Aquarium – the word itself is enough to get you to visualize beautiful and exotic fishes floating freely inside a small chamber of water. Differently coloured fishes, live plants and few accessories all contribute to making the aquarium look highly alluring and appealing.
Aquarium gives an aesthetic look to the room and elevates its style quotient as well. If you want to give your home a bit of natural look and want to feel close to aquatic life, having an aquarium is the answer.
But there are few problems which are encountered every now and then by the aquarium owners. One of the most prominent qualms is overcoming the algae growth inside it. No matter which exotic fishes you have maintained in the aquarium and how many accessories you have added to beautify it, even more, too much of algae growth is enough to lower its visual quality.
Aquarium owners often face the challenge to solve this issue and therefore today we come up with some of the best and most feasible solutions for overcoming this problem.
- Keep a hold on feeding- it’s always a delight to watch how flurry movements happen when you start putting fish feeds inside the aquarium. Especially if you are a new aquarium hobbyist it could become your favourite activity of the day to see your new pets coming on the top to get the feed. Due to this, you might end up feeding them more than desired.
Uneaten fish feed and excessive fish waste leads to significant algae growth. Therefore, feeding in smaller quantities and around only 2 to 3 times a day could solve the purpose.
- Change the partial water more often- ammonia, phosphate, and nitrate are the algae nutrients and stagnant water is the major source of their development. Therefore, changing the partial water frequently and in the process picking up the dead plant materials and sludge could fetch even better results.
If the aquarium is lightly populated 10% change weekly and 30% change monthly is sufficient for its maintenance. This eliminates the development of excessive algae favouring circumstances.
- Look at the filter media – A good quality filter media is extremely vital for maintaining an aquarium. Therefore, having a filtration system which can eliminate the algae favouring components entirely is important. Choosing the right filter media with proper functionality can help you get rid of the problem of excessive algae development inside the aquarium.
There are many biological boosters also available to improve the filtration system. With the advent of Carbon-Phosphate Remover products, you can not only get rid of algae but also make the water crystals clearer inside the aquarium.
- Algae removing equipment – Knowing the troubles people face due to the development of algae inside their aquarium, there are numerous algae removing equipment available in the market. You can have a look at some of these equipment in any pet shop or online as well and remove the algae developed on the glass of the aquarium. Ken pro series has managed to make a remarkable impression on the aquarium owners and people use these products often to keep algae at bay.
- Plants compete with algae – Aquatic plants are the most natural and feasible option to remove the algae growth. Since both compete for the same nutrients, algae develop less when the aquarium comprises of more aquatic plants. Other than nutrients there is always a struggle between the two for the light as well. And if given proper care plants surpass algae in both.
- Fish that eat algae – Yes, you heard me right. There are several fishes who feed on the algae like Dwarf Otocinclus Catfish. Adding some of these in the aquarium and giving them the cleaning charge is the most feasible way to get rid of algae once and for all.
Other than this Cory cat is another potential member of this group which mainly work on the bottom of the aquarium and finish off all the excess of fish food before it rots. This helps in lowering the production of nitrates and ammonia which in turn lessens the development of algae.
- Check the lights – Light plays a major role in the development of the algae. From the intensity to the light hours; all contribute to the outburst of algae in the aquarium. Generally, when people wake up they put on the aquarium lights and shut them down only in the night. The schedule for lighting should be made according to the population inside the aquarium.
While for the planted aquariums it is suggested to keep the lights on for 10 to 12 hours every day, for those which are more ornamental 7 to 10 hours of light may suffice. Other than this changing the bulbs every year is also advisable to stop the algae growth.
Final verdict: People put aquariums in their home to give the room a natural and lively look. Here algae also come under natural bioactive organisms. You can’t deny the fact that little algae is good. Have you seen how beautiful an aquarium looks when it is covered by natural components? Adding different accessories indeed beautifies the aquarium but aquatic plants and bits of algae here and there actually looks good.
It gives the aquarium an exotic and more natural look. Of course, algae compete with plants and take up the nutrients, but they also provide extra oxygen in the water for the fishes. Algae can be termed as a blessing in disguise. But they create problems when they start chocking the tap, plants and covering the side glass of the aquarium.
This is the only time when working on their eradication becomes essential. You can employ any of the above-mentioned methods to get rid of them entirely but believe me without algae your aquariums ecosystem would not look as lively and naturally vibrant as it should.
So, overcome the problem of algae growth once you get the intuition they are hampering other organisms in the water. These methodologies could help you remove them entirely and make your little pond free from them completely, though only for a period of time.
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