#aquarium algae

[3lousytanks]

My mom says my algae tree is ugly. I like it. Also the algae bush under it is where my kuhlis rest. I Imagine it is very soft and comfy for them.

This is why I don’t remove it. It is strategically kept.

[teruyalab]

Algae Common Types

Algae is one of the most common problems in a tank, whether it is planted or not. It is normally due to too much of one thing and not enough of the other. For example too much light and not enough co2 and nutrients or not enough light and too many nutrients. Even in a perfectly balanced aquarium it is impossible to stay algae free. Below are the most common types of algae and how to rid yourself of it.

Hair Algae

Very common on plants and rocks. Can be many different colors but is usually green or greyish. They are long thin strands sometimes growing 3-4 inches long. Normally due to overdosing of liquid fertilizers, especially ones high in iron and phosphates.  

Getting rid of it

Just reduce the amount and frequency or completely erradicate adding any fertilizers to stop it from growing or add more potassium so the plants will use the phosphates quicker. It is easy to pull off so you can just pull it off until you get rid of it.

Green Spot Algae

Probably the most common algae. Appears as little green spots everywhere: glass, rocks, fish substrate, filters, everywhere. I have found that it occurs where any direct light hits. Also occurs on slow growing plants.

Getting rid of it

Practically impossible to get rid of especially if it is on plants. If it is on the glass however most sucker fish like a pleco will get it off. For plants that keep getting it make sure to move them so no direct sunlight hits them.

Brown Algae

Mainly found on plants and substrate. It is like a brown sludge that coats the plants. It is very easy to rub it off. Usually caused by excess phosphates in the water.

Getting rid of it

One of the easiest ways to get rid of it is buy alot of fast growing plants so that they can outcompete the algae for the nutrients. However you could just buy either a group of SAE (siamese algae eaters) or

otocinclus

(commonly referred to as oto's). They will make a feast out of it. It is best to buy them in groups of 3 or larger.  

Red Brush Algae

Occurs as fine threads clumped together. Possibly one of the hardest to get rid of. Tends to favor water with a high carbonate hardness and high PH.  

Getting rid of it

The only good fish to get rid of it is the SAE (siamese algae eater). Get a group of them and it should be gone shortly. The common plec has been known to also eat it (very rarely though).

Blue-green algae

Never tackled this type of algae before(luckily) so information has come from

The Tropical Tank

. Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) appears as a slimy coating in a number of different colours. It can smother plants and may release toxins harmful to fish. It can fix nitrogen and may therefore occur in tanks with zero or very low nitrates (but possibly high levels of other nutrients, particularly phosphate).

Getting rid of it

No known cure. No fish will eat it because it releases toxins. Some people have tried using antibiotics before but make sure you know what you are doing first.

[saltwaterreefcom]

Nuisance algae in aquariums: hair algae, dinos, and bubble algae

Nuisance algae are among the most common “tank problems” reported by aquarium keepers, but they’re not all the same—and treating them with one-size-fits-all methods often makes things worse. Three of the most frequently discussed outbreaks are hair algae, dinoflagellates (often called “dinos”), and bubble algae, each with different drivers and warning signs. Hair algae: fast growth, manual removal helps early Hair algae typically appears as thread-like green stran... Read more »

[saltwaterreefcom]

Hair Algae: Causes and Step-by-Step Removal Guide

Hair algae—typically long, stringy strands that resemble hair—can quickly become a visual nuisance in aquariums. While it’s not usually considered harmful on its own, it often signals an imbalance in your tank’s light, nutrients, and maintenance routine. The most effective fixes pair removal with addressing the underlying cause. Common causes of hair algae Hair algae outbreaks usually happen when one or more environmental factors favor algae growth. The most frequent drivers includ... Read more »

[saltwaterreefcom]

Nuisance algae in aquariums: hair algae, dinos, and bubble algae

Nuisance algae are among the most common “tank problems” reported by aquarium keepers, but they’re not all the same—and treating them with one-size-fits-all methods often makes things worse. Three of the most frequently discussed outbreaks are hair algae, dinoflagellates (often called “dinos”), and bubble algae, each with different drivers and warning signs. Hair algae: fast growth, manual removal helps early Hair algae typically appears as thread-like green stran... Read more »

[smittyaquatics]

The Algae Bloom Reflection

The Algae Bloom Reflection

Alright, it’s been a few weeks and I’ve had some time to reflect on the crazy algae bloom I had.  Frankly I believe it was all due to user error.  Basically, I’m an idiot.  I created the perfect environment for algae, and algae did was algae does.

Algae is a very simple single cell plant, it can live in your water column just fine without you even realizing it.  However, if they get enough light,…

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[thatfishchick]

Algae, algae everywhere.

We’ve all been there. You slave for hours upon hours setting up the perfect aquarium, selecting the precise equipment, laboring over every detail only to see it.. That creeping crud. The green woes. Algae.

I’m not talking about the trace algae we see from time to time. Every aquarium is going to have some minimal algae from time to time; we’re talking bad outbreaks.

Bleh.

Follow below the cut for some tips and tricks about algae.

Algae comes in many forms. Most of it is simple eukaryotic cells living in colonies, but some are much larger and some are actually bacteria (cyanobacteria!). However, at their roots, much of what we consider to be “algae” (whether plant, protist, or bacteria) is easily dealt with when you understand one, simple concept.

Leibig’s law of the minimum.

