarf Sagittaria, and that mystery plant. As for livestock, I've got 3-4 ghost shrimp and a nerite snail, but no fish - and no plans to add any, since my office doesn't allow them in aquariums.

[coltin]

I think I can help you out with those issues in your tank. The brown algae you're seeing is actually on an Anubias species, which isn't a true aquatic plant and doesn't do well underwater.

As for the plant you don't know the name of, the brown on the leaves is likely due to the same reason - it's probably not a true aquatic plant either. I'm guessing it might be a Hair Grass, which will eventually rot if it's not already.

Now, about that green stuff on your large centflake rock under the Java Moss and Christmas Moss - that's actually blue green algae, also known as Cyanobacter bacteria. You'll want to siphon that out daily and hope it doesn't spread.

[boomer]

Balancing light and nutrients is key to keeping algae in check. Light encompasses both intensity and spectrum, while nutrients include plant additives, organics from invertebrates, and decaying plant matter. Without fish, organics and ammonia/ammonium will be limited, which is the preferred source of nitrogen for plants.

You didn't mention using plant additives, which will be necessary without fish present. Fast-growing plants like Wisteria require more nutrients, whereas slow-growing plants like Anubias might manage to some extent without supplementation.

Ironically, cyanobacteria thrive in the presence of light and organics. There might be organics in the rock feeding the cyanobacteria. I wouldn't worry about the cyano at this stage, as establishing a balance between light and nutrients might resolve the issue. However, with few plants, you might be using more light than necessary, disrupting the balance.

Do you add any nutrients to your tank? What's your lighting setup, including duration?

Regarding the brown on the Anubias leaf, can you remove it easily with your fingertip?

[Jack]

Balancing light and nutrients is key to keeping algae in check. Light encompasses both intensity and spectrum, while nutrients include plant additives, organics from invertebrates, and decaying plant matter. Without fish, organics and ammonia/ammonium will be limited, which is the preferred source of nitrogen for plants.

You didn't mention using plant additives, which will be necessary without fish present. Fast-growing plants like Wisteria require more nutrients, whereas slow-growing plants like Anubias might manage to some extent without supplementation.

Ironically, cyanobacteria thrive in the presence of light and organics. There might be organics in the rock feeding the cyanobacteria. I wouldn't worry about the cyano at this stage, as establishing a balance between light and nutrients might resolve the issue. However, with few plants, you might be using more light than necessary, disrupting the balance.

Do you add any nutrients to your tank? What's your lighting setup, including duration?

Regarding the brown on the Anubias leaf, can you remove it easily with your fingertip?

I haven't tried to remove the brown stuff on the Anubias leaf yet, wasn't sure what it was and didn't want to damage the leaf. But I'll give it a shot with my finger now. It does seem to come off if I scrub it a bit.

I've been using Flourish Advance for the past couple of weeks to help the plants get established. I just finished the 50mL bottle and was planning to switch to something else, but I haven't done enough research yet to figure out what to use next. Any suggestions would be great.

My light is on a timer and it's on from 8 to 5:30. It's just an LED, but I figured it would be okay since most of my plants are low-light. The LED is 1.7w at 6500k - I'm not entirely sure what that means, but I hope it's not too much for the plants. The tank is still pretty new, only about a month old, and most of the plants went in just two weeks ago.

[coltin]

The 6500K refers to the light's color temperature, measured in Kelvin. This rating is actually similar to natural daylight, making it suitable for plants. Daylight globes, like the one you're using, produce a nice, bright white light. In contrast, lower Kelvin ratings, such as 3500K, have a more yellow tone and are often sold as warm lights.

[boomer]

Colin's explanation of the Kelvin rating was spot on. Scientific studies have consistently shown that aquarium plants thrive in the 5000K to 7000K range. The lower the Kelvin rating, the more red and less blue in the spectrum, which is often referred to as "warm" white. On the other hand, higher Kelvin ratings have less red and more blue, resulting in a "cool" white light. Marine tanks require a higher blue spectrum, especially for coral growth, but freshwater plants do best with a mid-day sun spectrum, which is around 6000K. So, your current spectrum is suitable.

As for light intensity, I must admit I have no direct experience with LEDs. Perhaps other members can offer some guidance. I've always used T8 fluorescent tubes or CFL bulbs in my smaller tanks. Watts are no longer a reliable measure of intensity, unless you're comparing identical tubes or bulbs. Watts simply represent the energy required to power the tube or bulb. I'd suggest sticking with your current setup and observing the results.

Light intensity, assuming a suitable spectrum, drives photosynthesis and plant growth. Different plants have varying light requirements, which is why some plants grow faster than others. This is also why maintaining balance is crucial. If one factor is missing or insufficient, photosynthesis slows down or even stops. In your tank, the Wisteria is a fast-growing plant that requires brighter light than the moss or Anubias, which are slower-growing. However, if the necessary nutrients are not available, the plant cannot utilize the light. Algae, on the other hand, is less demanding and can take advantage of any imbalance.

