WHY DOES EVERYONE HATE ALGAE? (in FW)

[bimmersamster]

I've read posts here and there about people complaining about algae,...

some of the posts were like.."i've had a tank for a few MONTHS....and i have this annoying tiny algae growth on ONE of my plastic plants..."

Other threads contained similar topics which sounds similar...

now my question is WHY DOES EVERYONE HATE ALGAE??

yes, when there is a bloom of BBA all over the tank...or cyano-algae is running rampant covering everything except the fish, it is annoying....

but as in nature, a little bit of algae is a completely natural thing, that might even eat up some of the metabolic waste from the water....

I found that a little bit og green algae on the REAR and sides of the tank is nice to look at, (it provides a better background than a black piece of paper taped to the glass, or those fake photograph pictures....) and provides something the fish to nibble at and encourages their balanced diet (didn't you know that algae is the 5th food group for fish? :D )

And for those guys who think they are so scientific and annoyingly all-knowing, NO it does not mean that my water is garbage quality and algae growth means I have rampant nitrate and phosphate readings...my tanks are in perfect shape nitrite and ammonia wise tested with Lamotte, and i even add (dose) tiny amounts of phsophate to encourage good aglae growth on the sides and rear (the front gets scraped)...i'm talking about a TINY bit, a thin layer on the glass...and a bit on the driftwood is nice...

SO ...WHY DO YOU GUYS HATE ALGAE SO MUCH??:D

[OrionGirl]

Not everyone here hates algae. Heck, I've paid good money to bring algaes into my tank!

I scrape the front of my glass, oh, maybe once every other month. There is a bit of hard green algae on few plant leaves, a few rocks that are mostly solid green. Doesn't bother me one bit. My algae eating crew must be fed if they are to survive, since there is not enough 'bad' algae to support them all.

I think the problem many people have is that all types of algae are not beneficial. Green water, a thick layer on everything, diatoms; well, those are cases that warrant attention. A problem I think results in even greater problems--many people want to control their tanks. They don't like it when things are not exactly as planned, so try to 'fix' it. The fix usually results in even more things going awry.

[punch]

I just hate it when it tends to cover my plants and makes them look kinda yucky. Also not good for the plant as it lowers the plants efitiancy to photosynthesize. Also when it when it gunks up my co2 diffuser so it dosn't work at well as it should. Other than that I expect a little algea and have a number of fish that are algea eaters. I wouldn't want to kill of there supply of food.
So a little is good, but I like to keep it at manegable levels.

[thom336]

I dont hate algae...in fact I sometimes encourage it, for example if I have herbivorous fish that like grazing. I also encourage it to grow on bogwood, rocks, and as such, as it looks more natural. I tend to not scrape the back of the tanks from algae, or one of the sides if the tank is not viewed from there.

Thom.

But, then again, it can get out of hand...

[mogurnda]

I'm in the "don't hate" category. I have had massive blooms of BBA that I hated, but a little bit softens the look of the tank. The key to happiness, as far as I can tell is a good balance of nutrients, light, plants and herbivores, then the algae stay in check.

[RTR]

As with many things, algae in moderation is fine. I think snails hit the same limits. Too much, especially too much of the wrong kinds, is a problem. It is still a matter of balance.

[Tim Bo]

I specifically remember looking into my brother's tank and the tallest leaf on a Java fern was completely covered in thick, dark green algae that curled into a crest at the surface of the water. All the other leaves had no sign of algae. Absolutely beautiful. Should have taken a picture.

[ChilDawg]

Algae tends to have the connotation of bad aquarium husbandry...at least, to the unwashed masses, it does. I welcome it in my tank, because I like that pseudo-natural look!

[sowhatifiamlazy]

I don't like them. It's okay to have them here and there, but usually they cannot be controlled easily. Yes, I don't like things in the tank that I cannot control or that can be a potential problem.
I do have them though and I keep them very much under control - so far.
But I also remember that they were the main reason why I gave up the aqua-hobby two times. Yes, it was my fault for not keeping it right, but I was just disgusted with SO much algae!

[watergardens]

I'd always thought that a little algae is a sign of healthy processes going on in the tank. I scrape it off the front glass and let the rest go, except that I rub the anubias leaves with my fingers during weekly tank maintenance.

The fake wood in my goldfish tank now has a covering of black brush algae that is actually attractive, imo.

[Slappy*McFish]

I like your ordinary green algae..looks natural, and is a great food source for many fish..it's the BBA, thread, hair and other algaes that I can do without. Especially in a planted tank. BBA is just plain ugly to look at and can take over an entire tank like a plague of kudzu.

[ChilDawg]

That's true...I don't mind any of them as long as Methuselah will nibble them away, but some are unsightly as hell and I don't have the piscine equivalent of their natural "predators."

[carpguy]

I like algae when it grows in moderation on rocks, on wood, here and there. I think it looks like crap on the back of the tank, but that's a personal preference.

When it wipes out $30 worth of plants and kills off the entire ambulia grove that the gouramis called home so that they now hide behind an indestructible stand of (algae-encrusted) rotala never to be heard from again, well then I think it needs to be discouraged using good husbandry practices and knowledge gleaned from the very helpful folk that congregate in places such as this and from my small but growing library rather than using bottles of overpriced snake-oil pushed on the gullible by people I also don't hate but who I don't especially believe or trust.

I'm not looking for an easy out and I'm not trying to create a carefully manicured aquatic utopia. I'd like to encourage the plants that I like and see the fish that I've created this little enviroment for. If that means weeding my garden, so be it.