Marine Aquarium Algae - Why it Happens & What You Can Do to Prevent Saltwater Aquarium Algae

Marine aquarium algae is a common and annoying problem for many saltwater fish keepers and one that seems to take on a life of its own. having an understanding of how and why algae grows will give you a better chance of keeping it at acceptable levels.

Main Causes Of Marine Aquarium Algae

Most people panic when they see a little spot of green growing in their tanks. The usually try liquid chemicals, filter medias and other attempts to keep it at bay.

But what they fail to realize is that algae is a naturally occurring part of any aquatic ecosystem so you can never remove it completely, you can how ever hold it at bay.

Excessive Nutrients- In most tanks the algae starts to grow from a high level of algae feeding nutrients like nitrate and phosphate in the tank. These nutrients come from excessive fish waste, over feeding and overstocking the aquarium.

You can try bigger filters, more efficient protein skimmers or reduced feedings but bottom line is if you have to much waste in the fish tank you may have to consider removing some fish to bring everything back into balance or increase the amount and frequency of your water changes.

Not Enough Oxygen- marine aquarium algae thrives in low oxygen environments. Low oxygen can come from poor circulation and overstocking of the tank. low oxygen levels are often associated with PH levels under 7.8

To raise your oxygen levels try pointing some filter outputs at the surface of the water to cause it to ripple, you can also add an additional power head to cause surface agitation and increase oxygen.

But if you find that you simply cannot bring oxygen and PH levels up enough because of your saltwater aquariums fish load you may have to remove a fish or two to get your levels back up to acceptable levels.

Old Lighting- As aquarium light bulbs age they tend to shift more toward the red light spectrum. Unfortunately the red spectrum is the one that marine aquarium algae prefers and thrives under. So if you notice a sudden spike in excessive algae growth you may want to try and replace your lights if they are more then 7 months old and see what affect this has on your tank.

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