Postby HondaB20B » June 11th, 2015, 11:46 am
WHAT ENCOURAGES AGGRESSIVE ALGAE GROWTH?
Aquarium aesthetics compromised by persistent algae is a common annoyance for most hobbyists. It is easy to regard algae as the problem, but aggressive algae growth is merely a symptom of a series of underlying water quality issues. Attempts at controlling algae are often unsuccessful if the root causes are not identified.
Algae are prolific and opportunistic organisms that take advantage of aquarium systems that are out of balance. Water quality issues including excess nutrients, poor water movement, and insufficient aeration create ideal conditions for algae. Alone, these water quality issues may seem minor, but when combined they create an imbalance that favors aggressive algae growth. Therefore, the most effective approach to algae control is a multifaceted one that properly addresses each water quality issue.
EXCESS NUTRIENTS
Begin your algae-control regimen by monitoring fish feedings. Your fish should be able to completely finish their food within a few minutes. If not, you are feeding them too much. Overfeeding is probably the most common source of excess nutrients. It may seem like a harmless oversight, but overfeeding triggers a series of events that affect water quality. As uneaten food breaks down, it releases a variety of algae-fueling nutrients including nitrogen compounds and phosphate. Large, well-fed fish produce more organic waste to further increase the food supply for algae.
OTHER NUTRIENT SOURCES
Nutrient sources for algae are not limited to just fish food. Many common algal nutrients may be lurking right in your source water. Depending on your source water, you may be inadvertently introducing nitrogen compounds (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate), phosphate, silicate, or iron into your aquarium. Regular routine water changes are recommended to remove or dilute nutrient concentration in aquariums, but if these nutrients are present in your source water, you may be fighting a losing battle.
Use aquarium test kits to determine if your source water contains ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, silicate, or iron. If test results are positive, there are several steps you can take to remedy the situation. However, the most comprehensive and effective approach is to employ a Reverse Osmosis (RO) unit. RO units are designed to remove the majority of tap water impurities to produce pure water.
POOR WATER MOVEMENT
Aquariums with poor or inadequate water movement create protected areas where algae can establish. Waste materials settle and accumulate in these "dead spots" and create a nutrient-rich foundation for algae. Improving water movement through the use of powerheads reduces the buildup of waste materials and allows filtration devices to work more efficiently. The moving water helps transport more waste materials to the filter where they are mechanically removed from the water column. However, it is essential to clean or replace mechanical filter media on a regular basis. If not, the trapped organic debris will break down and release dissolved organic nutrients back into the aquarium.
INSUFFICIENT AERATION
Proper aeration plays a critical role in algae control. Aeration devices allow efficient gas exchange where carbon dioxide is released from the water and fresh air and oxygen is introduced. Since algae require carbon dioxide to thrive, reducing the supply of carbon dioxide limits algae growth. The powerful Tetra Whisper Deepwater Pump is designed to run multiple air stones or bubble wands making them a great choice even in deeper aquariums.
REGULAR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE
Simply put, there is no avoiding regular routine maintenance. Partial water changes (25% every 1-2 weeks) reduce and dilute the concentration of aquarium pollutants and excess algal nutrients. Use an algae scraper to physically remove algae from surfaces and whenever possible, siphon out the algae debris.
ADDITIONAL
ALGAE CONTROL TIPS
Supplement your existing algae control regimen with an ultraviolet sterilizer. - UV sterilizers emit UVC light to help prevent stubborn, free-floating algae from multiplying.
Enhance water quality with phosphate-removing chemical filter media. - These specialized media effectively remove phosphate and other dissolved aquarium pollutants.
Employ biological algae control. - Add live plants to naturally reduce algal nutrients. To clean up uneaten food, consider catfish and other bottom feeders. Better yet, stock your aquarium with herbivores and algae eaters. For marine aquariums, grow beneficial macroalgae in a refugium.
When trying to control algae, pay special attention to water parameters and fish health. - Don't be surprised to find out algae may actually be benefiting your aquarium by processing excess nutrients and providing supplemental oxygen and food for fish.
10 Ways to Say Adios to Algae
Feed Your Fish Sparingly!
One of the most enjoyable times for the new hobbyist is watching the flurry of activity in the aquarium after that pinch or two of fish food hits the surface. Sometimes we're tempted to repeat the show 2-3 times a day, which is fine if your fish consume all the food within a couple minutes. The problems start if there is excess food, which is defined as "overfeeding." Overfeeding is the most common source of the algal nutrients ammonia and phosphate. Algae thrive on both the nutrients generated from uneaten food and fish waste. Many experienced hobbyists who learn to resist the feeding frenzy and only feed once daily - or feed smaller portions 2-3 times daily - find it's much easier to keep the unwanted green in check.
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.
Test Your Tap
It is a good practice to test your tap water before changes, because it may contain algae-encouraging elements right out of the faucet. If the test results show significant levels of phosphate or other algae inducing elements, your battle against algae via water changes will be futile until they are reduced by an RO unit or a tap water filter.
