Caper Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 My small 10 gallon (3 cory's in it). I haven't cleaned the sides or the back of the tank in quite sometime. I don't want to in case they get more ottos in. Is it ok to leave algae build up like this????? Caper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 Yep its fine its natural so just leave it be Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted April 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 Thanks ryan Wasn't sure if in the long term it could harm the fish, especially in such a small tank. Caper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 Algae is actually good, it cleans the tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danilada Posted April 22, 2008 Report Share Posted April 22, 2008 Algae is actually good, it cleans the tank. How? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tHEcONCH Posted April 22, 2008 Report Share Posted April 22, 2008 By consuming nutrients that would otherwise be in the water - when you pull the algae out, you've pulled the nutrients out too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted April 22, 2008 Report Share Posted April 22, 2008 Yup, just like any other plant. Algae is one of the major components in many waste water treatment plants and is used in algal turf scrubbers in tanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smidey Posted April 22, 2008 Report Share Posted April 22, 2008 i put my african fry tank next to the window with a curtain so i can control how much light hits the tank. i leave algae to grow & the fish feed off it. i have about 30 fry in there & i have never seen such well fed fish. I feed them flake etc every few days but they mostly feed on the algae. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidb Posted April 22, 2008 Report Share Posted April 22, 2008 African rift cichlids eat algae off rocks as the main part of their diet in the wild so that makes sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smidey Posted April 22, 2008 Report Share Posted April 22, 2008 African rift cichlids eat algae off rocks as the main part of their diet in the wild so that makes sense. it was my cat that got me onto that :lol: he was sleeping next to the tank & moved the curtain one day & all the algae grew. I noticed that they were feeding off it so i left them to it. Now when the algae reduces i just pull the curtain back for the day to create more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted April 22, 2008 Report Share Posted April 22, 2008 Quite intereting reading.. http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/aufwuchs.php Africans love it I just clean the front piece of glass on my display tank and leave the rest for them to munch on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FreedingFrenzy Posted April 22, 2008 Report Share Posted April 22, 2008 Wow. Did not know that algae was actually beneficial... I used to scrub all of it off.. That cuts back some cleaning thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heir Posted April 23, 2008 Report Share Posted April 23, 2008 most fish fry benefit from algae or is it just those cichlids?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tHEcONCH Posted April 23, 2008 Report Share Posted April 23, 2008 Indirectly they all can because tiny animals, which the fry eat, eat algae even if the fry don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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