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Algea Bloom


Besides getting a UV sterilizer, what else can i do too keep it under control. I have been doing regular water changes. It is next to a window, but never sees daylight due to the curtain always being closed. Any hints?

Limit the light as much as possible, make sure the water is not too warm, add aquatic plants to take away nutrients for the algae... thats about it.

Some use products like algae fix, though I'd try the other options first.

Thanks steve, i'll see what i can do to minimize the light.

can the light from the uvb n uva build the algae??

probably, the uva which gives of heat helps grow the bacteria. And im not sure what the uvb would do.

the UVB would help the algae photosynthesize, because it's actually UVB that plants and algae use to make that green color. So yeah, they definately could contribute to the problem.

okay, so hows other peoples control their algae from grow in the tank?

is it because the placement of lights of UVA or UVB hits through the water?

I'm about to install the lights fixture to the habitat and i'm using ATBA.. so I hope the algae won't grow.. its been 2 weeks the water looks fine clean n clear.

Azfar wrote:okay, so hows other peoples control their algae from grow in the tank?

is it because the placement of lights of UVA or UVB hits through the water?

I'm about to install the lights fixture to the habitat and i'm using ATBA.. so I hope the algae won't grow.. its been 2 weeks the water looks fine clean n clear.

That's what I think it is. I think UVB plays a major role in algae growth.

How to stop it... well, I think getting the ATBA might just do it.

If it's just algae on objects like the basking area, I leave it as long as the water stays clear--I think it looks nice. At one point some really stringy algae started growing on the corkbark, and before I could decide whether or not to remove it, Tilly (my RES) ate it, taking care of the situation.

Lantic, how long are your lights on for? If they're on for more than 12 hours, cut back. Keep the water temp as low as is acceptable. You said you're doing regular water changes---do you do a total change then wait until the next one is needed? If so, do some partial changes more frequently. And if the water temp is warm, use cooler water to bring the temp down.

i have algae too - are there benefits on letting algae grow?

i don't see any harm.

As far as I know, keeping algae in your tank doesn't offer any benefits. BUT! I'm not sure about the water cycle and how algae would affect the chemical balance in your tank.

all i know is that your water will have plenty of oxygen, but then your chemical balance could be screwed up.

The algae does help the water quality. I don't clean the back of my tank because it's black and you cant see the algae, and it takes nitrates out of the water and puts oxygen in. Very large aquariums use a vegetable filter, in which a large surface area is covered with a thin layer of running water. Algae grows on the surface, and the thin layer of water is highly oxygenated allowing the plants to filter the water efficiently. Unfortunately this takes a lot of space, and obviously you need to have light on it.

I remember reading somewhere that having some algae in the tank (not overrunning it) indicates good water quality. It's not harmful, just unsightly if there's too much of it or the water turns green.

Is this all kinds of algae, or just a specific type?