Rusty Spots.....

[apistopete]

Hi all,

Can anybody tell me what might be causing rust colour marks to start forming on my live plants. They have been growing well for weeks but only noticed these marks forming over the last few days. Am new to this and very much inexperienced so any advice would be fantastic

Also, I have a bubble maker pipe available to use on my internal filter. Would using this be beneficial for the plants or cause more harm than good.

Cheers

 

[UnicornsvstheWorld]

A picture would be helpful but it's possible that it could be from a species of algae. Algae comes in many species and their colours vary, you can even get some really odd colours of the stuff. The best way to remove algae is physically scrape it off the leaves and continue doing that.

 

[aquaticclarity]

Do the brown spots eaily rub off? If so I'd guess you have diatom "algae". Using a different water source thsy has a lower mineral content to it might be in order.

 

[apistopete]

Thanks,

Yes the rusty colour marks can be rubbed off a bit. Is there any specific treatment I can add to the water to be able to lower the mineral content of the water?

Also with regards to the bubble maker attachment on the filter, keep or remove? Reading up on the internet has me puzzled with contradicting views.

Cheers

 

[UnicornsvstheWorld]

A lot of chemical treatments for algae I have used in the past don't really work. There is also reducing the time that the aquarium light is on for but because its a browny algae it doesn't need as much light as green coloured algae, so it won't make much difference.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
If you wait a few months they will go away naturally.

I wouldn't suggest any chemical treatment, but Otocinclus are safe with Apistogramma, and will eat Diatoms, and so will Ramshorn snails if you water isn't really soft.

Diatoms can't get their silicon from sand, glass etc. as is as often suggested, but they need a source of orthosilicic acid.

They can grow at very low nutrient levels, so it is pretty difficult to lower nutrient levels low enough to stop them growing.

If you add some floating plants they will reduce light levels, and that should also help.

cheers Darrel

 

[gerald]

If you're referring to articles that say aeration will deprive the plants of CO2, that applies to tanks where you're adding supplemental CO2 at levels beyond the natural equilibrium with CO2 in the air above the water. If you're not adding supplemental CO2, aeration can't reduce the dissolved CO2 (unless maybe if your tank is really crowded with fish, in which case you need that aeration anyway to keep fish from suffocating). If you have dense plants and few fish, then aeration will typically increase the CO2 available to the plants.

Also with regards to the bubble maker attachment on the filter, keep or remove? Reading up on the internet has me puzzled with contradicting views.
Cheers

 

[apistopete]

Thanks for all the information guys.

Will take on board all what has been said and fingers crossed I can curtain the growth of the algae.

Thanks again

 

[Dano1311]

also something worth noting is the age of light tubes, ive noticed once tubes get a year or so old they start producing less 'useful' light and algae starts forming.