First of all SORRY FOR THE LONG POST but...

I have some green but mostly brown algae starting to cover the bogwood and
Florite substrate on a fairly new planted tank. The tank has been planted
for 2-3 weeks and setup for over 1 month. Bogwood was soaked in water for 2
months before putting it in the tank (3 pieces).

Can anyone give me advice as to what is happening...and whether surface
algae (brown) is common - I have never had brown algae before. Also
previously coating the bogwood was a white film like substance that seemed
to grow over it. In places the white film would develop like fine dense
hairs - what is this substance? I keep cleaning the bogwood and letting the
substance be sucked into the filter - it always returns.

I have recently (about 1 week) added 11 fish (mountain minnows and tetras).
Chemistry is still OK.

My overall goals are to have a flourite substrate = food for the plants.
Plenty of plants that suck up the nitrates and phosphates from the water -
these should grow wildly (I am getting more wild plants such as
Ceratophyllum and possibly cabomba). The plants will be subsidised wih CO2
and lots of light, hence, no excuse for not growing. Lush growth - no food
in the water for algae - SIMPLE really.

SO whats happening folks. Chemistry suggests everything shoudl be going
well. Details of the tank and chemistry below.

Any advice welcome

Martin

Tank 250 litres(100x50x50 cm) - two main tubes at the moment both Triton 30W
each. Adding a Flora Glo as tube2 - light on for (tube1=10 hrs) (tube3=11
hrs 0.5 hrs either side of the main tubes), tube2 will also be 10hrs.

Perfectly clear water - quality excellent. Flourite substrate 2" front 3+"
back. Filter is a bit more than adequate for size of tank. Good flow of
water as seen by the minute bubbles in the flow. Surface water moving but
not agitated too much.

CO2 injection - giving a reading which is accordance with pH. So this seems
OK.
pH = 7
PO4 = 0 to 0.25
Nitrate = 0, My tap water does have Nitrate at about 40 ppm so this seems
brilliant.
Nitrite = 0
Ammonia = 0
GH = 200 mg/L according to test kit? seems high to me! but I do live in a
general Limestone area.
KH = 110 mg/L according to test kit? seems high to me!

Plants - not too bothered about the wilting as the plants may not have had
time to settle into the new tank fully. Details are :-
Foreground Lileopsis - developing some new shoots but not as many as
expected - brown algae developing on some shoots which seem to be wilting.
Middleground Eleocharis - some new blades of grass growing well - nice green
colour - original plants seem to be turning brown in places.
Background Heteranthera Zosterifolia - growing fast - bright (light) green
shoots tripled in size already - no algae anywhere on these plants.
Virtually covered the length of the background already. Pleant of O2 bubbles
coming off this plant when lights are on.

Thanks for the advice Leigh, I will let the fungus and brown algae take its
course...I do have some japanese algae eating shrimps as well - maybe they
will help.

As for the light - I was just working that out when your post came in...I
though that I had calculated that the 3 bulbs I had bought were man enough
for the job - I have seen many well planted tanks of this kind - I purchased
an extra tube which is the maxuimum (3) that can be fitted (I have an Effect
Line tank - if thats any use).

Even with 3 tubes thats only 1.37 W/gall. mmmm - food for thought here.

My tubes do have parabolic (or maybe just circular) reflectors above them
and they are only about 1" from the surface of the water - will this
increase the W/Gall measure by any?

However, I hae read that W/Gall may be an innacurate measure - and that its
the intensity of light reaching the plants that count - is this correct?
Having said that how do you measure the intensity under water - so I guess
W/gall is the only other reasonable guess that you can make.