Elimination of encrusting algae can be accomplished by simply scouring the aquarium sides or cleansing the rocks occasionally. If you have plastic plants and a gravel bed which is entirely white, it will require more effort as you would need to bleach the gravel to eliminate the algae altogether. But if you use bleach which is very poisonous, you must meticulously wash out the gravel thereafter or else even tiny traces could have an adverse effect on the fish in the aquarium.

Extra light is the main reason for green algae. The first few things you should do to eliminate the algae is to reduce the light, change water fractionally and replace the artificial plants with live aquarium plants. Thereafter, an algae killing formula should make sure that the crisis has been eliminated, not to reappear for awhile. Only make sure you don’t overuse it!

What is even more important is to first eliminate the causes that brought about the algae in the first place. Using live aquatic plants is one of the most successful methods of keeping the algae away. Abundant growth of the aquarium plants will filter out the extra light thus keeping the algae under control. Besides, aquatic plants absorb a lot of nutrients from the water therefore leaving extremely little for the algae to feast on. You will be surprised to learn that the ideal plants to space ratio is about 50 to a square foot.

Green algae is supposed to be tasty and an excellent way of eliminating it is to introduce some algae eating fish like the Suckermouth Catfish, Siamese Algae Eater, Peckoltia, Ancistrus or Otocinlus. Is your aquarium lit continuously? Too much light can promote the growth of algae. By making sure your aquarium is lit for at most ten hours in a day, and removing whatever green algae you can get your hands on, you can restrict the growth of algae quite effectively.

You can control the growth of algae by changing the water time and again. In so doing, you will maintain the nutrient levels in the aquarium, which are vital in restricting the growth of algae. You must introduce suitable live aquatic plants that absorb high levels of the same nutrients needed by algae. This will result in the algae getting starved thereby reducing its chances of survival.

The suggestions mentioned here have to be carried out faithfully if you want to have an algae-free aquarium on a continuous basis.

Read on more tips on anti-algae solutions!

David
AquaticMagic ~ Grow Happiness

One of the methods for keeping algae away from your aquarium plants is to use the easy estimating index procedure of adding a prescribed amount of nutrients to your tank without having to use any test kits. You have to keep adding the required nutrients on a regular basis so there is no shortfall and change the water every week to prevent saturation. Thus, you can effortlessly sustain a moderate level of nutrients even without having to use a test kit.

However, if you have no time to spare in order to change the water on a weekly basis, here is a simple, quick, effectual and unconventional way of getting rid of algae from your Java moss or any other aquarium moss or aquatic plants you might have.

All you need is bleach and water. Make a mixture of bleach and water in the ratio of 5 parts bleach to 95 parts water in a receptacle. Add the moss. Swirl it around a bit and wait for a couple of minutes. The algae will get bleached if it is of the soft variety. If it is the hardier one like Hair Algae or Black Brush Algae, they will pale in color and eventually die.

Remove the moss from the container and rinse it thoroughly to make sure no traces of bleach are left. Alternatively, you could treat the moss to a solution of anti-bleach in another receptacle. After following these steps you may as well consider your moss to be brand new.

Considering that your aquarium is rampant with algae, bleaching the java moss alone will not eradicate it. This procedure works best for outgrown receptacles you might have for nurturing baby fish. Normally we might add some aquarium moss like Java moss to the receptacle to absorb the surplus nutrients. By the time the young ones (called the fry) have matured, normally the moss would be stricken with algae again.

Dipping in bleach would make the moss usable again. Make sure you bleach the receptacle as well and keep the bleach out of reach of little children. It is poisonous in an undiluted state.

David

There is quite a bit of debate regarding aquarium plants and allelopathy. Do live aquarium plants emit chemicals into the water to combat algae? Tests in controlled environments are inconclusive at best. While it is true that having live aquarium plants reduces algae growth, there are a number of factors that must be considered.

Aquatic plants are only one part of a thriving ecosystem which consists primarily of live aquarium plants, light, and fish. After reading my verified opinion, you’ll understand the importance of having aquarium plants in your tank.

Live aquarium plants and algae have similar needs. A healthy tank, with a variety of aquatic plants and fish, does not encourage algae growth. For this reason, allelopathy seems to be having an affect.

It is easy to see how one could conclude that these aquatic plants are releasing anti-algae chemicals into the water. Without enough live aquarium plants, algae fills the role of absorbing carbon compounds, and as algae grows, the flora becomes further weakened. Sufficient live aquarium plants kill algae by competing more efficiently for the chemicals and nutrients available via fish waste or dissolved fish food. Rather than emitting chemical agents, aquatic plants are better able to take away the chemicals which are already there.

And here we see the role of fish in maintaining the health of aquarium plants. Not only do live aquarium plants provide shelter for fish and add decoration, aquatic plants also provide a natural cleaning system, recycling carbon dioxide into oxygen, converting fish waste into fertilizer for aquatic plant growth. Once a healthy amount of lighting is provided for live aquarium plants and fish both, you’ll see how aquatic plants play such a vital role in the tank.

In a very real sense, allelopathy is going on, perhaps not in a way that is poisonous to algae, but in a competitive fashion. Algae growth is a sign of the tank being out of balance, possibly because there aren’t enough aquatic plants. Adding more live aquarium plants, and making sure that the aquatic plants are getting eight to 10 hours of light per day should help. A weekly check of pH (using pH tester) and gH balances should be sufficient when there is a healthy balance of fish and aquarium plants. Allelopathic symptoms occur as healthy aquatic plants push out algae growth.

Using aquatic plants is a natural, beautifying method of controlling algae growth, beyond a doubt. Live aquarium plants provide a necessary link in a tank’s ecosystem.

David