Setting Up A Saltwater Aquarium

Anyone who owns a saltwater aquarium knows for a fact that algae growth is an avoidable nuisance. As a saltwater aquarium owner, or someone setting up a saltwater aquarium, you need to prepare to deal with the algae situation. Basically, there are four types of algae, which are the green algae, brown algae, red-brush algae, and blue green algae.

The green algae are what most people are familiar with. This type of algae thrives in any aquarium that receives a lot of sunlight. Basically, you will see hair algae that have long wispy strands and can be easily cleaned and the green dot algae where it appears on the side of the aquarium, which is very hard to remove.

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If you are setting up a saltwater aquarium, it is important to remember that brown algae are very common in an aquarium that has just been started. Basically, it appears on the first two weeks. Brown algae are unusual in established aquariums. When you get this even if you have an established aquarium, then you may need to test the nitrate and phosphate levels of the tank. You should  try increasing the light levels that the tank receives.

The red brush algae are another variety of algae that loves aquariums with high PH levels. It is very difficult to remove this kind of algae manually. For this reason, pH level maintenance is very important when starting up a saltwater aquarium.

The blue-green algae are not really algae and can be quite deceptive. This is a type of cyanobacteria that can creep up as slime in the tank that can kill your aquarium plants as well as jeopardize the health of the fish living in the tank.

Remember when setting up a saltwater aquarium, that to limit the amount of algae growth in your tank, you can always reduce the amount of lighting that the tank receives. By leaving your aquarium lights on for less than nine hours a day, you will be able to limit the amount of time that the algae will have to photosynthesis. You might want to use an aquarium light with the lowest wattage possible.
Changing the water and cleaning the aquarium is another way to prevent algae growth. As an owner or someone setting up a saltwater aquarium, you have to clean it at least every two weeks. You need to change the water with distilled water and you   have to promote the right water salinity.

These are some of the things that you have to remember about saltwater aquariums. You need to maintain it and keep it free from algae. Although most algae cannot cause any harm, it will indeed look quite ugly in your aquarium. You can   try introducing snails in the aquarium or hermit crabs as they are fantastic in eating algae. Algae is a nuisance but is preventable, and these tips can be a great reminder, whether you already own a saltwater aquarium, or when setting up a saltwater aquarium.

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