Maintain Your Filter Media
Keep algae's favorite nutrient out of your aquarium with phosphate controlling media and biological boosters for your filtration system. The right choice of filter media can make a big difference in phosphate levels: Drs. Foster & Smith PhosPure® Filter Media will remove phosphate and heavy metals. Combination Carbon-Phosphate Remover products are also available. The carbon keeps your water crystal clear and removes dissolved organics, the phosphate disappears, and best of all, so does the algae. Finally, change your mechanical and chemical media once a month, because as it becomes exhausted and saturated, it may leach the bad stuff back into your aquarium.
Choose Your Weapons
Algae on glass or acrylic has no chance against convenient scrapers like the Mag-Float, the Drs. Foster & Smith Algae Scrubber 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.
Stock with Algae-Hungry fish
Put some fish in your community to work on cleanup duty. This hardy worker seems endlessly busy, seeking out any plant or structure with a hint of algae.
Know Your Enemy
Green Carpet Algae, which covers glass and structures is relatively easy to clean because we have the most weapons to combat it, including: algae scrubbers, and algae-eating catfish and invertebrates.
Green Hair Algae is more stubborn, and even catfish and plecos may avoid it. Your best bet may be to "spaghetti fork" it off your plants and structures with an Aqua Plant Clip. Again, your best protection starts with water quality so you don't have to roll up your sleeves later.
Beard Algae is the black scourge of planted aquarium hobbyists. A major takeover by this unsightly guest may only be remedied by pruning away covered leaves and removing affected driftwood.
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.
Importance of Water Changes in Aquariums
Water quality determines the continued health and growth of aquarium inhabitants. Aquarium water quality is not merely an aesthetic concern but a fundamental part of fish health management. Simply put, maintaining clean, healthy water through routine water changes is the key to the well-being of aquarium inhabitants.
WHY CHANGE WATER - DOES IT MATTER?
As a general guideline, a monthly 25% water change is recommended. However, smaller, more frequent water changes (15-20% every 1-2 weeks) are preferable for heavily stocked aquariums or aquariums with large fish.
Routine water changes have always been a basic aspect of aquarium maintenance. However, with the development of efficient filtration systems and versatile chemical filter media, the emphasis once placed on routine water changes has waned. Further encouraging lax practices is the prevailing perception of water changes being laborious and time-consuming. Aquarium filtration helps extend water quality and slows down the buildup of harmful chemicals. However, filtration alone is not capable of completely offsetting the effects of declining water quality.
MAINTAIN BALANCE THROUGH WATER CHANGES
The basic dynamic that affects water quality is the on-going cycle of chemical import (addition) and export (removal). Whether through feeding, supplementation, or natural metabolic processes, a variety of chemicals is constantly being introduced into the aquarium. While certain chemicals are imported into the water column, others are biologically processed or removed through filtration. When the import and export of these chemicals reach a state of equilibrium, the aquarium system is balanced and tends to have good water quality.
However, aquariums are closed systems where concentrations of imported chemicals and nutrients steadily accumulate over time. It is not uncommon for the import of chemicals to exceed an aquarium's ability to export them. When the aquarium system is not in balance, many undesirable aquarium conditions begin to manifest due to poor water quality . To prevent the effects of declining water quality, the hobbyist should intervene by performing regular water changes.
DISTINCT BENEFITS OF WATER CHANGES
Water changes restore and maintain a balanced aquarium by physically removing and diluting harmful chemicals as well as replenishing vital elements. Whether you have a fresh or saltwater aquarium, it is good practice to perform routine water changes. Key water change benefits include:
REDUCTION OF NITROGENOUS POLLUTANTS
Ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate are nitrogen compounds harmful to fish. Biological filtration process ammonia, converting it to nitrite, and finally into nitrate. Most aquarium systems lack the ideal conditions to efficiently process nitrate. As a result, nitrate accumulation is extremely common in both freshwater and marine aquariums. While fish are more tolerant of nitrate, high nitrate levels place chronic stress on them. As a result, fish become more susceptible to disease and demonstrate poor growth and color development. For sensitive corals and invertebrates, even low levels of nitrate can compromise proper growth and health.
REMOVAL OF DECOMPOSING ORGANIC WASTE MATERIALS
The routine removal of decaying organics during water changes is important in many ways. As organic waste breaks down, they release nitrogenous products, phosphate, and other chemicals that can lead to poor water quality. In extreme cases, decomposing organic materials create an acidic environment that can compromise the buffering capacity of water and harmful pH change can occur. Maintaining high, stable pH is especially important for saltwater aquariums.
IMPROVED WATER CLARITY
Routine water changes help remove discoloration and odors from aquarium water. In addition to the aesthetic benefit, clear water plays a vital role in reef aquariums. Light intensity required for proper growth of photosynthetic corals and invertebrates is diminished by turbid water. Routine water changes help maintain clear clean water for optimal light penetration and healthy coral growth.
REPLENISHMENT OF TRACE ELEMENTS AND ESSENTIAL MINERALS
In the ocean, there is a constant source of vital minerals, nutrients, and vitamins. However, in marine aquariums, trace elements and essential minerals are often removed through filtration or are depleted as corals and invertebrates use them to grow. Water changes provide a fresh supply necessary for proper growth, biological function, and coloration. Regular water changes also help maintain proper salt concentration.
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