Does Natural Algae Control Actually Work

At some stage in practically every aquariums life it will become the end result of an algae outbreak. Quite often these outbreaks simply disappear on their own, however on some occasions they simply will not go away and no matter what the aquarist does they simply return.

It is important to understand in the first instance why algae takes hold and grows in the aquarium.

All algae require an energy source. This energy source could be a particular colour temperature in the light, a nutrient in the water etc.

Therefore the algae outbreak could be due to the lighting not being replaced and the incorrect colour spectrum being transmitted into the aquarium. Some algae like this particular temperature and then grow. The light to the human eye will probably look fine however unless you perform a specialist test you will not know. The best thing to do is ensure that you change the bulbs at the correct time period based upon manufacturer’s recommendations.

The second and probably the most common one is where algae feed upon nutrients in the water. The most common nutrients and nitrate, phosphate and silicates. In this scenario especially for nitrate and phosphate it can be hard to locate. The reason for this is that the algae are taking up the nutrients from the water column and therefore when a test is performed the parameters appear to be ok. As soon as the algae is removed from the aquarium the levels start to increase and the algae takes hold again.

It is a vicious circle unfortunately.

As the saying goes though – prevention is better than cure.

The best prevention is to ensure that the equipment in the aquarium is correctly maintained and replaced if/when required as well as the water parameters being kept at the highest possible standard.

A very useful part of obtaining these parameters is the reduction/removal of nutrients. An excellent way to reduce and/or remove nitrate and phosphates is through the use of natural based control.

This natural based control could be live rock, deep sand beds, mud beds, refugiums, mangroves etc.

Live rock for example is exceptionally powerful at filtering the aquarium and if enough high grade quality is purchased then it can also assist in the reduction/process of nitrates.

It is my opinion that there are two natural based packages which can be used for both filtration and nutrient export.

These are:

1. Live rock combined with a deep sand bed – This allows for efficient filtration of the aquarium via the live rock and also for nutrient export via the deep sand bed.
2. Live rock combined with a refugium – This again allows for the efficient filtration of the aquarium via the live rock and also for nutrient export via the refugium where macro algae is grown.

In the refugium example above I personally find it interesting that you can use algae to control algae. The reason this can be performed is that the algae which you are growing in a separate aquarium can be harvested from time to time. The algae removes nutrients from the water and uses this for growth. When the algae is harvested from the aquarium the nutrients are removed as well. As you are not removing all of the algae then the remaining algae feeds upon the nutrients in the water and maintains these parameters at a low level. Because the algae is located in a separate aquarium no or minimal algae outbreaks should occur in the main display aquarium. This is not to say you will never receive any because you might however it severely reduces the possibility.

These are not the only methods which you can use as there are many more. Mangroves for example are very powerful but they are very slow growing and therefore reduce the nutrients at a slower speed.

The aquarist, however should never rely upon these techniques and needs to ensure that the correct care and maintenance is still employed, the fish are not overfed etc.

Simply put in response to the question in the title of this post – yes natural algae filtration does work as long as it is properly implemented and cared for.

Follow nature and keep it simple.

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Why Do Algae Blooms Occur In The Home Aquarium

Algae blooms can occur at any point in a home aquariums life but normally algae blooms occur during the start of the aquariums life.

When the home aquarium is first started everything is new. All the equipment, the sand, the rocks, the water etc are new. The aquarium needs time to settle in.

A good example of this is the sand. Quite often near the start the sand can become covered in what looks like a dusty brown covering. Quite often this is due to the silicates in the sand. When the silicates are all used up the algae simple disappears – quite often overnight.

As already said though an algae bloom can happen at any time especially if the water quality is not maintained at optimum quality. A couple of nutrients which can cause problematic algae to occur is nitrate and phosphate. The trouble in this instance is that the algae is using up the nitrate and the phosphate in the water therefore when the aquarists checks the parameters they show quite low, however behind the scenes there is a potential problem.

