BROWN ALGAE FACTS

Hello All:

My brother-in-law's 75 gallon FW tank came down with a pretty bad case
of brown algae. I've heard all the facts about possible causes but
here are some basic guidelines to prevent brown algae infesting YOUR
aquarium:

Firstly: Dim light is NOT the cause of brown algae. Dim light is the
cause of the SPREAD of brown algae.

Secondly: Brown algae is a sheer indication that there's something
wrong with your water. How does it all begin? In summary, brown algae
is the result of "HARD WATER". What do you do? Do daily 15% water
changes until the brown algae goes away. Don't forget to vacuum the
bottom of your gravel at the same time, and scrape off the brown crap
off the inner walls.

By doing frequent water changes, the brown algae will go away. Also,
some people use Green-X by Hagen to clear out algae. Let me be clear
here ... Green-X is a wonderful product however it is chemically
engineered to clear out GREEN algae .. not brown.

Case study: In the case of my brother-in-law, he was doing weekly 15%
water changes and he swears his water is perfect and yet the brown
algae is taking over house ... hmmm ...well, he left out one little
point ...

To keep his fish happier and improve gill function, he puts in Doc
Wellfish's aquarium salt ... AH-HA !!! Adding salt to your aquarium
makes your water BRACKISH, and brackish water = HARD WATER. And voila
.... the REASON.

Hope this unveils the "brown algae" mystery ... thanks all .

Jim.