How to get rid of algae in an aquarium?

How to get rid of algae in an aquarium ? Algae are a natural phenomenon. Wherever there is light and water, there is algae, and has been for a billion years. It can therefore be said that the growth of a certain amount in your aquarium is natural.

Are these algae harmful to my aquarium?

They can even be beneficial, by using ammonia as a food source, itself a food source for fish and invertebrates, or by producing vital oxygen through photosynthesis. But an invasion of algae in an aquarium is often a sign of an imbalance or too high a level of pollutants.

It's unsightly, and in the long run can cause problems for fish by raising the pH too high, depriving the aquarium of oxygen at night, clogging filters and trapping fish. So how do you get rid of algae in an aquarium? Response elements.

A professional salesperson will tell you that algaecides exist, but in addition to being quite harsh chemicals, using them risks creating an additional imbalance in the water, as the algae die off en masse, and they don't really treat the source of the problem in the first place. Result: they return because the conditions that caused them to proliferate are still present. As a result, other, more natural and less expensive solutions should be found. To help you, we detail below the possibilities available to you.

Destroy algae in an aquarium: reduce the light

One of the easiest ways to tackle harmful algae is to give them less light. If the aquarium contains live plants, reduce the light to eight hours a day. If there isn't, turn off the light completely when you're not deliberately watching the fish and leave it on for only one or two hours a day. Extreme algae blooms can also be dealt with by what is called a "blackout", i.e. the entire aquarium is covered with sheets or trash bags and the lights are turned off for a few days.

Getting Rid of Algae in an Aquarium: Controlling Nutrients

In nature, all nutrients are subject to a strict cycle, which means that plant fertilizers are quickly absorbed and blocked by them. In the aquarium, if you have too many nutrients and too few plants, these free nutrients are easily absorbed by the algae. Change the water regularly to keep nutrients low and if you have plants, use a liquid fertilizer to strengthen them and help them fight algae naturally. If the aquarium does not contain live plants, you can use nitrate and phosphate resins to absorb free nutrients and starve them.

Destroying algae in an aquarium: increasing maintenance

The best way to deal with algae is to reach into the aquarium and manually remove as much of it as possible. Use a swab or algae scraper on the glass daily, and also brush off plant leaves and decor.

Use a siphon to suck up as much of the dislodged algae as possible, because if you leave it in the aquarium it will settle and grow back. A good trick is to attach an old toothbrush to the end of the siphon tube and vacuum up the algae as soon as you dislodge it. Vacuum the gravel, scrub the tank and change the water regularly (every day for a week if necessary) and you will get rid of the algae.

Getting Rid of Aquarium Algae: Using Natural Algae Eaters

In addition to all the measures mentioned above, many freshwater tropical fish and invertebrates also eat algae. For smaller tanks, add Otocinclus catfish and algae-eating shrimp. For larger tanks, use Mollies, Siamese Algae Eaters, and Bristlenose Catfish. They all graze on green algae and help keep it at bay, but if you run out of algae they will need algae food to feed themselves.