Aquarium-How To Get Rid Of Green Hair Algae

Green Hair Algae - Derbesia

Green Hair Algae (abbreviated as GHA for this article) - Derbesia - is a form of algae that looks like its name. It is usually dark green, grows quite long if left unattended and spreads across your tank rapidly. Once this problem has begun, it can get out of hand in a matter of weeks. And soon you start to look at your saltwater tank in disgust, thinking "Why me? What did I do to deserve this plague?"

A number of things may have contributed to it gaining a foothold in your system. Your nitrates might be too high, your phosphates may be too high (.03 or less is the goal), your aquarium lighting has recently been replaced or perhaps your bulbs are so old that the spectrum of light has shifted, fueling algae growth.

Okay, so your water is great. To get rid of the algae, you are going to have to prune it back manually. Fortunately, you can get some help from ocean dwellers like blue legged hermit crabs, but like anything, when you have too much of something, you have to get radical to bring it within manageable levels. Nothing good ever happens quickly. This is going to take some specific attention on your part for a few weeks, but you can overcome it.

You can start by ripping it out in bulk, this will prevent it from spreading, and you give your hermit crabs something they can actually keep up with. Also recommended is to get some snails to help with the battle. Turbo snails are a good choice for this. Foxface, Blennies, Yellow Tang fish, and other invertebrates including the Green Sea Urchin, which feed primarily on algae are all good choices, and will work to beat Green Hair Algae overgrowth.

Clean your protein skimmer completely. Clean the pump thoroughly and make sure your air intake is clear. Clean your collection cup often, so you don't have slime build up hindering it. You want to skim out as much of the Dissolved Organic Compounds (DOC) before they can break down in your tank and add to the Green Hair Algae's reproduction cycle. Remember nitrates fuel algae growth. You want 10ppm or less to avoid feeding Green Hair Algae. If your protein skimmer is under powered for your aquarium, consider upgrading to a better unit.

If you'll keep up with these cleaning processes for a few weeks, along with your regular maintenance, and correct water parameters you will notice less and less Green Hair Algae in your tank, until one day your tank is pristine again and under control. If you have any further questions regarding anything aquarium related including saltwater aquarium and freshwater aquariums, please visit us at OC Reef Aquatics

Saltwater Aquarium Natural Decorations

Saltwater Aquarium  Natural Decorations Living Rocks

 Some examples of saltwater aquarium decorations you might like to try in your marine tank are living rocks:

Belching clams and treasure chests - These are bubbling and air actuated action ornaments. Spacemen, submarines, clams, and treasure chests are always firm favorites. Even a frog on a log and airstones, are fun saltwater aquarium decorations. The display should be well lit and there should be plenty of bubbles for the best effect!

So what other options are there for saltwater aquarium decorations? What about different and interesting backgrounds? You can purchase a variety of backgrounds like marinescapes, paint-on materials, foils, mirrors and cork stock. You can even buy an in-tank diorama! Display the background effectively and choose tank décor that suits its theme.

Rocks are another good choice for saltwater aquarium decorations. You can choose from sandstones, volcanic and metamorphic rock or even plastic. Some rocks don't have any impact on water quality while others improve the water quality. If you aren't sure of a certain rock, play it safe and leave it out. Try pieces of tufa, igneous, silicious/petrified woods), and brackish and African Great Lakes systems calcareous "base" rock. You can usually but rocks by the pound or the 'piece'. Some rock types are natural while others are artificial.

Driftwood is a great idea for saltwater aquarium decorations. It might be self-sinking or weighted and wither chemically or physically inert or live. Don't try to cure your own woods. It's just too time consuming and expensive.

Corals and shells can also be used as saltwater aquarium decorations. Always try to use those from a natural marine source.

Marbles are traditional saltwater aquarium decorations. They can be used underwater - whole circular to flat, marbles and crushed glass are popular in marine tanks. However marbles don't make for a good biological substrate. They do provide fantastic color to any tank, though.

Faux natural saltwater aquarium decorations are another way of pepping up your marine tank. You can choose from fake rocks, logs, shells, coral, ships and more. Fake they might be but some look quite attractive when arranged properly; so don't overlook these decorations.

Plastic plants are another option you might want to make use of for your saltwater aquarium decorations. You can obtain some good likenesses of marine plants like sagittaria-turtle grass and vallisneria-zostera for example so don't overlook them and use them to supplement your real plants while they are growing.

Your choice of saltwater aquarium decorations is up to you but there are some general guidelines to bear in mind when making a choice.

Always make sure that your saltwater aquarium decorations don't have any sharp edges on which your fish might cut themselves. Never use any substances (rocks, shells etc) that might give off toxic chemicals into the water. Choose shapes and designs that make suitable hiding places for shy animals and good substrates for the growth of marine plants.

Also make sure that your saltwater aquarium decorations are very clean when you put them into your tank. Never use decorations from a tank where the fish or plants are ill or unhealthy in any way. Make sure that there are no spaces within the decorations where fish might get trapped and die.

The best saltwater aquarium decorations don't have to be particularly fancy. If you like spacemen and frogs go ahead and decorate your tank with them - it's your tank after all. If you prefer a more elegant style choose natural, rather than faux ornaments and study natural systems and try to duplicate some of these environments in your tank.

You can easily glean this kind of information from books on marine biology or by doing some research on the World Wide Web. The more you learn the more accurate will be the marine world you create and this will make your fish and other invertebrates happy and healthy. The most important thing to remember is to have fun with your saltwater aquarium decorations.

But don't forget the health of your marine ecosystem. Try to find the proper balance between the aesthetic value of your tank and the well-being of your marine life. The only way to make sure that your stock stay healthy is to study, study, study the fish, invertebrates, plants and make sure you give them what they need to survive. Good luck and enjoy your saltwater aquarium decorations!

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