Aquarium Algae: Causes and Prevention That You Must Know

Setting up your tank is an exciting idea for both kids and adults. It can be a great bonding that most of us want. However, keeping an eye on your fish pets is necessary to give them safety and security. Thus, According to kingsoftheaquarium.com, problems are not avoidable when having an aquarium. Natural substances grow in your tank and can cause so much trouble to keep your fish healthy.

Moreover, the best example of that is the growth of aquarium algae. As you know, algae become part of the aquarium environment most of the time. They stick in different places and sometimes cause a problem if they grow too much. For that reason, you must perform proper prevention to eliminate and reduce their production. That way, you can secure your fish tanks excellently. Furthermore, we share some information on how algae grow in your tank. The cause and prevention are essential to keep your fishs’ environment healthy and in good condition. We listed below some of the kinds of algae, including their cause and how you can get rid of them, somehow.  So, let us begin and start the exploration and discover the exciting details about this matter.

Kinds of Algae: How do they grow, and how can you get rid of them?

This section contains the information that allows you to understand the cause and the prevention of aquarium algae. Each of them has characteristics that might affect your tanks negatively. So, eliminating is the best thing you should do for them. It includes the following;

• Green Spot Algae

This kind of algae is a tiny green spot that forms in your plants, glass, ornaments, and filter. Forming extensive colonies is what these algae’s favorable condition. There are some causes that you might not be aware of. Some of them are an imbalance of nutrients, especially in new setups, poor fertilization, low CO2, insufficient water charges, poor water circulation, phosphate depletion, and too much exposure to sunlight.

In eliminating this Green Spot Algae, it is best to examine the water substance content. As for the phosphates, testing them and getting the level is essential. If the level is low, add Seachem Flourish Phosphorus. It is a product that can help your water achieve a balanced phosphate level and get rid of algae correctly. Another thing is that you can use an algae scraper to remove Green Spot algae from the viewing panes. Lessening the light you attached to your tank can also help decrease algae growth. Consider placing the aquarium in shaded areas to avoid direct sunlight. Plus, you can put some Sun snails and Nerite snails. As you know, they eat Green Spot algae. 

• Blanket Weed

This kind of algae is the hardest and the most uneasy algae to remove. Unlike the other types of algae, this kind has a lot of odor when removing it. Scrubbing can emit an excessive unpleasant odor when it latches onto the substance, hair grass, and hardscaping. One of the causes of growing these algae is the introduction of poor-quality plants to the setup. Presence of high levels of nitrates, light, and CO2. Also, healthy water conditions are favored too.

Moreover, this algae can be eliminated when you turn off the filtration system or any other form of water circulation, not inadvertently distributing the algae around the tank. You can also use a set of long aquascaping tweezers to pick out as much of the algae as possible. You can also use some products like Seachem Flourish Excel again. Lastly, it is necessary to quarantine new plants before introducing them to your main display tank. 

• Fuzz Algae

You might typically see another kind of algae in some ornaments, viewing panes and plants that give everything a fuzzy appearance. There is some idea that these algae are an early stage of Hair algae, and a small colony in your tank might not be a severe matter. Some of its causes are commonly seen in new setups with imbalanced nutrients. The nutrient imbalance and low CO2 are the primary reasons this kind of algae grows in your aquarium. On the other hand, in removing these algae, testing your aquarium water for CO2 and nutrient levels and making any necessary adjustments is necessary. Ensuring a perfect environment and setting the needs of your water’s substances is essential. Plus, placing some clean-up crew of algae-eating critters is an excellent option to consider. Some of those are the Amano shrimp, Siamese Algae eaters, Bristlenose Plecos, Black Mollies, and Otocinclus.

Conclusion

Here we go. Here are some of the typical kinds of algae you might find in your aquarium. Each of them has properties that are similar and dissimilar to others. Thus, they need to be eliminated to set an excellent environment for your fish pets. And please remember that if there are still some creatures who love algae, that doesn’t mean that you don’t need to remove all of them from your tank. Controlling is the best way to have your aquarium set up perfectly.

So, remember to check your tank as much as possible. Thank you, and Have a great day!