Another area is not looking after the equipment correctly. Two areas which spring to mind are the protein skimmer and the aquarium lighting.

If the protein skimmer is not maintained correctly then not all of the dissolved organic substances etc will be removed from the water and will be processed by the aquarium filtration and will therefore create nitrate etc which otherwise you would not have had.

If the light bulbs are not changed in accordance with manufacturers recommendations then the lighting will be below ‘par’ and could be producing lighting which is at the wrong end of the spectrum and algae which likes this type of colour could start to thrive.

There is another aspect which springs to mind and that is water flow. If there is not enough water flow in the aquarium or even in areas of the aquarium then algae can start to grow in these areas, cover the rocks perhaps even the corals.

The trick is to ensure that you maintain the aquarium correctly – perform all the required care and maintenance and attempt to keep the water at as high a quality as possible. Doing this however does not guarantee that you will not get any algae growing however it should reduce the likelihood of one occurring.

All algae have a food source. If an algae outbreak does occur the best thing to do in my opinion is identify the type of algae it is, identify what this type of algae feeds upon and remove its food source. Once the food source has been removed the algae will start to disappear.

There are also a lot of ‘quick fixes’ on the marketplace at present. Ones which promise to remove algae ‘magically’. Whilst I am sure that some of these do actually work are they just masking the problem and as soon as you stop using it the problem will re-occur. I personally think so. In my opinion the best thing to do is look after the aquarium correctly.

A lot of aquarists give up this hobby and the majority do so due to algae outbreaks. When thinking about setting up the aquarium they picture and aquarium which is always clean. They soon find out that this is not the case and go from outbreak to outbreak and eventually they get fed up and give up.

The internet is a huge source of information and fellow aquarists are always willing to help other aquarists. If you do experience an outbreak then the first thing to do is check all your water parameters. If there are any areas of concern then these should be rectified and hopefully the algae will go away. If not then the next thing to do is check the equipment to ensure that it is all working correctly and if required to be replaced has been.

If after doing this the algae is still apparent then pop to your local fish shop, speak to a friendly aquarist and ask their opinion. You will find that the majority of people are prepared to help out. If you do struggle then as said the internet is a source of great information. In this instance probably a forum or social community would be your best bet as you will be able to upload a picture of the algae where other hobbyists will be able to identify it and inform you of its food source. From this information you will be able to remove the food source from the aquarium and the algae should go away.

Of course you may get another outbreak. There are some aquarists who never have one – my dad John is one, he has never had an algae outbreak in his aquarium but then I have never seen another aquarium with water quality at the level he keeps his maintained at. Makes me jealous every time I see it!

The good thing about algae outbreaks in that each time you get one you learn something else about this hobby. This is now information that you can use to assist others if they get one and if you get another one then you will learn again.

As we always say – ‘in this hobby you never stop learning’.

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Algae – It Makes A Lot Of People Give Up

Thousands upon thousands of potential aquarists make the decision to start a saltwater aquarium, be these fish only or reef aquariums all around the world. Unfortunately a lot of these aquarists ultimately give up in this amazing hobby.

There are many reasons as to why people give up. This could be personal finances, time, knowledge and many more, however a prime candidate unfortunately is algae.

Algae in the aquarium can look nice however in time this once ‘nice looking’ algae can turn into a pest and make the aquarium look unsightly. Before long the algae starts to cover the rocks, the sand, the glass and more. Every effort is made by the aquarist to clean this up perhaps by manually removing it, performing water changes, checking the water parameters, researching the possible causes etc however once one algae bloom is sorted before long another one may appear.

I appreciate that at this time the aquarist may become disheartened. I know I have been through this stage and can honestly say that algae blooms are a pain.

When people look into starting a saltwater aquarium they imagine an aquarium full of corals and fish which are so striking in colour and movement that the appearance of this unsightly algae is new to them. It is not what they wanted and try as they might it simply will not go away.

