Green algae can be found in greenish-brown patches on the surface of your tank.
Green Algae is a green-coloured, plant-like organism that can make a mess of your water quality by sucking up oxygen in the water.
It also feeds on nitrates which can turn into toxic nitrites or ammonia when green algae die off.
The green algae must be removed!
What are green algae?
The growth of green algae in fish tanks can appear if the water quality is poor.
This is because when there has been much organic matter or food waste from fish feeds and other things are allowed to sink to the bottom of the tank.
Bacteria decompose these materials and use them as food for their own growth.
If the amount of bacteria in the tank is large, then it will not be possible to destroy all organic matter, which sinks to the bottom and causes green algae on plant leaves.
Green algae can give your aquarium a bad reputation with its owners if they do not remove it from the fish tank and plant leaves.
In severe cases, when there are too many green algae spores, you can even lose plants that make up your home aquarium.
To understand how you can stop the spread of green algae on your plants in the fish tank, it is necessary first to know why there is such an unusual phenomenon:
What can cause the growth of green algae?
The main reason for the appearance of green algae is that the fish tank is overfed, and as a result, there are large amounts of food waste in the water.
In addition, this also includes all kinds of dirt that have settled on stones and plants.
Since the surface area of the stone (or substrate) is greater than the surface area of plants, it creates an ideal environment for bacterial growth due to decomposition processes with oxygen deficiency, which causes a dense cover of green algae on plant leaves.
Green algae can be removed from aquarium plants by two methods: conventional or natural.
It should be remembered that the conventional method will give you quick but only short-term results, while the natural method allows long-term protection against the growth of algae but requires more time and patience.
The first method is the most common way to remove green algae from your aquarium plants.
This method involves introducing special chemicals that attack and slow down the growth of bacteria in general.
The second way to get rid of green algae is more natural, which means you can use simple household products that are easily available to everyone.
Natural methods for removing green algae from plant leaves will allow you to minimise the loss of fish (if any) due to incorrect care and feed them with clean water.
In addition, this method helps keep water quality levels at an acceptable level by reducing harmful substances such as ammonia and nitrites.
With these benefits, it becomes clear why it’s worth spending time on the natural removal of green algae from plant leaves.
The way to remove green algae by using household products – is as follows:
1. First, you need to scrape off a piece of stone or glass (if planted) and clean it well with water.
This will greatly reduce the amount of dirt that can cause problems later.
Cleaning should be done only if these areas are clearly visible in your aquarium or covered with debris and needs cleaning before you proceed to further actions.
When cleaning, you see algae. Carefully remove them from the aquarium plants with tweezers to avoid remaining scattered around after the next step.
2. Put some drops of vinegar into a small bowl or container and add some water.
Mix them well.
Pour the resulting mixture into a small spray bottle, and it is ready for use in your aquarium.
3. It is highly recommended to keep the clean-up process during the daytime when there are natural lighting conditions in your room or house to ensure a constant flow of fresh air, which helps reduce the density of algae on plant leaves.
Remember that a high concentration of green algae may cause an increase in ammonia levels due to incorrect decomposition processes, and low light conditions will help accelerate this process!
4. When you begin disinfection, first disconnect all power devices (do not forget about safety discharges ) from your aquarium and open all windows in the room where they are located (if possible).
This step is done to prevent too high concentrations of toxic substances in the air, which is harmful to you and your aquarium.
5. You need to do a few quick sprays over the surface area of the plants so that they are well saturated with vinegar solution.
Green algae will begin absorbing this substance from the plant leaves, and after several minutes it will lose its colour.
After 10 – 15 minutes, if you see that there is no more green colour left on your plants, then it means you can go to the next step.
6. After soaking a piece of stone (or other structure) with clean water to rinse off excess vinegar, use a brush or sprayer.
This should be done thoroughly and carefully to avoid accidentally washing off any fish on the surface. After these 5 – 10 minutes, you can proceed with the next step.
7. Remove plants and stones from your aquarium, put them in a tub of clean water (preferably de-chlorinated).
Rinse well, removing all traces of vinegar, as this substance is potentially harmful to both fish and plants.
Remember, the less time spent without receiving oxygen for plant leaves during this process, the better!
It’s best to perform a quick rinse before placing them into a container with clean water.
After you have done everything that needs doing, it is necessary to monitor closely plant recovery.
After several days or even weeks of light exposure, they may wither or rot because of insufficient light and heat.
However, the conditions will have greatly improved, which will make it easier to address their needs in the future!
Conclusion
Green alga is a type of plant that can grow in fish tanks.
It can be found at the bottom and sides of aquariums, often on rocks or plants.
If your tank has green algae, you may find it difficult to keep unwanted guests out because they like to hide under this covering!
Luckily for you, there are some ways to remove green algae from your tank without having to buy expensive chemicals.
All-purpose cleaners such as bleach will work well with water changes over time.
Just remember not to use too much bleach if you have sensitive fish in their tank!
There are also products specifically designed for removing algae available online or at pet stores near you.
We hope these tips help make things easier around the house.
