good algae versus bad algae

[Phoenixphire55]

I have a very establish 30 gallon tank with my fishies in it and there is a fair amount of the little green algae on the sides and on the rocks. In the center of the tank there is a little rock formation that I call "the castle" because its shaped vaguelly like a castle. Anyway it is covered in a variety of short, fuzzy, hairy etc algaes. I'm wondering which algaes I should watch out for and which algae is harmless. I may have spotted a small tuft of black hairy algae.....

[meegosh]

I would just scrub the green algae off any decor using a new, never used, toothbrush. As far as the black hair algae I would try to pick as much as you can out with your fingers. If it is on your decor, take it out and scrub it. I have green algae in the corners of my tank running up to the top which I use the toothbrush to LIGHTLY scrub it off.

I wouldn't be too alarmed with the green, but the BBA (black brush algae) can be a pain to get rid of if let go. I had a massive outbreak that took me probably 2 weeks to get settled in mine. I fed less, reduced lights to 4 hours a day for 2 weeks. If it is a fish only tank you could "blackout" the tank, turning the light on only to feed, for a few days. I've never tried this method but I've heard it works good in fish only tanks.

Good luck!

[neilanh]

This link may help you out.

[Phoenixphire55]

Thanks for the advice guys. However, I thought that green algae was a good thing and that it was wise to cultivate it in your tank. I have the big goldfish book by Dr.Johnson and he recommends growing as much green algae on the sides and bottom of your tank as possible.

[Purrbox]

No algae is bad in and of itself. However when it spreads too quickly or becomes an eyesore, most of us would consider it bad. The key is keep it controlled and mostly unoticeable. The link that neilanh provided is a great place to start in understanding the different types of algae.

[jsoong]

Soft green algae is generally considered good if you have herbivour fish. This is esp. true in ponds, where those algae linning the pond don't obscure the view of the fish as in an aquarium. I clean only 3 sides of my tank & leave the back for algae (and the goldies generally keep those closely cropped).

Others are OK if under control - eg thread, staghorn.

The Baddies are those that take over your tank & are impossible to get rid of - eg. BBA, green water, & BGA (toxic).

[warped1]

Thanks for the link neilanh - very informative - I printed it out for future reference because I'm sure I'm going to encounter them sooner or later - I won't be any help to what is and what is not good algae - but good luck with it - from what I've read so far time and patience is required