Leibig’s law of the minimum states that growth is not limited by the total resources available, but by the scarcest resource - the limiting factor.

Okay,,,. so that sounds really fancy and important, but what does it mean? Well, it means that by cutting back on the factors necessary for algae growth, we can lower the availability of the limiting factors and stop algae in its tracks. Plants require a wide range of resources, but some of the most critical are fixed nitrogen, phosphates, trace minerals, and light.

Let’s start with light. The longer the photoperiod, the more light available, so cutting back on how long your light is on can significantly improve algae conditions. Keeping your light on to between no longer than 8 to 10 hours a day may contribute to excessive algae growth, but your aquarium’s light is not always the cause. Very often aquariums are exposed to enough ambient light to contribute to algal growths. Check your tank without the aquarium light on at several points in the day to see if their is any direct sunlight exposure or even indirect exposure. You can cut this out by moving an aquarium or by using drapes or blinds to cut back on ambient light exposure.

There is an issue with light, though, that we do not always discuss. Output frequency. When you purchase a light rated for plants or coral, you are purchasing a bulb which outputs light in a spectrum optimal to the growth of higher organisms based off of their common photosynthetic pigment components. As bulbs age, the output frequency shifts, into a spectrum which is very often more favorable to algal growth. Maintain your bulbs according to manufacturer’s recommendations, keeping the cover and reflector clean and replacing the bulbs as required. Most will need to be replaced every two years, but not all. LEDs are becoming more common and require less frequent changing. 

Most hobbyists end up fixing their alqae woes with cutting back on the light, but not every outbreak is so easily curtailed. Nitrogen can be a dramatic factor following light. Dissolved nitrogen in the water column and gaseous nitrogen the air is not available for most living organisms This is because nitrogen is a diatomic molecule bound by an extremely strong triple bond; this requires special chemical reactions to break the bond and make nitrogen available (and, oh, did we mention nitrogen is a key component for amino acids and proteins?). Diazotrophs like cyanobacteria and select fungi can break this bond and fix nitrogen into ammonia or nitrogen dioxide which plants can uptake (plants and phtosynthetic organisms like algae).

Wait..... did you see some familiar chemical names in there? Ammonia (NH3/4+) and nitrites (NO2). These are key components in the nitrogen cycle, directly related to the breakdown of excess food and animal wastes in the home aquarium. By cutting down on the availability of organically available nitrogen (ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates), you can cut back on the algae.

This can be a stubborn factor to cut back on. One of the greatest ways is to simply avoid the nitrogen issue altogether by stocking conservatively and feeding appropriately to avoid any excess. The less biomass your tank is supporting, the less waste is being output, and the less food you are basically offering to algae. The less food waste that is left behind, the less you are feeding the algae. Ideally, you should have no food left behind after a feeding.

Another good way to cut back on nitrogen is to keep up with your water changes. Nitrates in the wild are removed by a variety of pathways that return the biologically available nitrogen to an inorganic form that are not often well replicated in the home aquarium. We’re discovering much more about how nitrogen is recycled in the wild in both the water column and in the benthos, but many of these methods require conditions we really haven’t begun to explore in captive husbandry, let alone in a means to truly accommodate the highly population densities in the aquarium compared to the wild. As such, the only really great way to remove nitrates in most aquariums is to perform regular water changes (it also serves to dilute other metabolic wastes as well as replenish certain minerals to your aquarium).

There is only way that has been much more aggressive explored in reef keeping and pond keeping to cut back on nitrates as well as trace minerals; competition. In reef keeping, many hobbyists maintain refugiums populated by macroalgae to out-compete the undesired algae. In pond keeping, many hobbyists maintain lush planted areas to gobble up the available nutrients. However, this requires conservative stocking and dense planting to really make a dent. Look up the Walstad method for more details about planning for this is freshwater aquaria.

There are occasional arguments that filter media contributes to nitrates, by allowing bacteria to overly flourish and produce nitrates. Personally, I don’t agree with this speculation. If your filter is well maintained, this should never be an issue. However, those who have cited this as an issue also cite excessive mulm build up in finer biological media. If you find that there is a build up, you need only take the media and shake it out in a bucket of waste-water from a water change.

Phosphates are a bit tricky. See, phosphates come from both your food and your food and from your water. Some people opt to combat this by using RODI water (which dramatically reduces the total ppm of trace solutes in tapwater). However, this is at the cost of producing gray-water, which is really more concentrated with the solutes (something a touchy issue when it comes to water conservation issues unless you re-purpose the gray-water). Also, RODI water is soooooo clean that it requires remineralization to maintain pH and also provide necessary salts to the organisms living in the aquarium.

There are products on the market to reduce phosphates as well as silicates that feed algae (silicates being necessary for diatomaceous life). I’m a fan of Seachem’s PhosGuard. It can easily be used in your filter like a media (you just need put it in a mesh sock).

These are, admittedly, general suggestions. There are many kinds of algae that will not be easily solved in this manner, like black beard algae. Some people advocate the one-two punch, but I’m not a fan of such extreme measures. I like to opt for trying the more conservative route of cutting back on limiting factors first.

..... if you guys are interested in algae and into keeping reef aquaria, there is actually a really fascinating short book written by the fabulous Julian Sprung called Algae : A Problem Solver Guide, which has a much more detailed examination of saltwater algae issues and how to remedy them.

[mcsprinkles]

Also, some images of my spirogyra problem before I started another blackout. Figured these would be good for ID purposes.