Algae

[Matt Gleadow]

I did do a search as I'm sure I've seen something on this before but didn't find what I was looking for.

I've started to get Algae growth on the rocks in my tank. It was brown to start with and now some of it is starting to turn green. It's not taking over the tank as such (not yet anyway) but I just want to know if its a good thing? Cichlids like feeding off Algae dont they? My water is still crystal clear.

It will look quite good when it all turns green but if its not a good thing then I want to do something about it!

 

[Irf]

I hope a passing expert will help with this. I am about to stock my cycled 40g tank this weekend, and there is a fair amount of green algae around. I have heard that the mbuna I'm looking to get will eat algae, but just in case I am likely to add a BN plec or two as well.

Irf.

 

[Ferris]

Algae (green) is a natural part of most Mbuna species diet, even the omnivores will happily graze on algae. It does look a little messy while it establishes itself but gives a really natural look when developed.

If you want to get rid of the algae though, you will certainly need the help of BN plecs or similar and a reduction in lights on time.

 

[adambrum]

also worth checking the phospate levels in your tap water, high phospate will cause alot of Algae and also brown Algae which is diatoms something i did suffer with but a couple bristlenose plecs soon sorted that problem.

 

[Ferris]

also brown Algae which is diatoms something i did suffer with but a couple bristlenose plecs soon sorted that problem.

You're lucky there Adam - i've never had BN's or anything else go for diatoms (horrible stuff)

 

[adambrum]

I brought 3 of them at about 1" (also came with white spot) I planned to keep them in my 20g with some smaller baby mbuna until they got a bit bigger and they cleaned every bit of the diatoms off the tank within a week, I tried one in my main tank and hes busy cleaning that one now as well and the mbuna are ignoring it completely, well chuffed (apart from the white spot)

 

[Ferris]

That must be the key - greedy juvies

 

[adambrum]

well there is no chance of the plecs getting any left over food, they even clean the breeding nets that the new fry are in ! best £10 i have spent in a long time, just hope the mbuna dont notice them when they get bigger

 

[tlagden]

It may be your lighting is inadequate.

Do you have a light source which reflects the proper spectrum of the suns rays?

- Brown algae can be caused by improper lighting...

 

[adambrum]

Diatoms are totally unaffected by light which makes them a real pain to get rid of they can even grow in darkness !

They are often associated with new tanks or sand substrate as the silca leaches from the glass or sand

 

[Matt Gleadow]

Yeah the tank has been setup for a little over a month now so it is relatively new.

The lighting is 2 T5 bulbs. 1 blue & white, 1 pink & white.

By the look of it it wont be long before its all green. If it gets out of control then I may buy a BN to help keep on top of it.

Thanks for the help