Evening all,

I'm sure this must have been asked before but a search didn't prouce anything. I'm also not sure it is an emergency but it might be soon.

I have a Fluval Duo Deep 1000 which has been running for just over three weeks. I put some media in the filter and base of the aquarium for a fishless cycle and as my Nitrates were high and I had hardly a trace of anything else I decided to get some fish at the start of the week. I now have just four dwarf rainbows in the aquarium which have been in there since Monday. I've had a little algae in the tank for a few days but wasn't overly worried. I performed a 20% water change today and also added some Cycle and Plant Gro as I have a few live plants in there. There's also a sachet of Green X which I thought was supposed to help stop algae. All of a sudden wherever there was algae before it has now increased dramatically and there is new algae appearing on all surfaces, plants (plastic and real) and on the glass. It seems more brown than green and is longish and waving in the current.

I've just done some water tests and my Ammonia is either 0 or 0.1 mg/l (it's hard to tell the colour difference but it's definitely no higher than that) Nitrite is 0.1 mg/l and Nitrate is 50 mg/l. I don't have a PH test to hand but that is usually 7.6 and my Hardness is 16. I have the two standard lights in the aquarium which have been on for around 12 hours a day with a couple of days where it was on for 14 or so due to my son turning it on early.

This stuff is multiplying almost before my eyes. I know I can do 20% water changes every day to help but when I go back to work on Monday it is unlikely I'll have the time to do that. Does anyone know what might be going on and what I can do about it?

TIA as always

Leigh

The algae you talk off is normal in new set ups its called Diatom algae and will go as quickly as it came here read this on it

http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/algae.htm#brown

I had the same problem in my new set up, dont worry it does go, also it is really easy to wipe off

Thanks for that. I certainly hope it goes soon as it looks pretty bad and still seems to be growing. I remember this happening in my first smaller tank but not like this.

I read in that link about appropriate water changes. As I said it is unlikely I'll get a chance to do it during the week. Considering I did it today is it worth doing again tomorrow?

A small change every couple of days should do, but have you tested your tap water for phosphate as sometimes it can contain some