How to Control Algae in Your Fish Tank
Posted: Tuesday, March 27, 2007
by Edward Fielding
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The Bottom Line The battle against algae is ongoing and requires many weapons in your arsenal.
Bugged by algae in your aquarium? The following guide will help you eliminate or at least reduce algae in your fish tank.
Believe it or not, a little bit of algae in the fish tank is a good thing. Many fish enjoy nibbling on the stuff (think of it as free food!) and indicates healthy water (if algae can't live in your water heaven knows what could!). But too much algae can cloud your water, cover the glass and decorations and basically make your tank look like a real mess.
It might look like a plant but the photosynthetic organisms growing in our fish tanks are not real plants, they are plant-like organisms that belong to the Kingdom Protista. Most species of algae are unicellular although some large, multicellular organisms - think of it as a mushroom compared to the oak tree. A much more simple lifeform than a proper plant.
Ways to Attack Algae
Any body of water can be subjected to algae problems (pools, hot tubs, ponds) but since we are keeping live fish in our tanks we can't exactly launch an attact using chemical warefare such as clorine! Try several of these methods of attack.
1. Water Changes
When fish poop, uneaten food Eventually nitrates build up in the tank water and it can only be eliminated by water changes. Change about 10% of the water each week. This doesn't mean simply replacing the water that has evaporated, it means removing 10% of the water and refilling with fresh water.
Also check your tap water. You might be introducing high levels of nitrates from your water and not even know it.
2. Get Something That Eats It
Algae eating fish like Plecostomus or "Plecos" as they are nicknamed will come out at night and do a nice job cleaning up leftover food (that will create more food for algae if not cleaned up) and algae with their sucker mouths. Bristlenose Plecos, Clown Plecos and Otos (Otocinclus catfish) are other fish that fall into the algae eating category although there are others. For example certain African Cichlids like the Mbuna are algae-grazing cichlids, in the wild they eat all day like water bound cows scraping rocks for algae. Mollys are another fish that likes to munch on algae.
Common snails are another option will eat algae and are often the by product of buying live plants since these things multiply like crazy. Just buy one so they don't take over the tanks. Apple snails are larger and don't seem to multiply as much but be safe and stick to one. If snails do take over your tank you can buy products that will kill them.
3. Add Live Plants
Plants higher on the evolutionary hierarcy will compete with the algae for nutrients and thus will limit algae growth.
4. Limit The Light
Algae needs light to live so don't place your tank near an window and don't leave the light on too long. Lights should be on for no more than 10 hours a day.
5. UV Sterilizer
An expensive solution to algae would be to purchase an ultraviolet sterilizer. You hook one of these along the output from your filter and the water passes in front of a powerful UV light that bursts the algal spores free floating in your water.
6. Physical Removal
When all else fails you have to remove algae by hand. This means scraping the glass with algae scrapers and dipping decorations in a bleach solution (just be sure to rinse everything well before placing it back in the tank!)
7. Chemicals
At last resort you can try commerically available algae killers in liquid or fizz tabs but this should be as a last resort. The algae is growing in your tank because it has favorable conditions. You should try to solve these problems first before resorting to chemicals because if you don't reduce the lighting, or nitrate levels, the algae just will come back.
Also you can buy phosphate removers that you add to your filter either in powder or mat form which will reduce phospate in the water which encourages plant growth.
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Top-level comments on this article: (3 total)Great Information.....I also have an idea that I use ALGONE. I put in into my filter syster, it looks like a tea bag, anyway, my water was really really cloudy and algae like and then a few days later my water was crystal clear. I even have a couple of algae eaters in my aquarium (20 gallon) , and I do regular water changes. I must get a couple of live plants like you suggested, I never knew that helped, I never heard of a UV Steralizer...I must check into that...thanks for you article
I have algae in my fish tank, but I noctice that one of my guppies has green growing on him. What is it and what can I do for him. I losted about 6 fish recently and would really hate to lose the seven I have left.
Thanks so much! I really need to get rid of the algae for my goldfish! I had tried algae eaters and live plants so i will cut down on the lighting and do another water change!:)
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