Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Remove all the brown algae from your tank. Typically, prevention is the best course to take, but if you have algae issues already, then you must get rid of the slime first. Manually clean the tank, rocks, plants, and any other decorations you have. Use fresh, filtered water when you replace it in the tank, and check to see if your filters are dirty. Change them if they are.
Change the diet that you feed your fish. It is believed that by feeding fish too much food, or types that produce a great deal of fish waste, you accidentally promote brown algae growth. Try the new food for at least one week, giving the fish time to adjust, and the brown algae growth to diminish.
Apply a commercial algaecide, such as HTH Yellow Rid. Follow the directions on the package exactly, and do not add too much for the size of your tank. Doing so can harm or kill the fish.
Bring home fish that are known to specifically eat algae, and place them in your tank. Snails, black mollies, and otos are all good for this purpose. Do not feed them anything prior to placing them in the tank if yours has a great deal of algae -- this way, they will have a hearty appetite for the stuff and will get rid of it quickly for you.