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User Manual
They feel slimy to the touch. The presence of the clusters, threads
and chains of these organisms indicates a circulation or filtration
problem in marine aquaria.
Green filamentous
These are hairy, dark green algae spread throughout the tank,
especially on live rock where coralline algae do not proliferate
well. Hair algae can easily overgrow other specimens in the
aquarium, including coral. To control their population, introduce
herbivores. many species of sea urchins perform this function
well. Astrea snails and blue-leg hermit crabs also help.
Algae prevention
Chemical activity
Algae thrive in nutrient-rich water. Initially, provide as little
phosphate and nitrate for them as possible.
Circulation
Most micro-algae do better under stagnant conditions. Keep the
water moving and monitor your pump's performance.
Filtration
Protein skimmers reign supreme in preventing micro-algae; they
quickly remove organics that might otherwise fuel algae growth.
Monitor your skimmer performance regularly and keep it clean.
Macro-algae
These organisms help to control micro-algae. The shade caused
by the macro-algae cuts down on the light that the micro-algae
receive and use some of the nutrients otherwise available for
these undesirable forms. The fast-growing caulerpa and encrusting
corallines (a group of red algae resembling coral) are best.
Pollutants
Do not overfeed. Perform frequent, partial water changes to
dilute nutrients.
Biological controls
Turbo and astrea snails, and herbivorous fish such as blennies,
graze on the algae. Snails tend to be both popular and effective
scavengers for this purpose.
Feeding
As you might expect, the feeding and nutrition of marine life
forms is one of the most important factors in keeping healthy
aquarium inhabitants. Fish comprise an extremely diverse group,
especially when it comes to diet.
Obviously, no single food will meet the dietary needs of all
aquatic species at all life stages. Many attractive species, like
butterfly fish and mandarins, rarely populate aquaria, as they
have special dietary requirements that can only be met in their
natural environments.
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