Is Algae GOOD or BAD for Your Aquarium?!

Despite what many people think, having algae in your aquarium can be very beneficial for the health of your aquarium. In this video I explain the benefits of algae, why we should embrace it, and also how to get rid of it if you have too much.
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[@TazawaTanks]

What are your thoughts on algae in your aquarium? Do you love it or hate it? Also, be sure to check out some cool T-shirts here...INTO THE AM t-shirts discount link: intotheam.com/tazawa

[@gigi3242]

Black Beard Algae is the Devil!!! Other forms of algae I don't mind, and as long as my tank is balanced, it stays low level. Thanks for the video. Take care, be well

[@kathrynthomas6390]

​@@gigi3242 hair algae is my nightmare, but I really am fine with surface algae (on the back and sides of my tanks, hard scape, etc)

[@yakartsinternational1113]

Have you tried decorative macro algaes in your brackish tanks? I love it, for me it solved the terrestrial plant problem.

[@TazawaTanks]

@@yakartsinternational1113 not yet, but I have my eye out for some.

[@haissemsoninato]

May I ask if your video also applies to Brown Algae in the aquarium?

[@bubasmollett8610]

I only clean the front of my tanks, allowing algae to grow on the back and sides. When it gets really dense, I move my pleco in the tank. Its usually spotless in a few hours.

Same!!

[@DeanoSupremo1]

Same here, especially in my tanks with shrimp

[@HopeB555]

Honestly I LOVE algae and as long as it's not completely covering my front glass or suffocating my plants I'm happy to have a good bit of it. I just only feed every third day or so when I have bad outbreaks and the fishies nibble it back into check. I had the HARDEST time growing it when I had a big mbuna tank. I left the lights on for like 16 hours a day and it couldn't grow fast enough to actually stick around on my rocks. 😅

[@fisharefriends598]

Algae is free food. If nutrients didn’t convert, they’d just be in the water column. Better it converts into something visible and you can remove when you want If you hate it that much, don’t fight it, set up an algae scrubber and let algae free roam there

[@assiahinarkansas]

I love the way a tank looks with sunlight shining thru SO much that I’m OK with some algae in about half my tanks. I don’t mind manually removing some every week.

[@sarahwoodring5587]

Great point on algae as an indicator of aquarium health!

[@angiegtz1]

i saw a bloom of algae growing in my guppy tank and wasn’t sure if it was good or bad. im new to fish keeping so this was really helpful, thank you!

[@rikdownunda]

Awesome video. Love the message, love the way it was delivered. I agree totally

[@bec2549]

I have some gorgeous green algae growing on a piece of driftwood in my nano community tank. My dwarf gourami loves snacking on it.

[@CarolynnMc01]

Zenao! Nice to come across this video. I don't have any algae to speak of in either of my tanks. One is just shrimp and the big tank has become a habitat for nano fish, shrimp and nerites (limpets and trumpets too). I dose Bactor AE in both every week in hopes of creating biofilm for the crustaceans and snails. Seems to work because everyone is thriving. I also put a couple algae tabs in a couple times a week. Send algae! lol

[@evocativeswine7170]

Nobody ever talks about guppy’s as clean up fish, but guppy’s and platys both will graze like a heard of cattle all day and pick plants and surfaces pretty clean of detritus and algae! Love it!!

[@autoridadnasionaladelladin17]

GREAT VIDEO!

[@JohnWood-tk1ge]

I keep and breed super red bristle nose, I want more algae to grow in my tanks free fish food!

[@nabokovfan87]

The most common statements is that an aquarium is an actual ecosystem. There was a talk by the guy at BRS about starting up 10+ tanks using different methods and studying them over a very long period of time and running a lot of scientific tests on each one. There are beneficial and harmful things that get introduced to the tank. Because it's a closed system that changes how things behave. That changes what happens when it comes to things like certain algaes. Does algae do stuff? Yeah. Is it beneficial, can be. Depends what kind. Is it harmful? Can be. Depends what kind. Can it be easily fixed if desired? Maybe. And if it can't? It's a massive pain. That's the issue.....

[@legionaquatics]

I clean the glass I’m looking through and leave the other sides to grow algae

[@EpicConspiracy]

There was a time I would nuke a tank and start over. But after 18 years I realized the tanks with algae are my healthiest tanks in the fishroom.

[@caewalker9276]

Embrace the Algae💚👍. Thanks Zenzo and Matt

[@Booogie.Gaming]

Hey boss. I found some greeny something on my seiryu stone is that good?

[@garageaquatics2023]

The one algae I have a problem with is a really stiff-fibrous green hair-like algae. It's in a clump of Java fern. I can pull out wads of the stuff. It almost feels like steel wool. The algae eaters and shrimp don't seem to touch it. I've tried treating with hydrogen peroxide. It's a tough one.

[@blushampo0]

I was able to reduce it by turning off the light every other day. And on the days that the light is on, it's only on for 5 - 6 hours. Apparently it softens the hair algae enough for shrimp to eat it. Then I added amano shrimp. I learned this from Fish for Thought! He has a video with more info

[@garageaquatics2023]

That is good to know. Thanks,@@blushampo0 !

