Solutions for Common Aquarium Problems
One of the greatest challenges within the aquarium hobby is that we are always exposed to new problems that we must solve in order to create a happy, healthy, and beautiful aquarium system. Luckily, we live in a time where information is at the tips of our fingertips but even then, finding solutions to aquarium problems can be a challenge. Within this article, our main goal is to provide some of the best ways to go about fixing common saltwater aquarium problems. While this series will cover a good amount of common headaches for aquarists, obviously we cannot touch on every single problem a hobbyist could face. That being said, our customer care team would be happy to assist you with any issues or questions you may still have.Â
Regardless of the problem you are having, we want to have a proper solution for you. We know that what may work for some hobbyists will not work for others and we will therefore do our best to present multiple solutions to any challenge. First, we will mention a couple of algae related problems. Then, we will discuss the loss of livestock. Finally, we will talk about how to reduce nitrate and phosphate levels.
Summary:
How do I get rid of this bubble algae?
I have a green hair algae invasion. What do I do now?
I found one of my fish dead. What should I do?
My Nitrate and Phosphate levels are high. How can I reduce them?
How do I get rid of this bubble algae?
Bubble algae is definitely one of the most frustrating pests that can arise within your aquarium. Unfortunately, there isn’t any medication to make it magically disappear. The best way to get rid of bubble algae is to prevent it from ever making it into your tank. That means dipping all corals and inspecting them for any bubble algae before being added into your system. Once the algae takes hold of your tank, it is important to remove as much of it manually as possible. Another great step to take would be to add an Emerald crab to your tank. These guys are well known to chow down on bubble algae. For larger aquariums, introducing a Foxface Rabbitfish is also an option for eradicating pesky bubble algae. The overall best way to prevent and remove bubble algae is to reduce the nitrate and phosphate that it is allowing it to grow and thrive in the first place. We will discuss the best ways to reduce both nitrate and phosphate in our final paragraph. Each of these ideas are some of the best solutions when it comes to eradicating bubble algae within a saltwater aquarium.
I have a green hair algae invasion. What do I do now?
Green hair algae while not as difficult to shake as bubble algae, can have its own set of challenges that make dealing with it challenging. For one, I would argue that it is much more difficult to manually remove from the aquarium and it also makes more of a mess inside of your tank. Similarly to bubble algae, green hair algae is a product of excess nutrients such as nitrate and phosphate within the aquarium. Luckily however, there are a good amount of snail species that will do serious damage to a green hair algae population. Both Trochus and Turbo snails are good to look into to help manage a green hair algae infestation. Additionally, we do offer some products such as Flux RX that will help combat GHA chemically. For further ways to help manage your nitrate and phosphate levels, please skip ahead to our final paragraph. If you notice hair algae starting to populate your aquarium, adding in an algae blenny or manually removing it would be your best bet to help keep it under control. Within this paragraph we have presented a plethora of solutions to combat green hair algae and remove it from your aquarium.
I found one of my fish dead. What should I do?
Having an aquarium livestock loss happens to the best of us but, that doesn't make it any less upsetting. The first step to take once you notice a deceased fish in your aquarium is to remove it from the tank immediately and conduct a minimum 25% water change to remove the excess nutrients expelled by the dead fish. The next step to take is to evaluate the other livestock still in your aquarium and try to determine why the fish perished. A couple of common reasons for fish death includes diseases, parasites, bullying, and old age. If you notice any possible diseases or parasites within the aquarium or on the dead fish, it is important to treat the rest of your fish. The best way to do this is to add all fish into a quarantine system and treat them based upon the disease or parasites that they have. Keeping up with frequent water changes is also crucial to continue to export those excess nutrients. Taking each of these steps will help you regain control of your aquarium and get it set back up for sustained success.
My Nitrate and Phosphate levels are high. How can I reduce them?
Having high nitrate and phosphate levels are the root cause of a variety of problems including the first two algae’s we discussed in the initial paragraphs of this article. In order to address these high levels, there are a few different ways to go about reducing them. One of the best ways to lower the presence of these elements is the use of both Carbon and GFO within a media reactor. Another way to naturally reduce these elements is by using a refugium to grow macroalgae such as Chaeto. The macroalgae will use these nutrients to grow instead of them causing other problems within your tank. Another way to manage nitrate is to reduce the bioload within the aquarium by removing some livestock or reducing the amount of food being fed. That combined with frequent water changes will result in a lower nitrate level. At Marine Depot, we also offer products that chemically reduce nitrate and phosphate such as Red Sea’s NO3:PO4-X and Brightwell Aquatics’ Microbacter7. Each of these presented solutions can be used separately or in combination to help lower your nitrates and phosphates. Reducing your nitrates and phosphates will make a huge difference in the overall health and appearance of your system.
Final Thoughts:
We hope this article has given you a good attack plan should you be presented with any of these problems. Be on the lookout for part two of this series in order to help solve even more aquarium problems. As hobbyists gain more aquarium experience, they will learn the solutions that work best for them. Finding quick solutions to any issues will ultimately lead to a more aesthetically pleasing and healthy system that furthers your experience within the hobby. With that in mind, our customer care team is always just a few clicks away to lend a helping hand or provide recommendations whenever you may be in need.
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