10 Ways to Say Adios to Algae
Thursday, October 07, 2010
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Control the Lights If you turn on your aquarium lights when you wake up and turn them off before bed, the extended light cycle may be encouraging extra algae growth. Put your lights on a timer to replicate a day/night schedule and stick to it. Keep lights on 10-14 hours per day for planted aquariums, 6-10 for ornamental setups. Also, change bulbs at least once a year. Aquarium bulbs lose their spectrum and intensity as they age; this weakened light will likely encourage algae growth. | Frequent Partial Water Changes In nature, rain and water currents refresh water conditions by diluting and carrying away nitrate (a.k.a. algae fertilizer) before it can build up to excessive levels. Your closed aquarium system, however, requires regular water changes to remove excess nutrients. Ideal frequency is 10% weekly, but for a lightly populated aquarium, 30% monthly is sufficient. It's also a chance to siphon up all the sludge and dead plant matter in your gravel. |
Choose Your Weapons Algae on glass or acrylic has no chance against convenient scrapers like the Mag-Float, the Drs. Foster & Smith Algae Scraper or the Kent Pro series. What do you have under your aquarium cabinet? | Increase Competition with Plants The more plants in your aquarium, the less chance algae has of taking over. Plants compete directly with algae for light and nutrients, and most often win if given proper conditions. |
Know When Some Algae is OK
Take a moment to sit back and look at your planted aquarium. Does it look natural? Is there a hint of green covering driftwood or rocks which makes the structures blend in with the underwater garden? If it's not covering your glass or choking out the leaves of your plants, there's little reason to panic. Algae may be unsightly, but it actually consumes excess nutrients and provides oxygen. No one "wins" the battle against algae. Success is finding a natural balance in your enclosed ecosystem.