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Can you ever completely eradicate algae?

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20 Dec 2015
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Wirral
I was wondering if it is possible to create a completely ‘algae free’ set up? Is it just equilibrium to have algae as part of the balance? Every tank iv ever seen has it somewhere to the naked eye, so what are your views

Andy
 
I was wondering if it is possible to create a completely ‘algae free’ set up? Is it just equilibrium to have algae as part of the balance? Every tank iv ever seen has it somewhere to the naked eye, so what are your views

Andy
'Algae free' as in literally zero algae at all? No, I do no think that is possible in a fish tank, but you can definitely create a setup where you don't have any visually obtrusive algae whatsoever... That goal can be reached in numerous ways depending on your specific tank setup... My approach to "algae free" is pretty straightforward, but somewhat contrary to what some experts advice.
Cheers,
Michael
 
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Algae, fungus, and mosses reproduce with spores flying through the atmosphere and likely hosting Cyanobacteria flying around with them. They are omnipresent everywhere all the time, as soon as you open a door or a window a huge number of spores can fly in and out again. Stick to surfaces waiting for the right time to develop or fly off to land again a different spot with each draft passing over. This is all on a microscopic level...

Anyway, if you take a walk through the forest or the park you might come home with 1000nds of them on your dog, in your clothes, under your fingernails, etc., etc.




They are about the oldest lifeforms we have on this planet, we and a lot of other lifeforms mainly plants roaming around on this nut probably never would have got a chance to develop without them.
 
Its interesting in the 40 years I’ve kept fish obsession with a perceived perfection has grown exponentially. What is odd is that’s it’s not natural for algae to be absent, if you look at footage from S.America of tetras etc in the wild there tends to be algae everywhere so why are we pursuing such a sanitised version of ‘natural’? I wonder if it’s part of the recent wider cultural shift in the west to obsess with cleanliness, order and perceived perfection that is apparent with homes, cars, teeth, bodies etc Having a spotless toilet, car, a sparkling set of gnashers or ‘higher plants only’ aquarium doesn’t make us better people 😀
 
Algae is the norm in nature but there are places you can come across that are so in balance and have so little algae infestation that the environment looks pristine and if it’s tropical it’s like coming across a section of the fabled gardens of Babylon.

A small slice of perfection!

:)
 
Its interesting in the 40 years I’ve kept fish obsession with a perceived perfection has grown exponentially. What is odd is that’s it’s not natural for algae to be absent, if you look at footage from S.America of tetras etc in the wild there tends to be algae everywhere so why are we pursuing such a sanitised version of ‘natural’? I wonder if it’s part of the recent wider cultural shift in the west to obsess with cleanliness, order and perceived perfection that is apparent with homes, cars, teeth, bodies etc Having a spotless toilet, car, a sparkling set of gnashers or ‘higher plants only’ aquarium doesn’t make us better people 😀
I agree. Aesthetics is always a moving target... Although, I don't particularly remember people being exponentially more tolerant to algae back in the day (say 30-35 year ago for me) - I think the average hobbyists just knew less back then.
But I also think with the prevalence of the high-tech and aquascaping culture influencing the hobby there is definitely a tendency for hobbyists nowadays to set a very high bar in terms of what is acceptable and considered 'natural' and thats all good and fine if thats the 'perfection' you strive for in the hobby. Its really no different from artful and manicured landscaping and gardening - and that has been around for centuries.
Cheers,
Michael
 
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Its really no different from artful and manicured landscaping and gardening - and that has been around for centuries.

Take the whole of the UK for instance back when Dogger Bank was actually Dogger Land and not just a shipping report, one giant Forrest like Tolkien’s Mirkwood and now look at the place it’s like someone took Rivendell and mashed it up with Mordor!

:)
 
It is possible to have a well balanced biologically mature system that is incredibly robust and relatively algae free, with little or no visible algae. But you can guarantee there will be some lurking in the background somewhere ready to pounce and overtake your scape whilst you're not looking.
 
And neglect the maintenance and algae will love it.
It is possible to have a well balanced biologically mature system that is incredibly robust and relatively algae free, with little or no visible algae. But you can guarantee there will be some lurking in the background somewhere ready to pounce and overtake your scape whilst you're not looking.
 
I wonder if it’s part of the recent wider cultural shift in the west to obsess with cleanliness, order and perceived perfection

Whenever the chance arises, I try to spend an afternoon in the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco. It’s manicured, ordered and clearly defined.

1622102394494.jpeg


When you walk from the busy city into Golden Gate Park the contrast is immense, a feeling of everything in its right place. It is not natural as it is heavily manicured, but it is aesthetically pleasing.

1622105066300.jpeg


It is the same feeling you can get from a well run high tech. But both the garden and the tank require a caretaker to manicure it into this state, it will never be natural in the real sense of the word.

Much in the way kids enjoy cartoons, with basic faces on characters that appeal to a growing facial recognition system because of their simple depictions, this type of gardening with sections of similar colour and texture makes you focus on the simple aspects of the colour and the shape.

Human beings pay attention to fractal patterns like the leaf of a fern, we like them so much we put ferns in our homes and in offices. Sectioning things out in colour makes it easier to distinguish between different sets. It appeals as it is easy to understand. I’m not so sure enjoying cleanliness, order and perceived perfection is a new trend in the west when it comes to gardening though.

Its really no different from artful and manicured landscaping and gardening - and that has been around for centuries.

Yes and overwhelming you find cities around the world that have kept public gardens in this general style for a long time.
 
Interesting replies and a beautiful garden, the Japanese have a long history of controlling and presenting nature in this way, in the West not so much, being more confined to displays of wealth at stately homes, my point is we now embrace this approach much more as it fits with our current societal focus on appearance, control, perfection.

To the original question would a UV system kill off algae? I don’t know.

Cheers
 
To the original question would a UV system kill off algae? I don’t know.
@Simmo I have 9W UV sterilizers running almost constantly in both my 40 gallon tanks (non-injected). It is supposed to do a good job at killing algae spores that floats (especially phytoplankton) and some pathogens. I know, it also kills some beneficial bacteria, but I haven’t experienced any noticeable downsides. I wish I knew to what extent the absence of algae in my tanks can be attributed to the sterilizers. It's likely a combination of different things such as low light intensity, good circulation and filtration, frequent WCs, high levels of NPK (especially elevated levels of Phosphate seems to be good for keeping GSA away), timely removal of leaves and plant mass that are struggling and starting look like algae magnets. ... and of course lots of plants.

Cheers,
Michael
 
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I have tanks with UV sterilizers and tanks without them, I haven't noticed any real difference between the two set-ups, well, the tank with the most algae actually has two UV sterilizers running. :eek:
 
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