I do think I have a bit too much light, it is a 25w striplight only 12"
across though. I have just got some hygrophilia and a few borneo swords for
the tank so it is now a lot more planted. I was going to change the 25W
light to an 8w tropical light (one of those that gives out a pinkish colour)
do you think this will be a problem for my plants that I have? (tank size
18x12x12).

Don't snails over run the tank if not kept in order, what snails would you
recommend for algae eating (so I can look them up).

Thanks for your help Kush

"kush" wrote in message
...
You've got me, Stu. What kind of light are you using? If it's not
incandescent and anywhere over 5000k you should have lighting handled - In
fact, I would have thought 13 hours too much.

I'd still recommend snails. They're great scavengers for guppy fry (of
which I have a few tanks, myself) and I'm sure no one would question their
provence in an asian tank. I don't know about asian cats - how about
shrimp?

I have a tendency in my fry tanks of not vacuuming the gravel well for
fear
of vacuuming guppies. This could (and I'm stretching) result in an oxygen
deficiency.

kush

Stuart Mueller wrote in message
. ..
Hi Kush,

Appreciate the advise, however, I do regular water changes on this tank
as
it contains baby guppies, and my nitrates are never above about 15ppm.
I have a UGF and a sponge filter running, with about 12" of fish all
together, in a 10UK Gal
The light is a 25W on for about 13hours a day.

I have a few vallis and a bit of eloda. I did a gravel vac last night
and
the stuff was really hard to get off the gravel and larger pebbles.

is there any brown algae that grows in high light conditions?

Can you give me any advise on a cat fish for an Indian or south Asian
biotype tank. once my guppies are all gone I am having a tank of
gouramis
so
I would like a catfish or two from around India or south Asia.

Cheers

Stu

"kush" wrote in message
...
Probably diatoms, usually symptomatic of some combination of nitrate,
oxygen
deficiency, and insufficient lighting. Recommendation: change water,
increase wattage and/or period of lighting, and add snails or ottos.

kush

Stuart Mueller wrote in message
. ..
I have a smattering of some brown fuzzy stuff over an area of my
gravel.
it
is a patch in the centre. it looks like a fine build up of dirt. is
this
algae? if so what sort?

Thanks

Stu