new fish cycle help

[Crazygar]

How's the tank?

Gary

[AppleSnail22]

Hi tank doing very good.....got cloudy for a bit...but i went out and bought the same brand filter as my filter...instead of the off brand my local pet store offered me....and after i but mt imagine bio 3 back in the take cleared up nice...I changed my light to a a 18 watt plant bulb...and bought some moss to plant on some of my structures...so will see how that goes...my tank is pretty stocked these days...so fish buying is done....but i have one issue...I've noticed a brownish orange growth on some of my structures...like my plastic bridge and the top of my rock....is this something i should worry about??? Larry

[Crazygar]

The Brownish stuff is diatom algae. As your tank matures, this will disappear. Otocinclus enjoy this stuff and will eat it up like a Brit in a Candystore (and I should know, I'm a shining example of that).

Gary

[oceansunltd]

Diatoms feed on the dissolved silica in the water, which is fairly high in a new tank. Tanks with calcareous gravel general also show high level of silica. No big deal-lots of plecos, otos, farlowella, etc. will eat it.