ALGAE- whats your opinion, i love algae

[ick sucks]

hmmm algae. natures way of removing pollution. what, you say algae is a bad thing-absolutly not! algae is very effieceint at keeping your tank clean. you should incourage algae to grow. the only problem is when it grows in the display tank. it looks unsightly, fogs the glass and in general looks like ****! also alga can smother corals and kill them shielding any light from them. i would let it grow in your main tank if you have no corals and plan on a fish only tank. i would load the tank with hermits and snails if you have or want corals. if you choose on having corals i would grow it in a sump/refugium. and grow it good. You see not everyone wants it in there tanks. but i do and it grows long and proud. in some areas its as long as 4 inches! my clowns actually have taken it up as a "anemone" host.

i feed my fish 8 times a day

my tank is 25 gallons

my algae is growing 4 inches long on the back and sides of the glass

and i have 5 fish
my ammonia and nitrites are 0
my nitrates are below .05

hmmmmm algae aint that bad after all.

the only thing i do is help my algae grow by adding vitamins. i have no plants only algae. id like to see caulerpa keep up with my algae.

my lighting is only 40 watt florecents 2.

can we start a debate about how wrong algae is?

[Ninong]

i have no plants only algae. id like to see caulerpa keep up with my algae.

Caulerpa is algae!

[ick sucks]

ok caulerpa is algae but they are 100 times slower growning than my alga. therefore it is supeiror. the type that grows in my tank is long(5inches max) filementous type. it also oxyegenates my water like crazy! its great more people should look into this.

[Sueet]

ok caulerpa is algae but they are 100 times slower growning than my alga. therefore it is supeiror. the type that grows in my tank is long(5inches max) filementous type. it also oxyegenates my water like crazy! its great more people should look into this.

Yeah, and more people should look into using dandelions as a lawn too... No maintenance required! No feedings, shucks it even reseeds itself.....

There is a reason this forum is called 'Reef Aquariums' ..... That is, posts made here are about REEF tanks..... and hair algae is BAD for reef tanks!

[ick sucks]

ok its bad for reef tanks sure but its only bad when it covers your corals. in my opinion a reef tank has fish many of them and many corals,clams, and inverts. most tanks we see today can barely keep there corals alive. sorry for the bad reef tank thread.

by the way im not saying to grow algae in your reef tank im saying try to utilize its effectiveness in a refugium, and ultimately mimic nature. are you mimicing nature in your reef? your bioload is way to high most likely for the amount of corlas and inverts you want to keep. and to mimic nature you need to balance producers of waste and consumers of waste.

maybee you need to re-think your dandylion story and not be so harsh. its a hobby have fun!

[Sueet]

maybee you need to re-think your dandylion story and not be so harsh. its a hobby have fun!

And it also may be that I am correct, and that the 'let it grow' methodology you are preaching in just about every post you've made is inappropriate for this hobby. I agree, I love my hobby... wouldn't spend so much money on it if I didn't..... but I do NOT love watching things I paid good money for die because of some overzealous alga... whether it be a macro alga or a micro (hair) ... I DO use some macro-algaes... even in one of my displays..... but not to the extent that you are recommending... There are many OTHER methods of nutrient export that are just as effective (if not more, since algaes can release whatever they have absorbed right back into your system...)

Seriously, it's your tank, do what you want, but please stop harping to us that it's the 'only' way to do it right..... We got it, we understand your opinion, ok? We heard you the first time... and the second...

Ok ok, enough. Sorry everyone else for losing my cool.

[Penguin]

my algae is growing 4 inches long on the back and sides of the glass

That doesn't sound very attractive.

it also oxyegenates my water like crazy!

That much algae will also use up oxygen like crazy. Algae consumes oxygen for respiration just like your other livestock. I hope your power never goes out for a long period at night.

Algae is natural and good in moderation. But encouraging eutrophic conditions in your fish tank is asking for trouble.

[ick sucks]

its not very attractive but with enough fish i dont even care looking at it. actually most of the time i would rather watch my tang graze on it. he always eats it. i have not had any problems with leeching compounds back in my tank. even so if you have an appropriate skimmer you should be fine. i have not had any problems at night with my fish not getting enough oxyegen. actually i just set up a fuge to counteract any problems like that(reversed photopeiriod). the lighting will be on in my fuge at night and in my tank at day.

[Ninong]

the only thing i do is help my algae grow by adding vitamins.

What vitamins do you add and how do vitamins have any effect on algae?

[smpolyp]

ick sucks I know what you are saying. Just add refugium and most will understand.
Go crazy and tell them nitrates increase the zooxanthellae. For better color.
All in all moderation!!!

[Reefland]

What vitamins do you add and how do vitamins have any effect on algae?

You didn't know that studies have shown that Centrum and A-Zinc are positive additions for macro and micro algaes in reef tanks?

[Samper]

I throw 2 GNC ultra mega 2s in my 20 daily. You know the ones that come in the 80 dollar bottle. My lfs told me that was the only way to be successful.

[ick sucks]

What vitamins do you add and how do vitamins have any effect on algae?

i just add a plant supplement called marine success. i mean its a trace element additive. made by red sea.