Betta Fish Care - What Is Algae?

Algae is a simple form of marine plant life that lack leaves, roots, flowers, seeds, and all the other things we normally associate with plants. The word ‘algae’ is an umbrella term that’s used to refer to lower forms of marine life that are capable of photosynthesis (converting sunlight into energy).

Algae is definitely an unsightly and unwanted visitor in your fish tank. You will always have certain levels of algae because small amounts are inevitable wherever there’s light, nutrients, and water in combination. Once the algae levels get high enough to be visible to the naked eye, you’ve got a surplus. You must maintain your aquarium regularly or you can pretty much count on regular growths of algae obscuring your fish, making the water smell, and making your fish tank an eye sore.

Tips for keeping your fish tank algae free:
· Change the water regularly
· Clean the aquarium regularly
· Use a UV filter in the tank
· Situate the tank away from direct sunlight
· Don’t overcrowd the fish
· Keep the food levels down
· Minimize aeration unless your aquarium is very well stocked: keep airstones and vents to a minimum
· Utilize your plants’ nitrate and phosphate absorbing capacity: stock your aquarium with plenty of fast-growing species like Ambulia and Egeria

I will give tips for getting rid of algae in my next post!