Is Algea Harmful To Fish?

[Boohoo]

Are any types of algea harmful to fish? In one of my 10g tanks I have brown algea and hair algea. Tank has been running for just over 2 months. Cycle completed about 2 weeks ago. I have 3 live plants and keep my lihts on between 10-12 hours a day. Lighting is 2- 13 watt spiral flourescent bulbs. Fish are fed once daily.
Ammonia~0
Nitrite~0
Nitrate~less than 5
PH~7.0
Temp~77
I do 40% water change every 3 days. Is there anything else I can be doing? And any ideas what could be causing it?

 

[happychem]

No, as a rule algae are not harmful to your fish. Some species, like blue-green algae (BGA), which is not an algae, but a bacteria, can release toxins into the water when their cells die. Aside from that exception, the standard types of algae that you will encounter in your aquarium are not harmful, merely unsightly. Although some aquarists do not consider various types of hair algae unsightly at all, some people even culture various types of algae and encourage it to grow, for example, on rocks and driftwood to provide their tanks with a more 'natural' feel.