Green Hair algae is a common pest in many aquariums and is also known by the name “Derbesia.” This is a dark green kind of algae which grows to quite long lengths and can take over an aquarium in a matter of weeks.
Algae is a very basic form of plant life, which can thrive in your aquarium given the right lighting conditions and range of nutrients. Fortunately green hair algae is not as aggressive as some of the species of algae which you can find growing in your tank, although you may find it hard to combat effectively. When you notice an outbreak of algae, do not panic, providing that you take the right steps to combat the conditions which have lead to it you should be able to beat the algae before it has a foothold in the aquarium.
One method of combating this kind of algae is to try and bring you water conditions in line with natural sea water levels. This may or may not be possible in your aquarium depending on the needs of the other plants and fish that you are keeping. Ideally, nitrates are kept below 10ppm or less, with both ammonia and nitrites reading zero. pH levels should be kept between 8.0 to 8.3, which will not be possible in many aquariums. If possible, reduce lighting to the aquarium and try to physically remove as much as possible.
it is important to try and keep on top of algae, as it generally has detrimental effects on the health of the fish and the plants in the aquarium. There are some chemicals which are marketed as being effective at killing algae, but it is important to understand that some of these may also harm other organisms in the aquarium. One of the biggest factors to preventing algae outbreaks in the first place is to keep maintenance to a high standard and avoid high levels of phosphates and nitrates. Elevated nitrates will contribute significantly to algae growth.
If you are struggling to combat algae in an aquarium, there are a range of different ways to combat it, from changes in water chemistry and other changes in lighting, heating. Try to avoid the use of fertilizers which contain large amounts of phosphates, it is a good idea to regularly monitor what chemicals testing kits tell you are present in your water and keep on top of aquarium maintenance.
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