[@Consoul909]

a comb is my go to by-hand removal tool :)

[@elvinsworld11]

Nice

[@workharddieproud]

100 percent spot on with everything. I hate it and I don’t have any in my tank.

[@ShadowMan.427]

I think you got this spot on! Algae is natural and beneficial as part of the ecosystem. Corey has agreed with this in many videos as well. LRB's tanks thrive with algae in them. Control yes to maintain an acceptable level of appearance. Fighting the battle to keep algae eliminated is frustrating and can add up in $ if buying every temporary fix or tool. As far as chemical control, I do not care for chemical maintenance if it can be avoided. A hands on approach and taking the time to observe and learn your tank and fish with minor light and food adjustments has always worked best for me. You have to be willing to let nature take control to some degree for a healthy balanced tank. Of course, it's all about opinion and how each person chooses to manage their own tank. I get that. I did find it humorous however that within 1 minute of each other your video and one from Irene were posted. Yours encouraging the embracement of algae and hers suggesting every possible way to get rid of algae. LOL Thanks for a great very informative video! You got my thumbs up!

[@jasonzhu9037]

hi

[@simonbuys]

Do algae and plants only remove nitrates out of the water or also ammonia and nitrite? Great video!!

[@awakenedanarchism4202]

Algae will feed on / remove Ammonia first and Nitrates second

[@bokunochannel84207]

this video is underated

[@Texasbiologyhelp]

Algae and plants incorporate the nitrates into their structure primarily nitrogen. When you do a water change you want to remove nitrates, but if you grow plants and algae and remove it(prune it) your water, you are for all intents and purposes removing nitrates from your tank. Algae will also incorporate certain pollutants into their structure effectively filtering your water. Go look at where fish live in nature, you will find algae there.

[@escaladeSD]

I just did a half tank water clean up and the next day boom algae spots on the glass 😱

[@fajrdn]

I love green carpet algae

[@-AndrewR]

👍🏻👍🏻

[@beccagabaldon6429]

I do a wonderful job people just dont understand how hard it is to care for tanks i have a 250 long it fits perfectly to my 5 / in a half window its the only spot i can fit it in my dinning room along with a 40 gallon 30 gallon and 2 betta tanks and turtle and Oscar tank i completely understand all about work with fish tanks

[@haissemsoninato]

May I ask if your video also applies to Brown Algae in the aquarium? (Diatoms)

[@TazawaTanks]

Yes, it applies to that type as well.

[@naegwut]

Good av

[@brandonlasvegas]

😎

[@Health_1_Wealth]

Goog information

[@cathyhendrix7552]

What about Black Beard algae? Can it hurt my tank? I can't find any fish or shrimp that will eat it and it will not go away. I've cut back on feeding and I've cut way back on the light. My aquarium plants started to suffer so I had to start leaving the lights on a little longer. I've scooped out the rocks with it on them, and pulled out the decorations with it to. And now it's going for my plants. Grrrrr. What can I do now? I'm like you and don't want to use chemicals. I feel like I'm going to have to just chuck it all out and start over. Which I really don't want to do. Help?

[@adler819]

Look up American flag fish/Florida flag fish. They are known for eating black beard algae.

[@TazawaTanks]

In addition to some fish, you can also put hydrogen peroxide in a bottle and squirt it on the BBA when you lower the water during water changes. After a few minutes, rinse it off and refill. The BBA will die off.

[@cathyhendrix7552]

@@TazawaTanks And the peroxide won't hurt the fish? There's some of the BBA on my plants. Can those be sprayed under water?

[@TazawaTanks]

@@cathyhendrix7552 H2O2 in small amounts sprayed on algae won’t harm your fish. For the low plants, you can do a big water change to lower the level for a few minutes. You can also use a pipette under water.

[@cathyhendrix7552]

@@TazawaTanks Thank you very much. I've been dealing with this every since I put wood in my tank. I took out my water sprite that I had floating and put in the wood. Then bam, I got algae. Green and black. I had never had it before. The BBA really attacked my anubius nana petite. It's almost gone. I will be glad when this crap is gone. So thank you.

[@kathrynthomas6390]

I'm a little jealous of people who get the black beard algae. I know I saw a fabulous tank with waves of black beard algae on rock several years ago...

[@wardraven8755]

Clean your canister filter

[@azntactical4884]

Hair algae is good until fry or small fish it stuck in it. Then, that's a bad thing.

[@frankiefingerz8047]

I know algae isnt bad but i hate it It looks disgusting i get brown algae & it seems like phosguard does very little to reduce it

[@katicasey4610]

Algae to feed the little critters in the tank, little critters in the tank to feed the big critters, big critters to poop and feed the algae and plants

[@DeanoSupremo1]

The only algae i dislike the look of is hair algae

[@user-xs3je4rn2y]

Well dont just controle it that it