# does alge harm fish



## MR.FREEZ

what can alge do to fish


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## SERRAPYGO

Not much. It's a form of plant life. If anything, it can be healthy.


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## MR.FREEZ

thanks i now the question probably seemed kinda stupid


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## illnino

alge does nothing to a fish, it is just ugly to come and see a tank's walls foggy to where you cant see the fish in it's crystal clear water


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## Judazzz

Algae also use up oxygen - no problem in a well-aerated tank, but in a tank low on oxygen, it can use up oxygen the plants and fish really need...

*_Moved to Plant Forum_*


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## Peacock

Judazzz said:


> Algae also use up oxygen - no problem in a well-aerated tank, but in a tank low on oxygen, it can use up oxygen the plants and fish really need...
> 
> *_Moved to Plant Forum_*


 true but in that situation the Bacteria will take out more O2 then plants will.. so the O2 plants use is realy nothing campared to anything els in the system.

Algae is Great for your aquarium.. it provides food and cover for tinney little organisms. it also rids the tank from excess nutrients.


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## NavinWithPs

i thought plants take in Co2 and releases o2, if algae is a sort of plant, wouldn't that happen as well?

so i don't see how it could use up oxygen.


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## amoor33

illnino said:


> alge does nothing to a fish, it is just ugly to come and see a tank's walls foggy to where you cant see the fish in it's crystal clear water


 i agree


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## Judazzz

NavinWithPs said:


> i thought plants take in Co2 and releases o2, if algae is a sort of plant, wouldn't that happen as well?
> 
> so i don't see how it could use up oxygen.


 At night, the process is reversed (plants using up O2, releasing CO2) - photosynthesis requires light...


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## Pterogho

Fact !!!!

Only real green algae photosynthesises on regular basis.

Most plants have a more or less effective set of chemical and hormonal weaponry to their use.
Some plants (and algae) are very aggressive in their use of these means. These are many of the pest-like weeds in our gardens, and every strain of algae, with exeption of green algae, in our tank.

Some type of algae, as well as plants, may be able to manipulate the chemical balance in their bit of space in their favour, and ultimately set the stage for disaster.

If you have real algae-eating fish and other creatures in your tank, green algae is ofcause essential to their health and stamina. But green algae being highly unstable when the level of nitrates rise above 50mg/ltr easily turn into a polutionary source.
Higher plants are able to deal with levels of nitrates at 150-200 mg/ltr, but many strains of algae just don't care, cause they live of nitrites and sulphor, producing a lot worse things in their internal chemical factories.
- and where can these " a lot worse things" go if the algae for some reason start to break down? This may happen for such simple reasons like getting your filters to work uptimately.

No!! Algaes should never be taken lightly, but dealt with in amost serious manner.


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## NavinWithPs

> the process is reversed (plants using up O2, releasing CO2)


oh yea! i learned this crap in oceanography... slipped my mind....


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