# Hmm but what if I do want growth?



## steviestv86 (Aug 28, 2011)

Sooooo my question is what can i do if i do want green algea growth in my tank? My tank is set up there is lil brown algae it has been taken over by a very short and kinda thick green algae but it doesn't grow long. Now is there anything i could do to get some nice long green algae to grow like a forest in my tank? I have seen products for plants to help them grow and didnt know if that would be enough. Also i have to small-medium Anubias in the tank not big at all so i do not think these are really competing for the nutrients.


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## Number6 (Mar 13, 2003)

to grow nice, bright green algae, you simply do everything that you would do for plants EXCEPT adding additional CO2. 
Step 1: put the algae in there... 
step 2: add fuel
step 3: add light and plenty of it

:thumb:


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

Number6 said:


> to grow nice, bright green algae, you simply do everything that you would do for plants EXCEPT adding additional CO2.
> Step 1: put the algae in there...
> step 2: add fuel
> step 3: add light and plenty of it
> ...


Yeppers...

I rearranged my tank not too long ago and decided I wanted to speed up my growth. It was growing really slow on the tops of my rocks. So...I turned on ALL my t5HO lights(1 10000k, 1 6500k and two actinics) and it has really started to grow. I was only turning on two of my lights before but the added light has really helped. Now if I can just get my bulldozers..I mean fish...to stop spitting sand all over the tops of my rocks I will be even happier.


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## JAyliffe (Feb 29, 2012)

How long do you run your lights, 24/7 or less? Or are you just using more light for the normal 10/12 hours a day? I have Java Fern and Vallisineria in my tank already but given the fish love to graze I wouldn't mind getting some algae built up.


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

JAyliffe said:


> How long do you run your lights, 24/7 or less? Or are you just using more light for the normal 10/12 hours a day? I have Java Fern and Vallisineria in my tank already but given the fish love to graze I wouldn't mind getting some algae built up.


I run mine 8 hrs consistently. I have 4 t5ho bulbs. I like to keep my lights consistent. They also get ambient room light before I turn on my tank lights. Then get the ambient light from the morning till I turn my tank lights on. Then I turn my lights off and black out the room. They get about 6-7 hours of TOTAL darkness for resting before the sun starts to rise and the room slowly start to fill with ambient light though my curtains.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

With Vallisneria, you probably are not going to get much algae, it is a nutrient hog. My tank went to zero nitrates in a week with that stuff. :thumb:


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## mccluggen (Jul 5, 2008)

There is a delicate balance between nice, green algae, and ugly, green water. High levels of light will promote green algae over brown, but you don't necessarily want to run that light longer than what you would for plants, 8-10 hours. If you overshoot and end up with green water then things can be hard to get under control.

If you don't mind spending a bit of cash on equipment a UV sterilizer will make it a lot easier to get some good algae growth without having to worry about green water. I had a tank crash a while back due to a broken heater that killed off most of my daffodils and then lead to some nice pea-soup water. After three months of fighting it with water changes and light starving that killed off my vals I was unable to get rid of the green water (it would come back as soon as the lights came back on) I finally bought a cheap UV sterilizer / powerhead combo and put it in the filter area of the tank and the water was crystal clear in 3 days.

Since then the lights are back on full time and I have green, mossy algae growing on everything the nerites can't reach.


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## steviestv86 (Aug 28, 2011)

Thanks for all of the replies! now my concerns i have my lights on for about 12+ a day i have good amount of nutrients in water and i even get sunlight on tank in the morning, but still only get this short carpet like green algae on the tank glass and a little coat on the rocks... should i buy a fertilizer


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## mccluggen (Jul 5, 2008)

I would suggest just giving it a bit of time for the ecosystem in the tank to mature. It's really easy to throw something out of whack and then you end up with a ton of something undesirable in the tank.

The bushy algae is only growing in my 34 gallon, and I think that it is because it has a very high light level (110 watts). If your light level is lower you are more likely to end up with some variety of red algae (which is usually actually a very dark green instead of actually being red) instead of green. Plug "black brush algae" into google image and see if that is something you would want in the tank.


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## somEDude (Dec 4, 2011)

I made a discovery when cleaning my led volcano bubbler in my red devil tank. Inside the volcano and all over the red Led was a really thick coating of bright green algae. dont know if it was from the red light and/or the bubbles but there is very little algae anywhere else and no fish besides a big red devil so it isnt getting eaten elsewhere. somewhere online I say flexible waterproof red let strips that I was thinking of adding to my african tank and focusing it down on the top of the rocks towards the back too see if they would have the same effect.


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