First to come may be a slight brown dusting of algae initially over the sand, second may come what looks like slime over the sand, perhaps the rock, after this long hair like algae may appear on the rocks and glass. Later algae which look like balls may appear!

It’s no wonder why aquarists consider giving up when the dream of a spotless saltwater aquarium is suddenly flawed with dirty looking algae!

Each of these different aspects of algae feed upon a different type of nutrient in the water. The trick to understanding how to clear the aquarium of the nuisance algae is to understand what it is feeding upon.

This is where the hard part starts. The reason for this is that since the algae is feeding upon a certain nutrient or nutrients in the water then a water test may not how this parameter as being a problem. A good example of this is phosphate. Phosphate is a common food for problematic algae however when a water test is performed the result is ok. This could be because the algae does not feed upon this type of nutrient or it could be that the algae has removed enough from the water for it not to show up on a water test!

The best thing to do if you encounter an algae bloom is determine what type of nutrient the algae is feeding upon and then remove its food source. For example if you have algae which is long and wavy then this is probably hair algae. Hair algae likes to feed upon nitrate and phosphate. In this example the best thing to do is attempt to reduce the nitrate in the aquarium by checking your feeding regime and increasing the amount of water changes performed to dilute the nitrate in the water column. To reduce/remove the phosphate levels it would be beneficial to introduce an element of phosphate remover for example a product like Rowaphos.

If you remove the food that the algae feeds upon then the algae bloom itself will reduce.

At the start of an aquariums life you need to remember that everything in the aquarium is new. All the pumps/powerheads will probably not have been submersed in water before, the sealant is new, the sand will be straight from the bag, the water will be sterile etc etc. From some of these certain elements may become evident in the water. A prime example of this is silicates from the sand – the slight brown dusting you see over the glass and sand is quite often caused by this. This aspect of algae quite often feeds upon silicates and will exist until its food source is exhausted.

I have seen aquariums entirely coated in this type of aquarium simply clear up overnight purely because the food source has gone.

In this example the silicates from the sand becomes exhausted and therefore the brown dusting disappears perhaps never to be seen again. In other areas if the aquarists is not diligent and does not perform the correct care and maintenance post identifying the food source then the algae blood can and perhaps will re-occur. There is no point in locating a problem, resolving it simply to allow it to raise its ugly head again.

The majority of aquariums when started do go through various algae blooms. This is the aquariums ways of becoming settled. Within time if the aquarist is patient and performs the correct care and maintenance then the blooms will slowly subside – hopefully never to appear again.

For all you new aquarists and the aquarists who are currently attempting to deal with an algae bloom I and many other aquarists understand what you are going through right now. The two things I can say is be patient and identify the bloom you are having issues with, identify its food source and eliminate it.

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Caulerpa

Mention the word ‘algae’ to a marine aquarist and the aquarist’s face might turn white, before he or she spins round to look at their aquarium and ask, in a panicky voice, ‘Where?’

We are all aware of that concern: nuisance algae! The stuff that covers everything in long thin strands of green or covers with a thin sheet of dark red or black looking film. Nuisance algae can be combated or avoided in the first place. But this isn’t about nuisance algae.

This is about nice algae for the aquarium! In the marine world there are a lot of types of algae that could come under the word ‘nice.’ They are decorative and sort after. Aquarists who use live rock may have been fortunate to see some grow.

Of course there is one algae that is essential, and this is the single celled type called zooxanthellae, or symbiotic algae, which dwells in the flesh of corals.

The algae here is Caulerpa sp. This is green, though the shade of green can vary, and generally grows longish leaves (sometimes up to 12″) which have various ‘patterns.’ The algae spreads by putting out runners, from the top of which the leaves appear. Underneath are holdfasts, which look a little like roots. The roots are simply anchors, however, as the caulerpa feeds through the leaves. This macro algae is very useful to the marine aquarist for decorative and/or filtration purposes.

