There are some 200,000 plus species of algae existing in the world today
and sooner or later you will have a visit from at least one of them.Why
you ask? There can be one reason or several in combination.
CAUSES
Too many fish
Poor plant growth
Overfeeding
Accumilation of waste
Excess nutrients(overfertilization)
Too high nitrate levels combined with excess phosphate
Lighting of wrong intensity or unfavorable wavelength
PREVENTION
Use healthy fast growing plants
learn to properly feed the fish
regular maintenence to prevent build up waste
regular water changes
replacing lights especially flourescents(yearly)
water testing
CURING
Algaecides
Common ingredients to almost all commercial algaecides are either copper
or simazine both are toxic to fish and higher plant life.The dosage needed to kill
algae without harming fish or higher plants is hard if not impossible to determine.
Dying algae may releas toxins into the water or its decomposition may deplete oxygen
from the water and cause an amonia spike.
Water clearing agents
Flocculents should not be used in tanks with fish.Flocculents are positively
charged compounds that bind negatively charged particules so they bind together
and fall out of solution resulting in clearing.Since algae cells are negatively
charged Flocculents will clear green water.
Theres a possible problem tho,the gill surfaces of fish also carry a negative
charge.The Flocculentscan bind the gill filaments together destroying the gill
structure.
The use of UV sterilizer will only have effect green water they are costly
to buy and run,they also tend to add heat to the water,plus the bulbs need
monthly cleaning and replacing yearly.
FAST GROWING PLANTS
The idea here is using higher plant forms to outcompete algae for nutrients
The below list has the plants name first followed by lighting requirement
and finally ideal *temperature ranges.(see note 1)
1.5-2 watts of lighting per gallon=low to medium light levels
2-2.5 watts of lighting per gallon=medium to high light levels
2.5-3 watts of lighting per gallon=high to very high light levels
Azolla africanas (tropical Africa)
Azolla nilotica (Eastern africa)
Azolla pinnata (africa)
Azolla filiculoides 9Africa
Salvinia natans (Northern Africa)
Ricciocarpus natans (cosmopolitan)
Ricca fluitans (cosmopolitan)
Lemna gibba (cosmopolitan)
Lemna pauciocostata (cosompolitan)
Lemna minor (cosmopolitan)
Lemna Angolensis (cosmopolitan)
Wolffia arrhiza (middle and south africa)
TRUE FLOATING PLANTS
Eichhornia crassipes (egypt)
Eichhornia natans (africa)
Trappa natans (eastern africa)
Utricularia vulgaris (north africa)
Utricularia platytera (nigeria)
Utricularia neottioides (africa)
Utricularia stellaris (africa)
Utricularia flexousa (africa)
Utricularia foliosa (africa)
Utricularia exoleta (africa)
Utricularia gibba (africa)
Utricularia neglecta (africa)
Najas minor (africa)
Najas pectinata (africa)
Najas falciculata (africa)
Najas graminea (africa)
Aponogeton crispus-(medium-high)-(77-89F)
Aponogeton ulvaceus-(medium-high)-(71-80F)
Ceratophyllum demersum-(medium-high)-(71-82F)
Ceratophyllum submersum-(medium-high)-(71-82F)
Ceratopteris comuta-(medium)-(71-82F)
Ceratopteris thalictroides-(medium)-(71-82F)
Echinodorus bleheri-(medium)-(71-82F)
Echinodorus osiris-(medium-high)-(64-79F)
Echinodorus parviflorus-(medium)-68-79F)
Echinodorus quadricostatus-(medium-high)-(72-82F)
Hydrocotyle leucocephala-(low-medium)-(68-82F)
Hygrophila corymbosa-(low-medium)-(75-82F)
Hygrophila diffomis-(medium-high)-(75-82F)
Hygrophila polysperma-(low-medium)-(71-82)
Ludwigia palustris x repens-(medium-high)-(75-82F)
Ludwigia repens-(medium)-(71-78F)
Rotala rotundifolia-(medium-high)-(75-82F)
Sagittaria sublata-(medium-high)-(64-82F)
Vallisneria americana-(low-medium)-(71-78F)
Vallisneria spiralis-(low-medium)-(68-82F)
