brown algee looking stuff

Question
there is a brown stuff looks like algee i have had this tank for5 or 6 years but i dont know what this is havev emptyed tank  two times in last two months wiped inside clean an its back this is a 55 gal tank and am going to empty again but usally only had to do full clean up 1or 2 times a year i had a huge algee eater who died shortly after this stuff showed up but he was 11 years old none of my other fish have died but i hate seeing my tank look so nasty thank you

Answer
Hi Juano;

The brown stuff is only algae and is not harmful to your fish in any way. Here are links to info about algae, it's causes and types;

http://faq.thekrib.com/algae.html#brown
http://www.fishpondinfo.com/algae.htm

Your algae eater died from some other cause. Sometimes we never do know why a fish dies. It could be anything. Even brain tumors, heart attacks and strokes can affect them. Just like people really. The reason you are seeing algae now is that the algae eater started getting sick awhile before he died and then quit eating. You saw the brown algae all of a sudden because he was keeping it cleaned up until he fell ill. So, get a new algae eater and the algae will go away. I would like to suggest some other types to you though. The big types  need a 100 gallon or larger because they get 2 feet long. Here is a link to check some out;

http://www.fishpondinfo.com/algae.htm#table

It's risky to keep emptying and scrubbing the tank. It's actually very bad for the fish to put them through such extreme changes like that. It kills the beneficial bacteria living in the filter, gravel and on decorations that keeps fish waste toxins biologically processed. It's like putting them all through a break-in period as if the tank was new. Partial weekly water changes of 25% and gravel vacuuming every two weeks is a much better way to do it. It will keep the water quality consistent and not subject them to so much shock. It just stays consistently good all the time. I have had tanks that go 20 years without draining them. I only do it in the case of a major catastrophe like a chemical accidently got in there, the fish all died from a contagious disease, or the tank cracked or leaked. I keep feedings down to a safe minimum and all my fish are fat and sassy, with good water chemistry.

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins