All plants not belonging to the mosses liverworts, true mosses and hornworts or the higher plants ferns, Lycopodiopsida and seed-bearing plants , are classified as algae. Amongst them we have microscopic unicellular organisms and thread-like forms as well as the so-called macroscopic algae, like seaweeds, some of which can reach a length of up to 60 meters.
For life on Earth, algae are crucial. Just like germs, i. There are some algae that float in the air passively, the so-called aeroplankton, in order to reach new places to inhabit. For our aquaria, this means that their omnipresence makes an aquarium that is absolutely free from algae practically impossible.
The reasons stated above make it pretty clear that algae form a part of every aquarium. There are no aquaria without any algae, despite the most dedicated care. Of course there are tanks that do not have any obvious algal growth, however, we cannot see the tiniest microscopic algae most of them are unicellular that are mostly present in the biofilms. Biofilms form on all the surfaces in the aquarium, and besides algae, they contain different microorganisms.
They are nothing that needs to be removed, on the contrary - biofilms are all-important for the biological balance of a tank. Moreover, many aquarium inhabitants feed on biofilm, which is great food for them. During the cycling phase of a tank, when the biological system is still finding its stability, a certain algae population is perfectly normal. Diatoms will form during the first few days to weeks, and after that, in their place, green algae will form.
In the long run, however, it is possible to have an aquarium without visible algae, and this is even realistic for beginning aquarium keepers. Just keep some basic things in mind and inform yourself about the reasons for the formation of algae. As we have already mentioned, especially during the first few weeks in the life of an aquarium, the formation of algae is very probable.
Frequently, the ecological balance has not yet been established in such a tank. In this case, you'll need to be patient until the system is balanced. The relation of algae to aquatic plants is not yet balanced in the beginning either. Stronger plant growth will shift it towards the plants, at the detriment of the algae.
For this reason it is rather important to start the tank with a good plant population and to use fast-growing stem plants. Until the tank has found its biological balance we recommend controlling the algae with specific measures for each kind.
First and foremost, the use of a sufficiently large number of algae eaters is recommendable. The most efficient algivores are Amano shrimp and nerites of the genera Vittina, Neritina and Clithon.
But why will algae form in an aquarium that has been standing for quite a while? In a planted tank, this may happen due to a nutritional imbalance. In these cases, algae will find highly favourable conditions, which they will use for visible growth.
We have defined "nutrients" based on this article as all parameters of the four basic groups comprising the elements light, CO 2 , micronutrient and macronutrient fertilisation. In former times, people used to think that single nutrients like phosphorus or nitrogen were responsible for algal growth, however, this theory has been proven wrong.
In an aquarium, you can find and measure nitrogen in the form of nitrate and phosphorus in the form of phosphate, for example. These nutrients are crucial for plant growth, though. If they are deficient, the plants will not grow well and cannot compete against the algae. A nitrate or phosphate deficiency will thus not prevent algae but can actually be the cause for algal growth.
The aquarium plants need to be supplied with the full range of nutrients with a suitable fertilising regimen , which is crucial. That means they also produce oxygen during the daytime and consume it at night. Plus, certain algae can look attractive and make an aquarium seem more natural. Imagine you have a neighbor with a well-groomed lawn of grass. Even they will get the occasional weed like algae in an aquascape that must be dealt with. If you mow the lawn, then it will appear as if you have no weeds.
Algae is caused by an imbalance of nutrients and lighting in your aquarium. This simple statement can be a little difficult to unpack, but basically, your plants need just the right amount of lighting and nutrients for optimal growth. If you give them too much light and not enough nutrients as building blocks to grow, the algae will take advantage of the excess light and multiply.
If you provide a lot of nutrients but not enough light which regulates how fast plants can utilize the nutrients , then algae will take advantage of the extra nutrients.
To make matters worse, achieving a perfectly balanced tank is nearly impossible because even if you balance everything today, your plants will continuously grow or you will prune them, thus changing the amount of nutrients and lighting they need. Since you will always have some imbalance between lighting and nutrients, the goal is to get your aquarium as close to being balanced as possible, and then use an algae-eating crew to fill in the rest of the gap.
