Your Aquarium And Algae
If you have had an aquarium at home for at least some time, you must have surely been faced with the problem of algae. Unfortunately, all fish owners will have to deal with it sooner or later. Algae can be divided into four major groups – blue green, brown, red-brush, and green.
Green algae is the type that many people are familiar with and lives within any aquarium that gets an abundance of light. The two more frequently seen green algae within fish tanks are the hair algae and hard “green dot algae”. Hair algae are long thin strings of algae which are simply cleaned from the tank, and the green-dot algae looks like green dots of algae attached to the side of the aquarium and it is very hard plus time consuming to get rid of.
It is common for brown algae to show up in a fish tank which has just been started and it typically shows up in the initial two weeks. If it shows up in established tanks it means that the owner of the aquarium has to check the nitrate as well as phosphate degrees in the tank. Brown algae is abnormal because it lives in aquariums which don’t get a lot of light, therefore the aquarium owner needs to clean the entire tank and increase the lighting. It’s not uncommon for brown algae to vanish when the conditions of the tank stabilize.
Red-brush algae is not a good news, as it is very hard to remove it manually. In most cases, the cause behind its appearance lies in a high water PH.
If you have something that looks like a slime in your tank, it indicates the appearance of blue-green algae, which actually is a cynobacteria. This is not only going to be dangerous for the plants in your aquarium, but is also likely to cause harm to the fish.
Among the easiest methods to reduce the volume of algae within the tank is to lower your lighting utilizing the smallest wattage you can. Keeping your aquarium lights on for less then nine hours a day will limit the amount of time algae has for photosynthesis.
Utilize distilled water as you clean the saltwater aquarium or swap out the water because altering your water every two to three weeks will limit the amount of time algae may thrive within the tank. As you swap out the water ensure you vacuum the rocks and keep utilization of additives as low as possible, changing the pre-filter pad every week. Stock the tank full of algae consuming fish. With saltwater aquariums that would be – Hard Star Fish, Yellow Tang Fish, Blennies, Turbo Snails, Angel Fish, and small Hermit Crabs.
Using an algae magnet when cleaning your tank can also prove to be very helpful. If you make use of it during each cleaning, your aquarium has a high chance of remaining algae free. For the extra stubborn spots you will probably have to resort to using a razor blade. Fortunately, if you do manage to apply all of the above tips, chances are you will not have to worry about algae ever again.
