Algae Control : Effective Methods On Aquarium Algae Control

In this guide we will be covering common nuisance algae that marine aquarium hobbyists face as well as proven methods of algae control.

As reefers, we've got a lot on our plates. We have a myriad of levels to monitor, Kh, Ca, Mg, Specific gravity, NO3, PO4 and what ever else you're looking out for in your aquarium. And to top it all off, we gotta deal with nuisance algae growth. Getting an algae outbreak is easy. Getting rid of it however, is not.

The four main pests we will be dealing with (Two of which aren't even an algae) :-

• Brown Algae (Diatoms)
  
• Hair Algae
• Red Algae (Cyanobacteria, Red Slime Algae, a photosynthetic bacteria)
  
• Dinoflagellates
  

And we are going to beat them all with exactly the same methods of algae control.

It mostly about nutrients, they're getting some from some soruce. Thats why algae growth is spreading around at such a quick pace.

The two most important nutrients we will be concerning ourselves with are Nitrates and Phosphates. If you walk into any gardening store and you take a look at their fertilizers, you'll notice they all have something called an N-P-K rating on them. They stand for :-

• N - Nitrogen
• P - Phosphorus
• K - Potassium

Nitrates and phosphates are forms of both nitrogen and phosphorus respectively. These two nutrients are key to controlling algae growth as they basically act as fertilizers. And thats a problem. Because most tanks have at least a slight amount of phosphates and nitrates in them. We must aggressively ensure that they are at their lowest levels possible.

Get your test kits out and take some readings on nitrate and phosphate levels. If they both read zero, yet your nuisance algae is still spreading quickly, it probably means they are consuming phosphates and nitrates as fast as they are being produced.

Where do phosphates and ntirates come from? Fish waste, fish food, tap water and anything else that is slowly rotting in your aquarium. So the first thing you should do is start using RO/DI water. Tap water has some nitrates and phosphates in them and we don't want to be introducing them into the tank.

The next thing we're going to do is aggressively remove any bits of the red slime algae or hair algae manually from the tank, as well as remove as much detritus, uneaten food and fish waste as we can. Depending on your nitrates, large water changes may be necessary, nothing above 50% at a time though. Lower them until you see zero.

Next, we move on to phosphate removal. Water changes will remove phosphates only very temporarily. In my experience they come right back up in a few days. Brown diatoms are very easy to beat with very low phosphates. In a week or two they disappear.

The best ways to export phosphates are buy using PO4 removal media, macroalgae or by use of an algal turf scrubber. I personally go with PO4 media as they are relatively cheap and work very quickly.

Three great brands on the market are Phosguard, Rowaphos and Phosban. Rowaphos and Phosban are a little more pricier than Seachem. I use Seachem and it works like a charm. After putting the media in an area of high flow, your readings should be zero in 48 hours.

Whens the last time your change your bulbs? Algae growth is also affected by the amount of light they recieve. Especially the amount red light they get. Older bulbs do emit some amount of red light as there is usually a slight shift in color spectrum as they age.

It may not seem so to the naked eye but since we want to be aggressive about algae removal we should go ahead and get new bulbs if they're more than 6 months old.

Whats your flow like? Do you have any dead spots? Most of these algae like to inhabit areas of low flow. So to help in the battle against these things you should increase flow to the affected areas.

We've covered all that is needed to take on this pesky buggers but it is important to note that successful algae control will not happen overnight. It is gradual, and may take up to a month to see real results. Persevere.

Related Reading - Red Algae , Hair Algae , Pond Algae