Algae And The Reef Aquarium

One of the most common reasons why people leave the marine aquarium hobby is due to nuisance algae. There is no doubt that it can become a real heart breaker after spending so much time and effort at this hobby only to be defeated by such a small organism as algae.

Just about everyone who has ever set up a marine tank has to deal with nuisance algae at one time or another. Typically it will start showing up near the end of your tanks cycle, about 3 to 5 weeks after your setup. Some of the time it will go away on its own, in a few weeks, as your aquarium has a chance to stabilize. Even if the algae do disappear, there is always a chance it could return.

What are algae?

Essentially, they are organisms that produce their own food by a process called photosynthesis. There are many forms that can range from kelp to caulaerpa to those brown dots growing on the panels of glass in your aquarium. For this discussion we will concentrate on just the nuisance algae.

Some of the more crucial factors that affect algae growth in your reef aquarium are light, water flow, nutrient concentrations, and competition for those nutrients.

Of all these factors, light has the greatest impact. A typical coral reef in the wild has very high light intensity. One way to kill it is to deprive it of light. In your reef, the quantity, spectrum, and duration of your lights all influence not only what types of algae are present, but also, the abundance.

The age of the bulbs in your lighting system has a direct effect on the kinds of algae that can grow in your tank. Older bulbs do not burn with the same intensity or spectrum that they did when they were new. Because of this they can become a source for problem algae growth. They need to be replaced at regular intervals. You should research the type of bulb you are using and how long they will last before replacements are needed. You should really document when you buy the bulbs so that you know when they need replacing.

Water flow or should I say the lack of it, throughout your aquarium can also have an impact. Advances in the design of power heads have come a long way in resent years. The kind of flow coming out of them is a lot better now. An upgrade might be just what you need.

The level of nutrient concentrations also has a big impact on populations. Many types of hair and slime algae will start growing in response to excess nutrients, especially nitrates and phosphates. Regular water changes go a long way to directly reducing the amount of nutrients in your system. Good phosphate removing compounds are readily available at the local fish store. Some people run them in a reactor all the time.

Finally we come to nutrient competition. Many people grow Macro algae in their sump in an attempt to out compete the nuisance algae. Chaeto is a great macro for this job. It is fast growing and will use up plenty of nutrients. This works very well in a lot of cases.

I hope this short discussion has been of benefit to you.

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