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.
If you have a fish tank that receives plenty of light, the green algae will most probably be the type that will have to be dealt with. In this case, what fish owners see the most often is either the hair algae or the “green dot algae”. The first one is simply long strings of algae, while the latter one is the green dots on the aquarium’s side. The second type is also very hard to remove.
It’s normal for brown algae to appear within a fish tank which has recently been started up and it normally shows up during the first fortnight. When it appears in established tanks it means the owner of the aquarium has to check the nitrate as well as phosphate degrees in the tank. Brown algae is abnormal because it thrives in aquariums that do not receive a great deal of light, so the aquarium owner has to clean the whole tank and up the illumination. It’s not abnormal for brown algae to disappear when the tank’s conditions become stable.
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.
Blue-green algae is deceiving because it’s not really algae, it’s actually a cynobacteria. As this shows up within an aquarium it appears to be a slime which is commandeering your aquarium and will not just be bad for plants in the aquarium, but may also harm the well being of your 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.
Changing the water often or using distilled water for cleaning a saltwater aquarium is another good way prevent to algae from growing in your fish tank. Also when changing water try to use as little additives as possible and do remember about vacuuming the rocks. It also helps to keep algae eating aquatic creatures in your aquarium, such as the Yellow Tang Fish, Hard Star Fish, Turbo Snails, Hermit Crabs, Blennies or Angel Fish.
Buy the largest, strongest glass cleaning algae magnet you can find and then use it. If you use the magnet each and every time you clean the water in your tank the glass in the tank will probably remain free of algae. For very tough algae spots, you will have to use a razor blade. Also do not fail to wash out the outpouring pipes. If you follow the above advice, you should not have to deal with algae ever again.
Tags: Aquariums