Hopefully you have already had a look at part one. In the previous article, I talked a little about the sources of life for algae. I told you that in order to reduce the risk of algae outbreak, we must first understand what it is that allows it to live. In this article, I will try and explain some of the common means by which you can reduce the sources of algae life, and I will finish with what to do when algae does form.
From part one, you may remember that the first component of algae life is
lighting. Improper, or extended lighting hours can lead to algae problems quickly. The basic guidelines are the following:
(1) you should only have about 3 to 5 Watts of light per gallon of aquarium,
(2) lighting should only be on about 8 to 9 hours total per day, and
(3) pay attention to the spectral output of the bulbs you use in your aquarium. I think that (1) and (2) are fairly simple to understand...the basic idea behind these two guidelines in to avoid too much lighting to the aquarium. (3), however, is a little criptic. The idea behind the spectral output of the bulbs is that aquarium bulbs are not the same as regular full-spectrum bulbs we use in houses. Aquarium full-spectrum bulbs omit the red part of the spectrum. It has been shown that the red part of the spectrum has a tendency to cause algae bloom...thus it is removed from the spectral output of aquarium bulbs. So, spend time to make sure that you get bulbs designed for aquariums. They may cost a little more than those at your local hardware store, but they are worth it.
This brings me to nutrients. This covers a broad range of elements that can be found in the aquarium, so what I will try and do below is discuss each individual element of nutrients and how to reduce it in the aquarium. In addition, I will start with the most important and finish with those which are of lesser importance. The most important nutrient to consider in the battle and prevention of algae is phosphate. Control of phosphates in the aquarium is by far the number one means to prevent algae blooms. I told you in part one that phosphates come from a large variety of sources, including water changes and food. Probably the most common source of phosphate is from the water changes. When you replace water in the aquarium with a new salt solution during a water change, you should try and avoid phosphate concentration in the new salt solution. Phosphate comes from both the salt mix, and the tap water that you use. Here there are two important guidelines to algae prevention: (1) use a salt mix that does not contain phosphates, and (2) consider using revense osmosis and carbon filtration on the tap water before you mix your salt solution. By following these two guidelines alone, your chances of algae blooms will be drastically minimized.
