Is Algae Bad??

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jbarr

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Aug 20, 2006
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Location
Hennepin, MN
Sorry if I sound like a newb, cause I am, but I still haven't come to understand whether or not algae is necesarily bad.

It's mostly green. Little brwn maybe? But there's a lot of it on mostly plastic plants, rocks, decor. A little on the tank walls, too.

I have a pleco.

any help appreciated
 
i think its bad. algae will keep growing and get worse if you dont do something about it.
 
nothing alive is "bad" it has its place in the circle of life...but most people who keep aquariums like to keep algae to a minimum... algae means you have too much something...too much light, too much food, give use some more details about you tank so week can help..

Ammonia level?
Nitrite level?
Nitrate level?
Phosphate level if you have it?
PH?

How much light does you tank get (Size of tank and wattage of lights) as well as proximity to natural light...

How much and how often do you feed your fish?
 
Its bad looking...otherwise no ime.

Just not much fun dropping fish food in the green glass box just to watch the surface bubble ;).
 
It is an eyesore but VERY beneficial if its present in your tank....why? Because it is 99% of the time caused by an ammonia spike (diatoms are a different story). It is somewhat like a backup filter in case of an emergency until your natural biological filter can handle the added nitrogen.

So yes, I hate algae, but it is a very important part to any tank as a safety measure (plus its near impossible to have a completely algae free tank).

Plus, since you have no live plants, it really has no detrimental effect other than looks. Those of us with planted tanks will suffer plant death/damage from certain types of algae, but with no living flora, you are fine.

Also since you have no live plants if you want to get rid of the algae for certain, just black out the tank for several days and voila, no more algae (but you need to find out WHY you had it in the first place!).

Just do a heavy water change before and after the blackout since my assumption is that you have a nitrogen related problem which could cause problems if you suddenly get rid of the algae...
 
if algae is so 'good', then why do so many people go to great lengths to get rid of it?
 
im just trying to understand the logic here. if we get super technical, everything from cockroaches to herpes simplex has it's place in this world, God dont make mistakes. but i dont know anyone who wants cockroaches, herpes, or algae. so in that sense, algae is bad. maybe the original question should be clarified.
 
catfishface said:
if algae is so 'good', then why do so many people go to great lengths to get rid of it?
algae if good if it protects you fish from being poisoned 8) i also think a little algae makes a tank look "natural" but i like to see my fish too, so i try to keep it from getting to thick... :D
 
I've figured out how to keep the algae in my mum's tank and not have it growing all over the place, it's so simple really, just turn off the light at night and get a snail for a month or two, and there you are, algae controlled but still there...

And where it comes from, I know where, I was reading the ingredients of the fish food, and there it was, Algae...
 
more info

Thx for all the replies, here's some more info;

- 30 gal,
- dunno the wattage, but it's a sylvania fluorescent. And on the bulb it has an H with a line under it, followed by '528' written below...
- Filter is an under-gravel filter, I'm sure it's in diire dire need of change.
- Tank has been running for years. 5 maybe. Was my dads until all the fish died off, tank still ran until I became interested in fish about a month ago.
- Going to the fish store today to get a test kit, have a pH test but no indicator. All I know is when I put 4 drops into the cap it turns sky blue. I think it may be bad, any info helps.


Any suggestions appreciated.
 
Different brands of test kits have different color charts for the same test. Without more info on your test kit it'll be very hard to figure out what the results mean.
 
yes, here are a couple suggestions. sounds like you have some serious cleaning to do for one thing. try to get a better filter, one that hangs on the back of the tank. undergravel filters are not that great. get yourself a decent test kit and do some water changes. and if your flourescent tube is 5 years old, you might want to consider getting a new one. try to get your tank stable and maybe get a couple plants before you add too many fish. good luck.
 
catfishface said:
im just trying to understand the logic here. if we get super technical, everything from cockroaches to herpes simplex has it's place in this world, God dont make mistakes. but i dont know anyone who wants cockroaches, herpes, or algae. so in that sense, algae is bad. maybe the original question should be clarified.

Here is the logic. Algae in a planted tank is bad if it is covering your plants leaves and preventing them from getting the light and nutrients required for growth. Algae in a non-planted tank is a beneficial entity since it will utilize the ammonia in the water that would otherwise poison the fish (to what degree is dependent upon how much ammonia is in the water). Those are the objective facts.

Your subjective opinion that algae is bad simply because we try to get rid of it in most tanks is just that, an opinion. Several members of this board keep small tanks where they specifically induce algal growth to feed other species (GW for daphnia, hair algae for shrimp/fish).

I don't know where "God" came into this discussion, but lets leave that one alone in this thread.

The original question was:

Sorry if I sound like a newb, cause I am, but I still haven't come to understand whether or not algae is necesarily bad.

It's mostly green. Little brwn maybe? But there's a lot of it on mostly plastic plants, rocks, decor. A little on the tank walls, too.

I have a pleco.

any help appreciated


The OP said in the first post that he has plastic plants, so I assume there are no live plants. So algae while difficult to look at sometimes is only acting beneficially in this tank since there appears to be excess ammonia that would otherwise harm the fish.

