Tropical Fish - Blue Green Algae
Insider Reveals Every Last Secret, That Tropical Fish Shop Owners Don't Want You To Know, For Stunningly Healthy Tropical Aquarium Fish.
Tropical Fish - The Curse Of Blue Green Algae
Hi there and welcome to another quick tip regarding caring for your tropical fish.This is Brian Courtney from www.tropical-fish-kingdom.com
Blue-green algae is technically not really an algae in the true sense of the word – it’s actually a form of bacteria, called cyanobacteria, which is a type of bacteria capable of photosynthesis.
Cyanobacteria is one of the oldest organisms in the world, and is thought to have been around for at least 3.5 billion years!
It looks like a slimy coating in a number of greenish-blue shades, and the wastes it releases can actually be toxic to your fish – another good reason to keep it to a bare minimum.
The good thing...
The good thing about blue-green algae is that it’s easy to remove manually: usually, it forms ‘sheets’ of hanging matter in the water, which can easily be scooped out.
The bad thing...
The bad thing about it is that it’s pretty hardy: even after a thorough removal, it’ll usually have returned by the next day
This algae is usually caused by low levels of nitrates (usually in combination with high levels of phosphate), and an imbalance of bacteria in the water.
How to get rid of this persistent eyesore:
- Block all light for a week, and siphon the dead algae out of the tank each day. Your plants will be feeling pretty sorry for themselves by the seventh day, but they should recover just fine.
- Add new bacteria pellets after every water change. You can purchase bacteria pellets for this express purpose from your pet store and aquarium supply dealer. Ask for bacteria pellets that remove ammonia and excess protein from the water.
- Be stringent with your tank maintenance: keep everything clean, check the filter for clogging, make sure the lights are working adequately (blue-green algae needs light to survive, but good fluorescents are necessary to maintain an adequate balance of bacteria and plant life in the tank).
Further Reading & Help
For more information on the technicalities of keeping a tropical fish tank and looking after your fish, please check out our recommended Tropical Fish Guide below.
It’s packed from start to finish with valuable gems of relevant, detailed, and easy-read tropical information.
You can take a look at the book and audio by clicking on the link below:
Tropical Fish Guide