The last solution is to keep a few algae-eating fish such as the otocinclus, Plecostomus, flying fox in your fish tank. If you have your aquarium lights on for 14 hours at a time, try lowering it to 8. report. As with any algae, keeping the tank clean and performing regular partial water changes are the best preventative measures. Look for the black spot on the back of the dorsal fin, males will have a mostly red dorsal with no spot. Plants can be another method to prevent hair algae appearance. To get rid of green algae from the aquarium decorations, you can either buy algae-eating fish, use algae solution, or remove the decorations from the aquarium and wash them. High level of Algae is also an indicator of a neglected fish tank. To prevent green algae you should minimize the amount of light in the tank, add more plants, keep algae eaters (if your tank is big enough) feed your betta and change the water frequently. The real problem with green algae is how it affects other plants in your tank. So avoid placing the tank near the window or under direct sunlight for more than 2 hours. Oxygen starves algae so that they can’t proliferate. However, it is not recommended. It doesn’t harm the fish or damage the aquarium water. Step 3. Keep the water quality in your tank high by performing small water changes every two weeks and larger water changes every month. First, closely follow the lighting regime in the tank. The easiest and most effective way to remove green algae from the aquarium glass is with an algae scrubber. Unfortunately, the idea that sunlight causes algae, scares many hobbyists into keeping their tanks in darkened rooms. Very carefully remove all plants and ornaments from the tank, leaving only substrate (rocks or sand) and hardware (filters, heaters, and so on). And this will help to prevent algae in your tank. So it’ll absorb the available nutrients in your tank pretty quickly to keep up with the growth. An obvious tactic, but not to be underestimated. Perhaps the most popular freshwater algae eater fish are the sucker mouth catfish, including Plecostomus (Plecos) and Otocinclus (Otos). It surprises many to learn we don't use an algae scraper.   Fewer nutrients in the water mean there is less fuel for algae overgrowth. #2 - Control the Aquarium Lights If you turn on your aquarium lights when you wake up and turn them off before bed, the extended light cycle may be encouraging extra algae growth. Add algae-eaters to your planted tank (nerite snails, Siamese algae eaters, tangs, plecos). Increasing the CO2 in your aquarium will help to avoid the formation of algae and will also help keep your fish happy. Granted, if it’s growing on the glass it can block the display of the aquarium… To keep your tank healthy and safe for your fish and livestock, you must have an efficient filtration system. Remember that algae love natural daylight. A simple tool such as a scraper can work to remove the buildup of algae on the glass sides of your tank. To avoid algae problems, it is good practice to test your aquarium water regularly, and your tap water before waterchanges. Increase water changes. Keep in mind that we do not recommend to use any chemical product for algae control in a fish tank. Download Article. You can keep the level of nitrate in your aquarium under control by including a few drops of vodka inside the water. The dosing of vodka should always be monitored because it can hurt the fish. Keeping the level of nitrate low is one of the best methods of removing algae from your fish tank. Warm water and sunlight encourage algae … Cleaning your tank once a week to remove any algae formation, cleaning up the equipment including tank walls and filters, keeping the pH levels in check, and making sure there isn’t any buildup of phosphates and nitrates in the aquarium helps keep the aquarium … There are also algae eater wafers than can be feed to your algae eaters. The key to getting rid of algae naturally is to limit the amount of light and nutrients they have access to. Blue-green algae or cyanobacteria. Light control, healthy plant mass, tank cleanliness and biological maturity in planted aquarium - these are the 4 main factors to prevent algae growth in planted tank. Algae is not an infection (your tank does not "catch algae" from other tanks), it is a symptom of a nutrient imbalance or buildup in your tank. They can be tough to beat and then all of a sudden they are gone when the environment no longer supports their growth. Combat the problem naturally is the best way to win the war on algae without any casualty. Sometimes the perfect space for an aquarium is near a window, or in a bright, sunny spot. Algae can be a fish food source. You can help prevent phosphate levels from increasing and starving the algae … Everyone should start their fishkeeping hobby with a minimum of a 20-gallon fish tank. A natural method to remove excess algae growth is to add or increase algae eating fish. Having removed all that nasty brown gunk from your aquarium, you want to make sure that it doesn’t come right back. In fact, there are over 8,000 species of algae present on earth, so whether you’re keeping your fish in a freshwater tank or saltwater tank, you’re bound to run into algae issues at some point. By raising the CO2 levels in your aquarium you give your aquatic plants a kickstart to the competition for nutrients and the eventual starvation of the algae. Plants. Algae needs light to survive, so less of it will usually mean less algae. The algae may stick to the scraper instead of dissolving in the water, allowing you to remove some of it without having to work too hard. Download Article. How to Keep Algae Out of a Fish Tank Simple