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January 14th, 2009 admin Leave a comment Go to comments

Snails Fish Tank

Fish Tank Algae - Get Rid of it Safely

Algae can be an unsightly problem in your fish tank. For first-time tank owners, it can be quite daunting to remove the algae. Do not be too anxious for removing algae in tanks are just as easy and can be just similar to washing your windshield.

You may first want to purchase a good algae sponge in a pet store. It can be very tempting to buy a sponge in the local grocery store, but it is not advisable. They can contain chemicals that leech to the Water during cleaning and can harm your fish and plants. For hard-to-remove algae, you can use a razor to scrape the tank. Rubber razors are best to use if your tank is made up of acrylic to prevent scratches. While you're scraping the tank, it's important that you keep the filter open in order to suck out the debris.

To prevent algae from growing too fast in your tank, make sure that your heater is not turned on too high. Warm water promotes algae growth. If you have an over-head UV light for your plants, leave it on for just 10-12 hours a day. A lamp that's on 24/7 will only promote algae growth. Turning it off for several hours will not harm your plants.

You can also buy a good algae eater for your aquarium to lessen the growth of algae in your aquarium. Different species or types of algae eaters eat different types of algae efficiently. Ask your local pet store what algae eater will be best to buy for your tank.

To lessen the time between scraping off algae in your tank, you may want to invest in buying a couple of algae eaters. Common types of algae eaters are:

Armor plated catfish (Plecostomus) - also called Pleco, this popular type of algae eater can grow to about more than 15 inches long. Its popularity is mainly due to its compatibility to many fish types, and also as an efficient algae eater. It is not a good choice, though, if you have plants in your tank for they can eat the plants once there are not enough algae in the tank.

Chinese algae eaters - this aggressive algae eater can grow for as much as 5-6 inches long. Because of its aggressiveness, it is not a good addition to a tank when you have slow-moving fish for they would try to eat the fish's protective coating.

Siamese algae eaters - these small algae eaters are perfect for a tank that has a multitude of plants in it. They eat algae that are ignored by other fish such as thread and brush algae. However, delicate, thin-leafed plants are not safe for they can get destroyed once the algae eater reaches its full size

Otocinclus catfish - perfect for small tanks with dense vegetation. Your plants are safe with this algae eater for it can reach only up to an inch when fully matured. It is ideal to place more than one otocinclus in your tank for this type of algae eater is a schooling fish. However, due to their small size, they are not compatible with big fish for they can eat the otocinclus when given the chance. It prefers to eat small, young algae making it quite effective in controlling algal growth.

Try to see which type of algae eater will be beneficial for your tank. It is not enough that you put in just one type. Mixing them will make sure that all types of algae are kept at bay, so you won't have to worry about having an unsightly fish tank when you comeback from a vacation.

About the Author

BC is a cichlid enthusiast and wants to inform people of the great joy cichlids are to keep. Check out
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