Is algae actually bad?

[MojoDaRott]

Weird question. But wondering if the green algae that sometimes forms on glass is bad or just bad to look at. I have about 8 golf ball size rocks i use for a border that have that green algae growing on them for years. I personally like the look on the rocks. But i am just wondering if it effects water quality or anything like that.

What do fish say when they hit a wall? ...... Dam!

 

[KidFish]

Im sorry i cant be any help here but heres my thought process...
Things eat algae therefore its a living thing. But being a living thing it has to have some kindof a waste product thats bad for your tank or at least its using up minerals and things in your tank.

 

[Mebbid]

Im sorry i cant be any help here but heres my thought process...
Things eat algae therefore its a living thing. But being a living thing it has to have some kindof a waste product thats bad for your tank or at least its using up minerals and things in your tank.

Algae is basically a plant. It uses light and nutrients in the water to grow but there really isn't any waste (aside from oxygen) its a healthy thing, just ugly.

 

[Old Scales]

I actually want a little bit of green dust algae. It gives hardscape an established patina and gives various fish and invertebrates something to nibble on. I've used it for years to reduce new livebearer fry mortality as infusoria rotifers will colonize it and give the fry something natural to eat at that critical first week of life. Would probably help egglayer fry also. OS.

 

[KidFish]

Ive always kept algae in my guppy (which sadly i am riding myself of..) so the fry could have something to nibble on.

 

[Fresh2o]

For the low amounts of algae you are referring to, then it is not a bad thing. Algae is often an indicator of conditions in the tank. It is often a problem when lights, nutrients, and CO2 are out of balance. Some algae growth is beneficial/necessary for inverts and smaller fish as previously mentioned and adds the the"natural" look as you pointed out in you original post. Algae happens.

 

[Old Scales]

LOL. Morning David, are you drinking coffee from your Algae cup? OS.

 

[Fresh2o]

LOL. Morning David, are you drinking coffee from your Algae cup? OS.

Nah just chillin. Regular cup of course.

Speaking of algae, ever since I started PPS-Pro dry ferts, I've noticed an increase in dark reddish algae along the back of my tank and on the manzanita branches. I don't scrub the back wall because it's a pain and it gives something the the MTS to snack on. Call me lazy or striving for the natural look. Anyhow, the reddish algae dies off with Glutaraldehyde spot treatment. It is not furry or hairy or stringy; flat and almost film like. I do NOT want to say Cyanobacteria. But if it is I know that erythromycin will treat it. Not too much of a concern rather more of an observation.

 

[Mebbid]

I think this is a good point to note that some people use algae scrubbers to export a fair amount of nitrates form their tanks. It's interesting to look into.

Heres a link to a diy one:
HOW TO: DIY algae scrubber - No more nitrates - YouTube

 

[Rivercats]

Nah just chillin. Regular cup of course.

Speaking of algae, ever since I started PPS-Pro dry ferts, I've noticed an increase in dark reddish algae along the back of my tank and on the manzanita branches. I don't scrub the back wall because it's a pain and it gives something the the MTS to snack on. Call me lazy or striving for the natural look. Anyhow, the reddish algae dies off with Glutaraldehyde spot treatment. It is not furry or hairy or stringy; flat and almost film like. I do NOT want to say Cyanobacteria. But if it is I know that erythromycin will treat it. Not too much of a concern rather more of an observation.

Actually cyano in smaller amounts will die off when treating with H2O2 so I actually wouldn't be surprised it spot treating with Glut didn't have the same effect.

 

[Fresh2o]

Actually cyano in smaller amounts will die off when treating with H2O2 so I actually wouldn't be surprised it spot treating with Glut didn't have the same effect.

In that case, instead of just dumping the glut into the tank (I think I am using about ~10 mL daily) I can direct it to the affected areas. I added a short length of airline tubing to my glut dosing syringe to reach the bottom of the Excel bottle.

Question: Can I use H2O2 in conjunction with glut? Assuming the glut is currently at 10mL daily in a 20g tank, how much H2O2 would I be able to add to battle the cyano? Would rather not go the erythromycin route unless I have to.

 

[Rivercats]

I use 3ml of H2O2 3% solution to every 1 gallon of tank water for spot treating. Turn the filters off and leave off for 20 minutes. It oxidizes out of solution pretty quickly so after you turn the filters back on you can just add your Glut as normal. I've done this tons without issues.

 

[Fresh2o]

I use 3ml of H2O2 3% solution to every 1 gallon of tank water for spot treating. Turn the filters off and leave off for 20 minutes. It oxidizes out of solution pretty quickly so after you turn the filters back on you can just add your Glut as normal. I've done this tons without issues.

Spot treated the DW and it fizzed up like a soda. Did not do the entire back wall but I did the top portion hoping that the peroxide would drift downward. Will see what it looks like tomorrow.