tips to follow in order to keep algae out of your tank. 1. There are better, natural ways to tackle the problem. Keep lights on 10-14 hours per day for planted aquariums, 6-10 for ornamental setups. How To Prevent Brown Algae In Your Aquarium. Few well-balanced planted tanks will have any trace of algae and any levels of nitrate or phosphate either. Remove your plants from the tank, and give them a bleach/hydrogen peroxide dip as a last resort. So, these were the quick and easy tips to help you to get rid of algae on fish tank glass. First, test your water! In a planted aquarium, healthy plants consume and remove these nutrients from the water. Water wisteria is a fast growing plant. So there will be no nutrients left for algae in your aquarium. save. 134 comments. This tank gives enough space to keep an extra fish as an algae eater. Anything that is not natural might be harmful to the fish and kill the aquatic plants. Lowering the light levels in your tank could help prevent green dust algae from appearing. Using aeration devices in your tank such as air pumps, airstones and bubble disks will increase the health of the water and add a touch of fun to the tank. Since BGA is photosynthetic, you can try to blackout the tank for a week, but this can be hard on the plants. Full Tank Shot. If not treated well, your tank could end up with algae outbreak. There are a couple ways to prevent green algae from growing in a fish tank. After re-filling the tank, treat the water with a chemical algae remover. Dont resort to chemicals to deal with algae in your tank. The most important things are to keep your tank out of direct sunlight, limit the amount of artificial light, and regularly change the tanks water. Consider putting them on a feed/fast schedule where they do not eat one or more days a week. Use less light. Instead, we recommend manually removing as much of the BGA as possible, doing a water change while vacuuming the substrate, and then treating the tank with antibiotics. share. The mutations, in turn, prevent algae cells from multiplying and employing nutrients in the water efficiently. Plant heavily, stock lightly with fish and your algae problem may go away all by itself. It is ideal for large and common outbreaks of algae that will not get under control. In addition to putting these tips to use, you might consider adding some algae eaters to your tank. Keep live plants: Live plants will absorb many of the nutrients that algae thrive upon. The way that plants can help you with algae is that the more plants there are in the tank the less space there will be for algae. Algae can be beneficial for established aquariums by an extra layer of filtration for nitrates, phosphorus, ammonia and other potentially toxic by-products from your fish and plants. 1.7k. These steps will stop algae from multiplying before they even enter your tank. In reality, it is perfectly possible, even preferable, to keep your tank in a bright, cheery, sun-filled environ You can add raw vegetables such as zucchini or cucumbers. Keep algae-eating fish: Keeping Siamese flying fox, otocinclus, plecostomus, or other algae eating fish … How To Remove Green Algae On Aquarium Glass. We recommend putting your fish tank in a room where there is natural sunlight. Algae eaters come in many shapes and forms ranging from certain species of fish to aquatic snails. Posted by 1 day ago. Use an algae pad to gently dislodge tougher algae deposits on a live plant. Hot Water Soak. If the plastic aquarium decorations in your fish tank is not too dirty, you can easily remove traces of algae and other dirt by simply soaking them in a pail of hot water for 15 to 20 minutes. You can even soak them in boiling water if your they're made from sturdy plastic. However, if you do have a lot of algae in your tank, we will also talk about ways to reduce algae growth. They are more related to bacteria than true algae species. 1. Most pet stores sell pellets that can be dropped into the tank to kill algae and prevent future growth. Getting rid of algae can be seen as a purely aesthetic exercise. You should never leave lights on for extended periods of times, as the lights can stimulate green algae growth. If the steps above have failed, completely drain the tank and clean all of its surfaces. Step 4: Scrub the Tank and Accessories. Final Words. First of all, you need to choose healthy plants for your tank. Treat your tank for algae using chemicals. Everyone who has (or had) an aquarium must have faced with this issue. Pick up 2-10 algae eaters based on the size of your tank and let them … Method 2 of 9: Lower the water temperature. In my experience, UV sterilizers are a highly effective way of waging war on the micro-fauna causing trouble in your fish tank. If you have a 20-gallon planted tank then you can rely on snails and shrimp easily. Put your lights on a timer to replicate a day/night schedule and stick to it. hide. Females are peaceful, males are aggressive, so make sure you get a female. Also, plants create shade in the tank which will make it harder for algae to spread around. Green algae isn’t bad for your betta and in fact, it can be beneficial. Vote. If you already have an algae problem, your first step should be to test your tap water. There are a number of simple tips that you can follow in order to keep excessive amounts of algae out of your fish tank. There are a few steps you can take to avoid algae blooms in your aquarium. Efficient Filtration. Stop thinking and start applying these tips for real. Fish waste, dead plant leaves, uneaten fish food, and other miscellaneous organic waste in your tank can produce phosphates that encourage Brush algae to proliferate and spread.