Welcome To My Newsletter Series. In this newsletter letter series I will provide you with information about keeping tropical fish. The information contained in the newsletter comes from my passed experiences while working with fish, conversations I've had with friends and other tropical fish lovers, as well as knowledge I gain while researching material to write the book. So as you can see that the content comes from a number of sources, which I think make for a well rounded newsletter series.
Please feel free to forward this newsletter on to your friends who maybe interested in tropical fish keeping as well.
IMPORTANCE OF MARINE ALGAE
Keeping a marine aquarium means maintaining a fine balance of good versus bad algae. Interestingly, a variety of algae exists to include brown, green, and red. The key to control is learning to identify the various forms, ways to cultivate them, and then control the good, and the bad. Algae are actually organisms that produce their own food through a process known as photosynthesis. Interestingly, algae is often referred to as seaweed or plants, which is incorrect.
Keep in mind that plants also photosynthesize. However, the difference is that plants do not have the same vascular tissue as algae. In addition, plants reproduce using spores. When discussing algae, remember, many different types include caulerpa, kelp, and brown spots seen on aquarium glass. Algae are introduced into a marine tank in several ways. However, they are typically introduced via fish. You see, a lot of fish feed on algae so when they are added to the aquarium, they deposit algae through waste. Other ways in which algae is introduced is through live rock, living corals, and live sand. In fact, algae can come into the tank during a normal water change.
Just as with any other plant type, algae needs three ingredients. First, algae needs water, second light, and third, nutrients. All of these ingredients is what meets the needs algae, helping it grow. The good news is that all fish aquariums have water so that need is covered. Then, since fish need proper lighting and nutrients, the algae is again covered. The problem you will face with algae is keeping the growth under control. While some algae is important in a fish tank, an overabundance can be damaging.
Obviously, algae is not a fish keeper’s favorite thing. If not controlled, algae will soon cover the glass, gravel, decorations, rocks, literally everything in the tank. Small algae is called micro algae and large algae is called macro algae. Again, you will see brown algae spots on the glass, hair algae, which is filamentous, and a slimy type algae, which is usually bacteria, not algae. Most macro algae is known as seaweed, to include kelp, halimeda, and caulerpas. When managed, macro algae gives the fish tank a nice natural look. In addition, macro algae is a good food source for the fish.
When you first establish your aquarium, it is considered sterile. During the initial setup process, the tank is actually a hostile environment because the water quality is not correct. Because of this, algae and bacteria begin to colonize on the surfaces. Keep in mind that to grow good species of macro algae, you need to allow the aquarium to age, a process called succession. This process usually takes between two and six weeks as the cycling process completes.
After cycling, brown spots of algae may appear but they will soon fade. As they fade, you will start to see green and red algae. By using strong lighting, the growth process of algae is accelerated. If you find that brown dots continue growing, you want to check your salt mix, making sure there are not elevated levels of silicates. Now, when non-brown algae begins to grow, you want to consider introducing good algae. The concept here is that good algae will begin to compete for the same nutrients as the brown spots or micro algae.
Remember that the process of the brown algae turning to other types is a crucial moment in cultivating algae. The challenge is that if algae is left alone to do its own thing, it will make life miserable for all the tank residents. It will soon use up all the nutrients, causing stress and eventually death to the fish. Therefore, once you have begun to grow good algae, you need to keep it trimmed or pruned. Other key elements to maintaining good algae is the regular water change and adding in nutrients if needed.
The type of algae you want for your marine tank include the macro algae such as halimeda and caulerpa. These fast-growing organisms will actually help keep the quality of the water high. By keeping the growth of algae under control, your fish will have a great food source and your fish aquarium will look amazing. In fact, take the pruned pieces of algae, dry them, and then offer them to the fish as an occasional treat, loaded with nutrients.
To control the growth of good algae, you can use herbivore fish, which are plant eaters. For instance, small Tangs, sea urchins, blue leg hermits, and even astrea snails help. In addition, be sure you control the level of nutrients such as nitrate and phosphates. As soon as these levels begin to creep up, take immediate action. Then, you might add protein skimmers, go through your normal water changes, and check the salt mix, making sure it does not contain high levels of elements that actually encourage algae growth.
I hope you enjoyed this article and look forward to the next article which looks at natural filtration.
Until next time...
Katy
www.kingdomofpets.com/tropicalfish
If you are really serious about learning more about keeping tropical fish, Click Here to order my Book and DVD set. Let me guide you through it all!
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