Hi,
I am having some major problems with plants. I have some power compacts on my tank and many many small patches of reddish/brown algae get stuck on my plants. Its really tough and stuck on and grows in little clumps.

One of my tanks which has a much weaker light has no problem with that kind of algae, I get almost all green algae (and brown algae which isn't clumpy.. if that makes sense). I can easily rub it off.

I got the brighter lights so I could grow different plants, but the red/brown algae sticks onto them and kills the plant. I can't rub them off, I have to pick them off, and it takes part of the leaf with it. Is there anyway I can get rid of them? Would adding a lot of plants so there isn't as many nutrients in the water help? I tried scrapping them off weekly using my fingers or a toothbrush, but I end up killing the plant since it won't come off.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I have a similar problem in my last planted tank as well. It isn't heavily planted, just a few in gravel at first. Then I kicked the gravel out, and put them into terracotta pots with gravel in it.
I have tried brushing that stuff off with a soft toothbrush, and it does fairly well, if I am careful enough. There are still a few left on each leaf, but so far I haven't seen any new ones develop. They look kind of like fuzzy brownish algae, are yours having the same look? Not really all over the plant, but in little knobs on a few spots on the leaves...
I'd go and find one of those soft bristled baby toothbrushes and see if that does any good.

Exactly! Its fuzzy brownish algae thats in clumps. They are all over the outside part of the leaves (they seem to leave the middle part of big leafs alone). I've tried those soft bristled baby toothbrushes (as well as regular toothbrushes!) Brushing them doesn't get them to unstick from the plant

Does it regrow for you? I can remove most of it, but it'll be back very soon. I'm going to try to add a lot more plants in to see if helps reduce it. Out of all my tanks, only that one has problems.. but that one has the best lights, so that could be it probably.

Gosh, that stinks that yours seem to be coming back and back. Mine so far stay at least the same, no more growing. But that might be because I took the gravel out, and with it a whole lot of "fertilizer" that was naturally in the gravel.

I was thinking if a little Oto would work. They are pretty great in cleaning up algae, maybe he'll take on the annoying algae fuzz....

I have had no algae since I installed an in-line UV filter. If others have had this result, I'd be interested to hear of their experience. It is a low-watt version (5 watt), so it isn't huge...

Mrs. Raven

I actually have a UV sterilizer as well, it gets rid of the greenish water, but does nothing to get rid of the brown clumpy aglae.

I actually have a *little* of it in my cichlid tank, but the plecos won't even touch it, they seem to eat everything else though.

i had the same issues. try running those CF lights at a max of 8hrs instead and add Phos-Zorb and Phosphate removal pad in ur filter, if you own a canister. i've been battling with those issues before too, but i'm in the clear now.