We have found this one-two punch strategy quite effective at greatly reducing algae to unnoticeable amounts. Brown and sometimes green diatom looks like a dusty, flour-like substance covering your aquarium walls, substrate, and other surfaces. Diatom algae is most commonly seen in newly planted tanks and is often caused by high levels of phosphates and silicates. BBA is one of the most problematic algae that people run into because not many things eat it.
As per its name, it grows in very thick, bushy clumps that are usually black or grey in color but sometimes reddish or brownish. This algae likes to grow on driftwood, aquarium decor, and plants, and if left unchecked, it can completely engulf an aquarium in one to two years.
Blue-green Algae are in fact photosynthesizing bacteria. There are many types that can appear in the aquarium. Some of them will thrive in high nitrogen-level substrates with decomposing organics, others will appear in completely nitrogen-free environments.
Most common are the blue-green-, grey- or black-colored types that will form a plaque on the substrate surface and plants. This plaque can be easily sucked out with a hose during water changes but it will usually reappear if you do not address the cause.
It also frequently appears between the glass and the substrate or plants - at the bottom of the aquarium - along the front glass and sides. Once it appeared it will start to spread quickly and can become dangerous to your ecosystem. The invasion is also characterized by a bad smell around your aquarium.
The blue algae can produce toxins that can kill the fish and plants, so their spreading should be stopped quickly. A blackout will help as a symptom treatment, but if useless, we need to use antibiotics as a last resort. Because we are dealing with bacteria here, the erythromycin antibiotics is effective, but that will also kill the nitrifying bacteria in the substrate and our filter too!
This is a drastic measure. If you choose to walk this path, you have to look at your nitrate balance carefully and try to help recolonizing your filter and substrate with filter bacteria additives. If the BGA does not appear to be very invasive, you can try to remove it with regular water changes and by using fast-growing stem plants.
If nitrate levels were low in your aquarium, you might want to increase that to ppm. Surface scum is not really algae - in fact it is bacteria! Plants in the water will release protein when under stress caused by CO2, nutrient or even temperature issues.
The completely transparent protein is lighter than water so it will accumulate on the surface forming a thin layer - serving as ideal media for different types of bacteria. Just like a lab Petri dish At the end, you will in fact see the bacteria, not the protein layer.
This protein layer will also give life support for certain algae - this will transform it's color to green. The version without alga will look opaque. Besides the unattractiveness the Surface Scum has another adverse biological effect: it limits the gas exchange on the surface.
This can result in the CO2 and oxygene imbalance and lead for further algae issues as filter bacteria also need a lot of oxygene to thrive. It is very important to remove surface scum on a regular basis.
Besides taking care of the general balance of your ecosystem and limit the protein production of plants you can take a couple of measures to remove this layer. You can use a Surface Skimmer to continuously or temporarily remove surface scum or you can elevate lily pipes for the night to break the water surface. Strong aeration will also remove it. Frequent water changes, good mechanical filtration, regular but not continuous use of activated carbon will also help.
As a quick removal method place a kitchen towel on the top of the water and quickly remove it, repeating this method with new towels. This will completely remove the Surface Scum. The white opaque water or cloudy, milky water is most of the times caused by excess, overgrown number of useful bacteria not dangerous to humans. In new tanks it can be caused by excess use of water treatment products bacterial colonies , in old tanks it is a sign of bacterial imbalance.
We might experience it after cleaning the filter - this is when the balance is more fragile. In most of the cases the cloudy water will disappear by itself after a couple of days if we have good filtration and good biological balance. Water changes will also help getting the balance back - but will not address the root cause. If the cloudy water does not go away, use a UV filter for treating the symptoms. The UV light has a sterilizing effect so it will kill all bacteria in the water.
The UV filter can be connected to a separate water pump , so you will not have to disrupt the filter hose to install it - as seen from the green pipes in the picture. This is a regular guest in new aquariums that have Red Moor wood in them. It always! It is absolutely harmless and it will disappear by itself after 1 or 2 weeks. The appearance of the fungus is caused by organic material and spores present in this type of wood. It's appearance is inevitable and we just have to wait until it disappears as it will not release harmful substances in the water.
Some algae eaters will even eat it. If you do not like the look of it and would not want to wait to disappear, you can brush it off with a toothbrush. In old tanks, fungus can be found in two places: on fish carcasses and rotting food. Physical removal sucking out or taking it out with a pinsette of these will solve the problem. Water can be colored by a number of reasons.
Hardscape is the number one reason behind the brown water. Driftwood can release tannins, that will give the water some tint. Dark Iron Wood and Mangrove Roots are premier sources of color - even for longer periods years. We can often see dark-colored brown waters in the nature, they even serve as natural habitat for certain fish-types that thrive better in waters like these - remember the Amazonas waters? Green Aqua offers certain products - like ADA Black Water , that explicitly have the purpose of producing these conditions.
If you are not happy with this coloring you can improve it with regular and larger water changes but you will need a lot of patience until most of the tannins have been released in the water from your wood. Using larger amounts of Seachem Purigen in your filter will drastically improve the transparency of aquarium water - you will get crystal-clear view within hours.
The absorbing capacity of Purigen is limited, so you might have to recycle or change it after some time. You would be amazed to find out that lower quality aquarium glass not opti-white glass can also cause the water look a little brownish. Try to have a highly transparent, clear, opti-white glass aquarium if possible.
In contrary to the smell of older "conventional" fish tanks, the modern Nature Aquarium should not have any smell at all.
The crystal-clear water and harmony of living creatures within should create an eco-system that releases no gases. If your Nature Aquarium smells, it is because there is some problem with the system and gases are being released in the air through the water surface.
The traditional "aquarium smell" marsh smell is mainly coming from Ammonia gas - formed as a result of organic decomposition. Ammonia, in higher concentrations smells like urine. If your aquarium smells, you need to clean it thoroughly, clean the filter, make a bigger water change and create conditions under which the nitrifying bacteria can do their job, transform Ammonia into Nitrate.
If there is irreversible rotting in the substrate you might even have to take your aquarium apart and start over with a new ecosystem, replacing the substrate. If the water cloudiness is caused by bacteria, adding more filtering bacteria will not help the issue.
Also, stronger filtration or frequent water changes will most likely proove useless. Step 4 : Turn off all your lights and cover the tank so no light can get it in and leave it for days.
A very popular and successful way of getting rid of Blue-Green algae is to dose with Maracyn follow the instructions on the packet. You can also add fast growing plants; they can kill the algae off by out-competing them for nutrients. Try using a syringe to treat problem areas with an Excel treatment, and then manually remove the dead algae.
Found in freshwater and marine aquariums, Brown algae will start out as a dusting on the substrate in your tank. You can start by using a vacuum to physically remove the algae and then use a soft cloth to wipe down the glass. Look out for any natural sunlight which could be hitting your tank — remember, light can reflect off mirrors, white walls, and pictures etc. Take a look at your filtration — is its GPH 4x greater than the volume of your tank?
Related: Best Canister Filter Reviewed. Have a HOB filter? What temperature is your aquarium water? The warmer your water, the less oxygen it will hold.
Warning: If you do lower the temperature in your fish tank, do it gradually. Quick changes in temperature can stress your tank mates. However, sometimes all you need to do is manually remove it and wait for your aquarium to cycle and mature.
The community is unsure if Fuzz algae are an early growth stage of Hair algae. Leaving your plants unable to compete with the algae for resources. Feared amongst the aquatic community, It will appear in freshwater tanks; turning it pea-soup green. It appears after a bloom of unicellular algae which obtain their energy and growth through photosynthesis.
There tend to be two main causes for Green Water algae to bloom: a spike in lighting or nutrients. You can do this by using a UV sterilizer or a blackout and deny your tank of any light for a week. Where as GSA will grow in spots. Commonly occurs in newly set up planted aquariums which are yet to fully cycle and establish enough beneficial bacteria. My favored method, and one which is known to be effective, is to do nothing and allow the algae to run its full life cycle.
It will take approximately 4 weeks for it to complete its life cycle. After 4 weeks, perform a water change; lowering the water level as much as possible. Then wipe the algae off the glass. Some hobbyists have claimed replacing light bulbs after cleaning out the GDA film will cure your aquarium.
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