How To Kill Algae In Your Salt Water Fish Tank
The article touches upon the issue of How To Kill Algae In Your Salt Water Fish Tank. Green Hair Algae, also known as Derbesia, grows long and green and does really resemble green algae. If you do not take care of this problem as fast as you can, it will spread very fast throughout your aquarium to a point where it can overrun your tank in just a few weeks. Before it spread uncontrollably, let’s look at some of the most effective ways to kill algae like this.
How To Kill Algae
There are a number of factors that will cause green hair algae to bloom out of control in your aquarium. It could be because of high levels of nitrates or phosphates. It could also be that you’ve just replaced the lamps in your Ultraviolet Sanitizers or maybe even that the lamps are to old causing a shift in the light spectrum. Finally, it may be attributed to excessive sunlight if your tank is placed too close to a window. Whatever the reason, you would need to solve the cause first before you try to kill algae.
Kill Algae With Hermit Crabs
Once you have solved the cause, the next step is to prune the algae manually which is a very tedious task if your do it yourself but the great thing about a saltwater fish tank is that we have sea creatures such as hermit crabs to do the job for you. These creatures will gradually reduce the amount of green hair algae which will in time allow you to kill algae more effectively. While the progress may seem a little slow, it needs to be done in a gradual rate so as not to place a shock on your ecosystem.
You can help your hermit crabs speed up the process to kill algae a little by pulling out the larger clumps yourself. If the algae spread is too extensive, you could also add in other algae eating creatures such as Turbo Snails. Other options of algae eaters that you can try include Foxface, Blennies, Yellow Tang and Green Sea Urchins. It would be a great idea to consult the expert at the fish shop who can suggest to you which of these will be the most suitable for you.
Thoroughly clean your protein skimmer too. Start out by cleaning out the pump and the air intake. The collection cup in your skimmer should be cleaned as often as you can so that there is no build up of slime which could clog it. Make sure as much of the dissolved organic components are removed from the water before they are allowed to break down into nitrates and provide a ready food source for the Green Algae. The level of nitrates in your saltwater aquarium should not be more than 10 ppm to prevent algae growth. If your tank is large, make sure the size of the Protein Skimmer is suitable to ensure proper filtration.
Maintenance After You Kill Algae
By following the steps that I outlined above, you will notice a steady reduction of algae growth in your tank until you finally manage to kill algae successfully. And if you have solved the cause of the algae bloom, you have the assurance that Green Hair Algae will no longer trouble you again.
This is the most natural way to gradually kill algae which is a lot better than dumping a load of chemicals in your aquarium.
