How long has it been since you set up your saltwater aquarium? Perhaps you’re constantly pestered with problems related to saltwater aquariums and algae growth. Well, don’t be because you can’t possibly eliminate algae. Algae will definitely accumulate whether you like or not. But there are ways to control algae growth in order for fishes and marine plant life to thrive in the aquarium.
The first thing that you need to give enough attention to when dealing with saltwater aquariums and algae growth is the aquarium lighting. By keeping the aquarium lights on for twenty four hours will surely promote algae growth. Make sure that the light is turned on not more than ten hours each day. There are certain fishes that feed on algae and if you want, you can purchase one or two of them. The catfish eats algae, particularly the breeds of Otocinlus, Peckoltia, and Ancistrus. You can try the Crossocheilus Siamensis which is an algae eater. If you have a large fish tank, you can put Common Plec fish but this is not the best solution since the fish tends to grow large. There are saltwater fishes that eat algae like the surgeon or tang fish or grazers.
Another good solution to deal with saltwater aquariums and algae growth is replacing the aquarium water regularly. This is a crucial task because you need to control the tanks nutrient levels such as that of the silicates, phosphates, and nitrates. You need to control iron in your aquarium. You can add more plants in the aquarium so that they will consume nutrients and iron thereby lowering the chances of algae survival.
The diatoms or brown algae does not depend on light for survival and so controlling the aquarium light will not have any effect on them. The most effective solution would be cleaning the gravel and changing the aquarium water regularly.
First time owners dealing with saltwater aquariums and algae growth usually have problems with brown algae because the water usually is high in silicon and low in phosphate; this is the ideal condition for the brown algae to thrive. As time pass, you will notice that the brown algae disappear and green algae will replace it. This happens when water has high phosphate content. The fishes mentioned earlier consume on green algae and so this is the best time to put them in the tank.
There is the brush or red algae and the blue algae. The latter is toxic to fishes and plants and you will need to treat the water with erythromycin. If you don’t know how to control algae when dealing with saltwater aquariums and algae growth, get help from the experts so that you will not compromise the safety of your fishes and marine plants.