I don't think that post needs to be clarified, I think you might need to re-evaluate your feeling that algae is bad, and use reason and logic.
 
Re: more info

jbarr said:
Thx for all the replies, here's some more info;

- 30 gal,
- dunno the wattage, but it's a sylvania fluorescent. And on the bulb it has an H with a line under it, followed by '528' written below...
- Filter is an under-gravel filter, I'm sure it's in diire dire need of change.
- Tank has been running for years. 5 maybe. Was my dads until all the fish died off, tank still ran until I became interested in fish about a month ago.
- Going to the fish store today to get a test kit, have a pH test but no indicator. All I know is when I put 4 drops into the cap it turns sky blue. I think it may be bad, any info helps.


Any suggestions appreciated.

You definately want to tear down and clean that undergravel filter. Seems like you have a pretty nice ammonia factory going on under there (and probably a really high nitrAte level as well). That would explain the algae. Also can you comment on how long the tank ran with no fish? Did you add fish food during this time? (thinking you might be starting the cycle process right now and that would help to explain the algae)

Looks like a standard NO light which would be very low light on a tank of your size (probably under 1wpg). This would also indicate to me that you have an ammonia factory in that UGF since algae is normally present to a much lower degree in low light tanks.

You need to get a nitrAte liquid test kit ASAP. While other possiblities abound, I would wager that your tanks high nitrAte levels caused the previous fish your dad kept to be compromized. Add to that possible ammonia and nitrIte poisoning (basing this on the algae) and I think your best bet is to give the filter a good cleaning.

You can think about going with a HOB or canister filter as many of us on this forum prefer them over UGF's, however, there is no reason why you could not continue to use your UGF, just keep in mind it will need to be cleaned occasionally, and that can be a major PITA.

If you go to clean the filter I'd recommend transferring the fish to a large bucket of tank water with your tank heater and air pump, and then cleaning. I'd also put some of your plastic plants and maybe some substrate in the bucket as well but try not to kick up a lot of gunk). Your most likely going to release a LOT of ammonia, nitrIte, nitrAte, dissolved solids into the water column when you go to pull out the UGF, so its better if your fish are present for that.

But the most important thing when cleaning is this:

Use your used tank water to clean the UGF and keep it wet at all times. A seasoned UGF contains an incredible amount of beneficial bacteria that you want to keep so that you don't cycle when the tank goes back together. Don't use any soaps or other cleaning products. Just use a couple paper towels and clean by hand.

OK I'm done.

HTH,

justin
 
Bad for whom? :wink:

If you're referring to the fish, then no, algae isn't bad at all. Many fish graze algae for supplemental food. Inverts like shrimp love to scarf it down. Even the horrid 'pea soup' floating algae is harmless to fish. When I had a bad outbreak a few months ago, my fish never looked better. They probably felt more secure hidden in the thick green haze.

If you're referring to our human sense of asthetics, then algae IS bad. Of course, this is subject to individual preference. Some people want their water to be crystal clear and their decor to be unsoiled by the slightest hint of algae. Others allow green hair algae to grow on the back wall and on driftwood for a more 'natural' look. Brown algae (diatoms) is ugly, but easily removed. Blackbrush algae can be unsightly and is darn near impossible to remove.

Blue green algae is another story. It's actually a bacterial colony - not a true algae. BGA has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. It spreads like wildfire, kills live plants, and can release toxins into the water if present in huge amounts. It also stinks to the high heavens. Basically, it makes your aquarium look and smell like an unmaintained toilet. :evil:
 
7Enigma said:
I don't know where "God" came into this discussion, but lets leave that one alone in this thread.

as far as any comment i make in any thread, if it is in accordance with the user agreement for this site, and does not violate the user agreement, then i can make it. however, your not a moderator or a person of authority here, so you have no right telling me or anyone else what they should, or should not 'leave alone' in any thread. the reference that "God dont make mistakes' is an old well used saying that implies nothing about beliefs nor does it try to push one on anybody. it was simply a reply to a comment made that admits, yes, every living thing does have a role on this earth and does serve a purpose. if you have a problem with that statement, then it is a personal one.

my 'subjective' opinion is just that. the fact is, algae can be good or bad, depending on the circumstances. in this case, it is bad(which i told them) and needs to be taken care of, and not by throwing a pleco in the tank.

i know you are trying to help this person and that is admirable, but i certainly was not trying to do no harm. i hope they follow your advice and have an enjoyable experience with their aquarium.
 
catfishface said:
...the fact is, algae can be good or bad, depending on the circumstances. in this case, it is bad(which i told them) and needs to be taken care of....

And you would be wrong....

Let's look at the FACTS:

-OP's tank has been taken from his father. Tank was run until fish died, and then continued to run with no fish in the tank

Fact: Nitrifying bacteria will die (as you or I would) without a food source

-OP's tank has algae present in a low light situation

Fact: Algae feed off ammonia, and in low light situations if the bacterial filter is established large amounts of algae are uncommon since the bacterial filter will outcompete the algae for ammonia since bacteria DO NOT NEED LIGHT.

Judging from the above observations and underlying facts associated with them I can say that in this circumstance the algae is inherently "good".

Care to share with us why in this case the algae is "bad" and needs to be taken care of?
 
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