3 types Algae - aesthetic problem or more serious?

Hi All,

I'm exactly 4 weeks into cycling a new 350L tank and I've been monitoring a steady increase in algae growth on the ocean rock. I have 3 starter cichlids (species forthcoming) but no algae specialists like plecos. Initially it was a light green patchy growth so I reduced the lighting and then noticed brown patchy growth.

Tonight I noticed a filamentous growth in several patches, that looks like dark brown (not green) fine bushy hair strands of approximately 0.75cm length in patches a few square centimetres in size.

FYI - I included a small piece of red sea coral that brother picked up off beach several years back.

My questions are:
1. Are these algae and filamentous growths just aesthetically displeasing or something more serious that needs to be removed?
2. Would the addition of a bottom feeder like a pleco be advisable? I had a pleco previously but they grow huge. Is there any good glass cleating and algae eating alternatives that don't grow so bog.

Your advice much appreciated as the filamentous growth is worrying.

Algae is a fact of live in an aquarium. Once you have light and water, you'll get algae. There are several ways to keep it under control. The main one is to add plants. They absorb nutrients and starve the algae. However, you'll need the right amount of light and nutrients for the plants to thrive or the algae will dominate. I know that sounds confusing, but it's unfortunatley true.

If you have plants, adding CO2 will help the plants to bloom and the algae will suffer. However, there is a lot of experimenting with C02, light and nutrients to do before you get the balance right.

If you find you're getting hair algae, you may need to resort to an algacide. I've read that hair algae is most likely introduced to a tank by infected plants rather than a nutrient/light imbalance. I would recommend eSHa Protalon 707 in this case as it manages to kill the algae and feed plants at the same time. I've had good results with it after trying everything else.

Having said that, I have several Malawi tanks and have plenty of green algae on the rocks. I see it as being natural and some of the mbuna feed off it. Algae isn't always a bad sign and can signify a vibrant and thriving tank.

I would make sure that your tank is fully cycled before you really start worrying about algae. There are so many imbalances in an uncycled tank that algae is inevitable. Give it a couple of months to settle down before you make any decisions.

An algae eater fish wont sort your problem so no point adding one. I'd test phosphates and nitrates if you really want it gone now. As your in the cycling stages the algae may starve itself out in a few months anyway. If not then you'll have to look at how much light the tank is getting including sunlight and get a nitrate or phosphate remover. Test your water at supply too, mine has 40 nitrates

I'll try adding a plant tomorrow and tonight I'm going to add the recommended dose of JBL Denitrol, after a 10% water change this evening.

>I've read that hair algae is most likely introduced to a tank by infected plants rather than a nutrient/light imbalance.
I have no live plants up to now. The tank just has ocean rock which did seem to have organic material on it, and the fine gravel.

Is it true to say that the best nitrate remover is a water change?

You can get media that will remove nitrate, however, a water change is the quickest and most effective.

I really wouldn't worry about algae too much if the tank is not yet fully matured.

This might sound obvious and you may have checked but does your tank get direct sunlight.
I set up a tank in my dads house and went down and after a week it was covered in algae.
I cleaned it and tried adding plants etc but it wasnt till I left the curtains pulled for a few days and only allowed the lights to cycle on and off for approx 6 hours a day did the problem resolve itself.