A great deal could be written but all that will be done is a general description of the main types and what they could be used for.

The first and probably best known is Caulerpa prolifera. The leaves are plain and have straight edges which taper to a point. The leaves are normally flat. Growth is fairly speedy.

Two more attractive types are Caulerpa mexicana and Caulerpa seratuloides. They both have leaves that look a little like bird feathers, with individual sections sprouting from the stalk sideways on both sides from bottom to tip. These types could show rapid growth.

A different appearance from the previous types is Caulerpa racemosa. It is often called grape caulerpa because of the appearance: the leaves are bunches of small grape-like growths attached to the stalks. This type is more slow growing and more difficult to cultivate successfully.

What can be done with caulerpa? For decorative purposes it would of course be in the display aquarium, where it can look very attractive. However, the aquarist must be sure it doesn’t outgrow its welcome as some can spread rapidly. I had some Caulerpa mexicana in a previous aquarium and it was certainly attractive, though I had to harvest it regularly to maintain control.

The other area that caulerpa is often found is in a sump. Aquarists grow it there so that it can act as a filter. As it is an algae, it uses the same nutrients that nuisance algae does, that is nitrate and phosphate. In doing so it robs any potential nuisance algae of food. Even if hobby test kits indicate zero (undetectable) for nitrate and phosphate, it could well be that there is a low presence. Planting a piece of caulerpa and watching to see if it grows is possibly an indicator. Obviously, algae in a display aquarium will also reduce nutrients.

As with all plants caulerpa needs light. Fluorescent tubes such as T5’s or metal halide bulbs should be fine, so growth in a display aquarium should not be a problem as far as this is concerned.

Caulerpa grown in a sump can be lit a little differently. A fluorescent light with reflector will suffice, the light is usually quite close to the seawater surface. There may be an advantage in using a tube that has a K (Kelvin) value that is lower than normal for a display aquarium, such as 6500K. Or a white marine type can be used, around 10000K. In addition there are two ways of timing the ‘light on’ period. First is to leave the light on all the time without any dark period, which doesn’t seem to have any detrimental effect on the caulerpa, and the second is to have the light on period when the display aquarium is in the light off period. The second option could assist with pH stability – pH could fall a little when the display is in the dark period, but with the caulerpa lit this is counteracted.

When planting in a display aquarium, try the type of choice and see if there is any success. If not, try another type. In the sump, it could be a good idea to plant more than one type and see which ’takes’ first.

Caulerpa should be harvested from time to time, always leaving plenty to continue growth. As the plant uses nutrients, removing the caulerpa in a controlled manner also exports nutrients.

The aquarist may find that the caulerpa in the display aquarium is disappearing. Have a look at algae loving fish such as surgeons and rabbit fish – they could be fat and very happy!

Important Note: Caulerpa in the aquarium is fine, decorative and useful. However, when harvesting, or simply removing caulerpa of any type it must not be thrown away into the sea. Caulerpa is invasive and can and is causing problems.

In some areas caulerpa is banned because of problems. Please check the position in your area before obtaining caulerpa.

For some information here is a link:

http://www.sccat.net/#the-caulerpa-information-center-1e86c5

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Red Slime Algae And Its Control

The questions that arise about algae seem continuous, particularly those algae types that are considered a nuisance. New aquarists running a fish only aquarium or a reef aquarium can be subjected to the displeasure of nuisance algae, and the methods of dealing with the problem are all basically the same with small variations.

This question mentions the word ‘red’. Red algae is wonderful, being highly decorous. It is the family Rhodophyta and can be calcareous and all sorts of shapes with varying heights. The high water quality that is more normal nowadays has made the keeping of this type of algae possible.

The picture is spoiled by the word ‘slime’. This descriptive word itself suggests undesirable, and points to [tag-tec]Cyanobacteria[/tag-tec] (name from the microbiology world*), otherwise commonly known as blue green algae. There’s no word ‘red’ there! As I understand it, there is still a dispute among scientists on what this nuisance growth is – in the world of botany* it is known as Cyanophyta – blue green plants. It seems the life form has more in common with bacteria than plants*.

