Microphotograph of my brown algae - diatoms?

[PDX-PLT]

This is the first time I've tried just holding the lens of my point-and-shoot digital camera up to the eyepiece. It works remarkably well.

The first one is at 100x, the second at 400x

Looks like diatoms to me. if the silica is supposed to come from leaching from the glass in a new tank, that's not the case here; the tank is an old one I had that I recently set up again. There are a couple of new pieces of rose quartz in it, though.

So BN's eat this stuff?

[poconogal]

I have albino BNs and they eat it with relish. Mine won't touch any sort of green algae though.

[LizStreithorst]

I have to say that it DOES work remarkably well. Great Shots!

[AmberC]

I cannot answer your questions, but very cool!

[Apistomaster]

Definitely diatoms. Silica free water only occurs out of the end of a RO/DI unit equipted especially with specific ion exchange resins. All tap water has traces of silica, as do most natural substrate materials and most natural rock work. In itself this is not important. Diatoms are part of the natural ecological successions that occur in all aquaria. Diatoms are pioneering organisms and thrive when the light is suboptimal for the growth of higher plants. If you only use artificial plants then there is no competion for nutirent other than bacteria, protozoan and their relatives, the diatoms. Always my argument against artificial plants, they collect junk and do nothing to earn their keep.

Calculate the amount of light your system is able to deliver. If you use the bare bottom method add a potted Amazon sword plant or two if you have at least close to two watts per gallon and the heighth of the tank is 20 inches.
(Same as a standard 55 gal tank) If your light levels are lower consider getting Anubias barteri and Java Fern that grow well atached to driftwood and rockwork. The point is get some living higher plants going.

A bushynose pleco will clean up the diatoms in short order and help control the algae that are the next in line in the ecological procession. There are really no better choices among the plecos for discus tank algae control.
Larry Waybright

[PDX-PLT]

Well I picked up a little Albino BN today. 'never seen a new fish so happy with its new surroundings. It immediately went nuts sucking on the brown stuff.

[poconogal]

Well I picked up a little Albino BN today. 'never seen a new fish so happy with its new surroundings. It immediately went nuts sucking on the brown stuff.

Great! Yep, I imagine its like brownies to us! YUM!