Help with brown algae?

[ashlea]

Hi everyone! I’m new here, so please forgive me if I’m not very knowledgeable! My current issue is that I have a brown algae problem I can’t seem to kick. I’ve upgraded my lightbulb, changed my filters monthly, and do probably 30%+ water changed weekly/bi-weekly. I have one little betta in a 16 gallon tank. He’s currently got a fungus so while he’s in the hospital tank I took the reigns and cleaned the entire tank, every piece part and I’m even trying to dry his rocks out because my local fish people told me the algae is living in the substrate. My question is, I have a penguin hob filter, and I don’t know what to do with my bio wheel while it’s all drying so I put it in a container with water to keep it moist. I have no idea what to do, and I’m so frustrated. I don’t want my fish to die because the tank is too clean, but I see no other way to deal with the algae. Can someone please help me with where to go from here? Is he going to die? Did I clean too much? Am I storing my bio wheel correctly? I am so frustrated! I’m trying to deal with it but I just don’t know

 

[K7BMG]

I would imaging fresh water is about the same.
Just need to reduce light and manually remove.
In time the natural bacteria should build up and help reduce it.