Blue Green Algae Aquarium

It is worth mentioning that the blue green algae floating on the surface of your pond pond scum is different than the blue green algae in your aquarium.

Blue green algae aquarium. What is blue green algae. Red algae which is caused by a lack of carbon dioxide in the water is really nasty and hangs. You might hear it referred to as bga green slime algae smear algae or even pond scum because of the way it can build up on the surface of ponds. Also known as gravel or silica algae this algae is common in new tanks and will coat the tank in sheets which are easily wiped off it is usually harmless and will eventually go away as the tank matures.

However it can also appear in already cycled tanks with dirty filter or substrate. Tanks that exhibit this red slime or blue green algae growth often have good water quality low ammonia nitrite and nitrate levels and are otherwise unremarkable. Blue green algae caused by poor water conditions can form a layer on all of your decorations and substrate and if your fish stop swimming for a few minutes they start to resemble a moldy cupcake. They may be earth s bacterial heroes but when these algae are in your aquarium they can be both good and bad.

Just to add to the confusion blue green algae also goes by other less common names. Instituting a clean up crew in a marine aquarium can help reduce the slime but only treats the symptom of the problem not the cause. The species structures can be unicellular to filamentous and some species are colonial. It can grow quickly and can cover the substrate in the aquarium.

In most cases this is actually not algae at all but. Algae is often introduced into your aquarium by fish and live food and it comes in several colors. When disturbed it comes off in sheets. In freshwater aquariums it s known for its vivid blue green color but it can also appear in shades of brown black or even red.

To combat the blue green algae first you need to clean the filter and vacuum the substrate. Also known as slime or smear algae it can be caused by an excess of nitrate and phosphate in the water. You should also use a gravel vacuum to remove organic debris from the bottom of the tank which can be a breeding ground for the bacteria. Cyanobacteria formerly called blue green algae are not really algae but are a phylum of photosynthetic bacteria that live in moist soils and water.

Although called blue green algae they can have colors ranging from black to red to purple. Blue green algae bga is not actually an algae but rather a cyanobacteria a very diverse and resilient group of bacteria that uses photosynthesis like plants.