Algae are eukaryotic organisms. They are almost ubiquitous and grow at those places where they optimum growth conditions. Fish tanks are also one of the favorite habitats for algae.  Algal growth in fish tanks is considered one of the undesirable things which show poor management. Moreover, excessive algae in fish tanks also interfere with the overall health (because of the presence of hazardous algal species) and better performance of fish. Additionally, algal presence creates a dent in the aesthetic beauty of your aquarium.

There are many ways to control algal growth in fish tanks. Here we will only discuss some natural strategies to check the algae in fish tanks.

WHERE AND HOW ALGAE CAN GROW IN FISH TANK?

There are various factors which facilitate the growth of algae in the fish tank. Two major factors have been given below:

1) Abundant food offered to fish  2) Abundant light

Generally, algae can grow everywhere in the fish tank. Usually, algal growth has been observed on following things:

1)  Can grow on the filters installed in the fish tank ( thus, interfering with the filtration system of the fish tank).

2) Algae can grow on decorations, rocks, and powerhead present in the tanks.

3) They can also grow on the plants present in the tanks ( their growth on the plants causes hindrance with the photosynthetic process, thus plants can’t do this effectively)

WHAT ARE  NATURAL WAYS TO STOP THE GROWTH OF ALGAE IN FISH TANK?

There are varieties of ways which have been devised for the effective control of algal burden in the fish tank such as using commercially manufactured algaecides. These chemicals have many drawbacks such as they kill the good algae too and pose a higher risk of toxicity to fish and other aquatic life present in the tank.

So, natural strategies are beneficial in controlling the algal proliferation in the fish tank. The following are the important natural methods:

NATURAL METHODS TO CONTROL ALGAE IN FISH TANK

Decrease the amount of fish food:

Fish food is the major factor that supports the algal growth in the tank. Being a responsible fish owner, this is your responsibility to monitor the amount of feed that your fish eat in a day. Don’t give excessive food. This is advisable to remove excessive food from the tank regularly. However, this method has some restrictions like some fish species rely on frequent feeding several times in a day. So, this method is not suitable for those fish species.

Proper cleaning of the filter:

This is recommended to monitor the proper cleaning of the filter installed in the tank. Additionally, use good quality filters in your fish tank and regularly check out the working of it.

Frequent water changes:

This thing can help you in controlling the algal population in the fish tank. But frequent water changes can result in loss of essential minerals/trace elements and good bacteria present in the water (required for the better growth and development of fish). Secondly, this method is a costly one because if you have a marine tank, then you would have to mix salt again. This method is considered laborious and exhausting especially in larger fish tanks but quite suitable for smaller ones. Last but not least, maintain the good quality water in the fish tank.

Reduce the amount of light:

Light is another major factor that favors the growth of algae in the fish tank. This is advisable to reduce the amount of light (turn off the supply) or define a schedule. But if you have plants or coral reefs in the tanks, then this method is not good because plants and coral reefs require light for their better growth.

QUICK OVERVIEW OF NATURAL ALGAE-EATERS

Here, we have mentioned some algae-eater and scavenger fish and other aquatic organisms which can naturally control the algal population.

Plants and fish that naturally control algae in a fish tank

Pictus catfish, Chinese algae eaters	Butterfly fish, goby, blenny, wrasse and hogfish.
Loaches ( kuhli loach, sucker loaches, dwarf loaches etc)	Coral banded, Red or fire shrimp.
Plecos,redfin Prochilodus	Starfish/brittle stars
Blue crayfish, Bamboo shrimp, Prawns	Sea urchins
Sally lightfoot crabs,Fiddler crab, arrow crab, hermit crabs.	Turbo snails