Duration is important, but it cannot compensate for insufficient intensity. Intensity is essential for driving photosynthesis, and plants will photosynthesize fully if light and nutrients are available. However, we can control this to some extent by adjusting the duration to prevent imbalances when nutrients are limited. In your case, with no fish present, the primary source of ammonia and nutrients is limited. I've found that 8 hours is the maximum duration for most of my tanks, except one, which has 7 hours of lighting. Any more, and nuisance algae starts to appear. This balance depends on the plant species, plant number, and fish load for each tank. I've found that reducing the duration to 8 hours might improve things.

The other critical factor in balance is nutrition. For fertilizers, I recommend a comprehensive supplement that includes all the necessary nutrients for plants. Hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon are always excluded, as they're readily available from other sources. I've been using Flourish Comprehensive Supplement for years, and another excellent option is Brightwell Aquatics' FlorinMulti. These supplements provide all the necessary nutrients in proportion to each other, according to the needs of aquatic plants. Any nutrient in excess can cause trouble, not only for plants but also for algae. Some nutrients in excess can even cause plants to shut down the assimilation of other nutrients, so balance among nutrients is crucial.

I've come across Flourish Advance, but I haven't used it myself. It's not a nutrient supplement like Flourish Comprehensive, and I'm hesitant to add more chemicals to my tanks when not necessary. Every substance added to the water can affect the fish, and the term "safe" is often subjective. While you don't have fish to worry about, Flourish Advance might be helpful in a new setup. However, I wouldn't recommend continuing it long-term, as it's expensive and doesn't provide any nutrients itself.

[Jack]

Thanks so much for your help and advice, I really appreciate it. I'll pick up the Flourish Comprehensive Supplement you mentioned and switch to that going forward. I just got the Advance because it was free with my plant purchase and seemed like a good starting point.

I'll definitely look into adjusting my lighting schedule. I set the timer for 9 hours because that's when I'm at work, but I can try dropping it to 8 hours. Would it be okay to shut the light off for an hour when I'm at lunch, or would the 4 hours on, 1 hour off, then 4 hours on again schedule cause issues?

Also, I was wondering about the fertilizer dosage. Do you follow the label instructions and use the liquid fertilizer twice a week?

[angelica]

I'm not familiar with that particular product, but I do use Flourish Comprehensive for my tanks. I've found it works well at half the recommended dose, which for me is about 2ml per week in 180 litres of water. To be honest, 50ml in 2 weeks seems excessive.

[boomer]

Balancing light and nutrients is key to keeping algae in check. Light encompasses both intensity and spectrum, while nutrients include plant additives, organics from invertebrates, and decaying plant matter. Without fish, organics and ammonia/ammonium will be limited, which is the preferred source of nitrogen for plants.

You didn't mention using plant additives, which will be necessary without fish present. Fast-growing plants like Wisteria require more nutrients, whereas slow-growing plants like Anubias might manage to some extent without supplementation.

Ironically, cyanobacteria thrive in the presence of light and organics. There might be organics in the rock feeding the cyanobacteria. I wouldn't worry about the cyano at this stage, as establishing a balance between light and nutrients might resolve the issue. However, with few plants, you might be using more light than necessary, disrupting the balance.

Do you add any nutrients to your tank? What's your lighting setup, including duration?

Regarding the brown on the Anubias leaf, can you remove it easily with your fingertip?

Having the tank lighting on for a few hours, then off for a couple, then on again, is sometimes referred to as the "siesta" approach. This method is occasionally suggested when algae becomes a problem. The idea behind it is that the natural CO2 is primarily used up during the first few hours, so the "siesta" period allows CO2 to rebuild. This can be a means to allow for maximum plant growth without algae issues.

Normally, I do not recommend this method, as it can affect fish negatively. However, in your case, you have no fish to worry about, and it might help with algae control.

[Jack]

Balancing light and nutrients is key to keeping algae in check. Light encompasses both intensity and spectrum, while nutrients include plant additives, organics from invertebrates, and decaying plant matter. Without fish, organics and ammonia/ammonium will be limited, which is the preferred source of nitrogen for plants.

You didn't mention using plant additives, which will be necessary without fish present. Fast-growing plants like Wisteria require more nutrients, whereas slow-growing plants like Anubias might manage to some extent without supplementation.

Ironically, cyanobacteria thrive in the presence of light and organics. There might be organics in the rock feeding the cyanobacteria. I wouldn't worry about the cyano at this stage, as establishing a balance between light and nutrients might resolve the issue. However, with few plants, you might be using more light than necessary, disrupting the balance.

Do you add any nutrients to your tank? What's your lighting setup, including duration?

Regarding the brown on the Anubias leaf, can you remove it easily with your fingertip?

I had come across information that chlorine can be detrimental to plants, which is why I opted for a water conditioner - Seachem Prime, to be specific. Having it on hand shouldn't cause any issues, so I'll continue using it for my water changes, which I plan to do every other week, replacing 2-4 gallons of water at a time.