So what has all this got to do with red? Well, despite the name the algae (let’s stick to the name algae, I’m no scientist) can occur as blue green, red and black. Helpful eh! No problem though, whatever the colour appears to be the aquarist will know what it is. It appears as a very thin coating which slowly or quickly spreads. Left alone and without any remedial action being taken, it will spread and cover sand and rocks. Life below will die. So obviously it is not wanted. Another description is smear algae, which describes it well.

So what weapons are at the disposal of the aquarist? Here we go again – high water quality! If any of this algae is spotted the aquarist should check the levels of [tag-self]nitrate[/tag-self] and [tag-self]phosphate[/tag-self] in the seawater. High nutrient levels are normally the major cause. Reduce the nutrients by not overfeeding and carrying out routine water changes. The lack of nutrients will starve the algae, but it will not disappear instantly. The good news is that this smear algae can be siphoned out of the aquarium fairly easily, so this procedure can be carried out at a water change. As time progresses, it could re-appear, so water changing and siphoning could continue for a while (routine water changing should continue of course).

In addition to the above, to prevent re-occurrence the aquarist should check the water circulation for two reasons. First, the algae does not like good water movement (because it is not adhered strongly?) and, second, good water circulation will mean efficient gas exchange. If gas exchange is good, then the seawater will have a high oxygen content and a high redox potential. The algae doesn’t do so well in this clean environment.

So the plan of attack is straightforward.

(*Reference: Helmut Debelius & Hans A. Baensch – Marine Atlas)

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Hair Algae And How To Control It

Mention the word algae to a marine aquarist and the first thought is usually ‘marine nightmare’. Hair algae usually meets this criteria. It is unloved and unwanted. Strange to think that in the very early days of the marine aquarium the aquarist would be pleased to see the algae growth as it would improve the water quality by feeding on nutrients. Under good lighting, the algae also produces a lot of oxygen. That was true and still is, but nowadays all the aquarist wants is rid of it, or at least the excess growth. There are better ways of maintaining water quality.

The [tag-tec]hair algae[/tag-tec] discussed here is also known as filamentous green algae. That is because it grows, if allowed, in large groups with long very thin and flexible ’leaves’. It is a hardy algae and can spread quite alarmingly, causing trouble in a reef aquarium and potentially in a fish only aquarium.

So how can this nuisance algae be controlled. ’Prevention is better than cure’ is a well known saying and without doubt it is applicable here.

This algae requires nutrients to prosper, as do all living things. The major nutrients that concern the aquarist are phosphate (PO4) and nitrate (NO3). A reef aquarium should have a nitrate level of 10 ppm (parts per million) or less, probably best as undetectable. Phosphate should be 0.03 ppm or less, preferably undetectable. The fish only aquarium should have levels as low as possible, though these may be inevitably higher because of a bigger bio-load, that is, more fish.

The obvious first move is to deny the algae the nutrients. It is a very good thing that from the very start the aquarist uses R/O ([tag-ice]reverse osmosis[/tag-ice]) water. This will ensure that the initial fill, routine water changes and make up water are as pure as possible. If the aquarium is already up and running, it is advisable to begin using R/O water for top-ups and routine water changes.

The aquarist may well state with justification that the aquarium filtration employed is live rock, and that will deal with nitrate. Correct, it will, if present in sufficient quantity and quality. However, all things have limits, and over feeding and/or overloading the bio-filtration will result in nutrients.

A major source of nutrients is feeding, particularly with beginners. Feeding the fish is a most enjoyable task, and at the same time the aquarist is concerned that the fish have enough. There is a danger that excess food will enter the seawater and it will not be consumed. It will break down and nitrate will appear. Phosphate also is mainly introduced with food. Prepared marine flakes are not specially processed and do produce nutrients despite the early and incorrect assumptions of some new aquarists. It is clear that feeding should be a disciplined affair, enough being fed but without excess. Fish can consume enough food, but their instinct is to ‘grab it while its there’, and some food can pass through the gut semi digested.

