Algae Treatments for Aquariums

A clean aquarium is a must for owners of pet fish. Algae--microscopic organisms that grow in water--ar a cause of concern. Most aquarium owners do not like algae as it makes the tank look less than clean and blocks the view of the fish. This is a common problem so there is no shortage of treatment ideas.

  1. Clean Tank

    • Algae are living, growing organisms. The fact they are growing and thriving in an aquarium indicates that there is a viable habitat for life, including fish and plants. The key is to keep the good habitat for life while ridding the tank of algae. One treatment involves the simple procedure of cleaning the tank. Everytime the water is changed in the aquarium the tank is scrubbed and the algae removed. The problem with this treatment is that it treats the symptom, the growth of algae, without treating the cause. Changing water and scrubbing the aquarium will not keep the algae from returning.

    LIght

    • Algae thrive in the light. One treatment is to limit the number of hours the aquarium is exposed to light. According to the First Tank Guide, aquariums should receive no direct sunlight as sunlight leads to algae. For artificial lighting, the recommendation is no more than 10 to 12 hours per day. A timer that automatically turns the lights off and on regulates the light. If your tank does not have plants then you can turn off the lights for a day or two if algae get out of control.

    Nutrients

    • Besides light, algae need nutrients to grow. Regulating the nutrients in the water, primarily nitrates and phosphates, will control algae. According to peteducation.com, placement of true aquatic plants in the aquarium will soak up the nutrients. The algae will then be deprived of nutrients. Pick plants that make better use of the nutrients and keep the pH between 6.5 and 7. Start out with fast growing plants that will absorb extra nutrients and then switch to other plants once the aquarium is under control.

    Fish

    • Certain fish will eat algae. According to The Tropical Tank, purchase a suckermouth catfish or a Siamese algae eater. Be careful as some fish sold as algae eaters do not really perform as advertised. Fish eating algae by themselves will not solve the problem so it will only be a partial solution.