Fastest Way To Grow Algae?

[Shaucid]

Hi everyone, because I will be getting fish in the future that will snack on algae in my tanks, I was thinking of a algae producing tank to make algae covered rocks for them to munch on. So I need to know what would be the absolute fastest way of producing algae in an aquarium.

-Thanks

 

[BerryAttack]

well another way to give the fish food is to give algae wafers. then you don't need to set up another tank and boom, not too messy because sometimes you can grow algae that you do not want, and with this you don't need to take the risk.

 

[Shaucid]

well another way to give the fish food is to give algae wafers. then you don't need to set up another tank and boom, not too messy because sometimes you can grow algae that you do not want, and with this you don't need to take the risk.

I'd like to watch the fish eat algae the way they would in nature, I'll still feed algae wafers, it's just the rocks would be a snack for the fish and entertainment for me.

Also, I've been interested in Yaoshania pachychilus (Panda Loach) for a while and from what I've read they need a good supply of benthic
algae.

Setting up a new tank shouldn't be hard, my LFS sells these 2.5 gallon rectangle aquariums that only come with a glass canopy for $10.

If I put an algae covered rock in an aquarium without algae, would it spread?

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Too much light, with some ammonia available. Not an option if fish are in the tank, but algae usually will grow just with too much light. The bigger question is which algae?

 

[Shaucid]

The bigger question is which algae?

What ever kind of algae grows easily on flat, smooth stones and that Otocinclus and Siamese Flying Foxes will eat.

 

[techen]

You'll need to keep in mind once started it can very quickly get out of hand.

 

[snazy]

Well for green algae, I found out by accident. I tried to grow green algae on stones in some tank water on the window but after 3 weeks no algae grew on anything so I gave up the idea.  It isn't very sunny here so I thought that's the reason.
 
However, a couple of months ago I put two glass bowls on the same window to try to grow some floating plants as they weren't doing great in my tanks and I needed them for a new tank.
I put micro and macro ferts in one of the bowls and the second bowl I left unfertilized but I used tank water for both.
Well, the one that got dosed with ferts grew lovely big green salvinia minima but at the same time the bowl got all covered in green algae. I was told today to remove it as it looks like swamp to some people at home I am going to use it first to grow some green algae on stones for my ottos.
The second unfertilized bowl grew the floaters as well, but not as good looking and big. However, there's not one bit of algae in it.
So much about excess fertilizers not causing algae....
Both bowls got exactly the same amount of light and I don't think there was any ammonia in them though because it's just water and plants.
 
So even though you don't have a planted tank, dosing fertilizers will help with growing some algae providing you've got some light too.