Having been told over and over on this forum that all of our troubles are caused by excess lighting, I am considering removing my reflectors.
The tank doesn't have an algae problem as such. However, the oldest leaves of plants like Ludwigia Repens and Staurogyne Repens (especially the Stauro) are badly affected by brown algae. I'm not sure whether it is a form of diatoms- it looks slightly different to how diatoms usually do.
The thing is, the leaves that are affected are all the oldest leaves, which means they are actually now quite shaded. However, I have been told that brown algae is caused by excess light (despite the fact that is is brown, indicating a lack of chlorophyll, and despite the fact that it only grows in the dimly lit areas of my tank...)
So I guess two questions: 1) Will removing reflectors reduce algae? 2) What causes brown algae on old leaves?
Cheers.
P.S. Tank is a Juwel Rio 125 with 2 x Arcadia Plant Pro J5 (28W each = 56W total) with Arcadia reflectors.
The tank doesn't have an algae problem as such. However, the oldest leaves of plants like Ludwigia Repens and Staurogyne Repens (especially the Stauro) are badly affected by brown algae. I'm not sure whether it is a form of diatoms- it looks slightly different to how diatoms usually do.
The thing is, the leaves that are affected are all the oldest leaves, which means they are actually now quite shaded. However, I have been told that brown algae is caused by excess light (despite the fact that is is brown, indicating a lack of chlorophyll, and despite the fact that it only grows in the dimly lit areas of my tank...)
So I guess two questions: 1) Will removing reflectors reduce algae? 2) What causes brown algae on old leaves?
Cheers.
P.S. Tank is a Juwel Rio 125 with 2 x Arcadia Plant Pro J5 (28W each = 56W total) with Arcadia reflectors.