If the aquarist finds that the nitrate and/or phosphate level is higher than desired and has critically examined the feeding discipline, is sure the bio-filtration is not overloaded, and is carrying out routine water changes, then there are further means to assist in dealing with the algae. One or a combination may be effective.

Nutrient Reduction By Filter.

Phosphate can be reduced by using an anti-phosphate resin in a filter, often called a reactor. The phosphate is absorbed and is therefore removed from the seawater. Nitrate can be reduced by use of a filter where certain media is used and kept in a very low oxygen condition. Bacteria extract oxygen from the nitrate and break it down.

Nutrient Reduction By Sump.

A sump can be used to house a [tag-self]deep sand bed[/tag-self] (DSB) which will act as a filter, and in addition the macro-algae Caulerpa can be grown in the sump. The Caulerpa will use nitrate and phosphate itself and thus compete with the filamentous algae. When there is sufficient Caulerpa the filamentous algae will be starved of nutrients.

There is another way to deal with the nuisance algae. The nutrient levels should be reduced as far as is possible, but the hardy hairy stuff may persist! If this is the case, then lets use the algae as a food.

Predation By Fish.

The aquarist can introduce certain types of fish to eat the algae. Theoretically, an equilibrium could be obtained, the fish eating the algae, producing nutrients, and the algae re-growing to be eaten again. This is more difficult than it sounds. The aquarist must beware of overloading the bio-filtration and overcrowding the aquarium. Any algae eating fish should be introduced slowly, one at a time, and regard given to their eventual size and compatibility with current livestock. Two types of fish that could be of use are the surgeon fish and rabbit fish families. The latter are generally more hardy.

Predation By Snails, Urchins, and Hermit crabs.

These are very useful in the struggle with nuisance algae. In this topic, the algae is the filamentous type and it is clearly very important to properly research the life forms to ensure that they will in fact eat the algae type. Again, although there is less of a concern with overloading the bio-filtration, introduce them slowly and observe the affect on the algae. More can always be introduced. If too many are introduced initially, then the excess are going to die, definitely not wanted.

So there are ways to battle the nuisance filamentous algae. Nutrient level control is always the first thing to achieve. Then other considerations can be given. The algae seems to be able to hang on despite the loss of food, but it will slowly reduce. If full control cannot be achieved, then using it as a food source for fish etc is another option.

Finally, that requirement of all marine aquarists should be mentioned – patience!

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Natural Algae Control – Does It Work?

This question is posed by many aquarists, whether their pride and joy is a reef aquarium or fish only aquarium. Algae can be a terrific addition to the system, if the aquarist wants it.

Algae can be a friend to the aquarist, either in the sump or even the display aquarium, in the control of nitrates and phosphates. Caulerpa is the type normally used for this purpose. Encrusting [tag-tec]calcareous algae[/tag-tec] is also a welcome addition, as it appears in lovely colours and enhances the display. Algae can also be a pain, in some cases causing the aquarist to nearly tear his/her hair out.

The very first point when discussing algae control is that the seawater should be of high quality, with very low measurements of nitrate and phosphate. Nitrate should be below 10ppm (parts per million) particularly in a reef system, (a fish only system can go somewhat higher but levels should be minimised) and phosphate not higher than 0.03ppm. It is probably better that the levels are undetectable. Nitrate and phosphate are known nuisance algae nutrients. To assist desirable calcareous algae, calcium and alkalinity should be controlled. In a hard reef aquarium, calcium will be probably added, but other systems can benefit from around 400ppm or higher as well. Alkalinity can be kept at a level (it will fluctuate) of 3.0 to 4.0 meq/l – this is higher than natural seawater but is advantageous.
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