Brown algae all gone.

[doodle1800]

I've had a problem with brown algae - diatoms - for about 3 weeks now. I've been peeling it out every now and then. Its been a nuisance. I left my lights off all day - 24 hours, and last night I turned lights on and it was all gone - all of it. Was a 24 hour period of no light at all enough to rid it all? or did my cleanup crew have more time to eat it? Or did my peppermint shrimp finally get hungry? Or did my non use of house water finally do it? Or all of the above. I was shocked to see it all gone - a clean tank.
opinions? (its a small tank - 10gal..)

 

[99]

When I was buying water from the health food store, that controlled my alge problem real well

 

[cboyfan2020]

all those factors probablyhelped but beware of them coming back when you return to your normal light cycle. New tanks go through this and it just takes time for them to go away. Doing the things you are doing now will minimalize it though.