Algae and Pests

Aiptasia are the bane of many a reefkeeper’s life, and they can get so bad that people leave the hobby because of them.

UV sterilisers are useful pieces of kit for combatting algae in an aquarium, but should they be left on all day, every day, or should they be turned off during certain hours?

Hair algae is the common name for the green filamentous algae that grows in reef tanks. Its most common in new aquariums, but can show up for a number of reasons.

Being an algae, Blanketweed needs light, water and food to survive. Without those three ingredients it won’t get started in the first place and by controlling two of them, it can help us tackle it once established.

There are many chemical-free, natural ways to rid a pond of green algae, so we’ve put together a useful guide detailing these to make things easier for you.

Cyanobacteria is the technical term for slime algae. It’s not in fact algae at all its a bacteria, but it looks and behaves in a similar way.

Black beard algae (BBA) is a horrible, tenacious algae which is unsightly and hard to get rid of. It typically grows on the edges of the leaves of slow-growing plants.

Green water is made up of millions of tiny algae cells all floating around in the water. They are green because of the chloroplasts inside them which photosynthesize and turn sunlight into energy. Just like plants.

Snails are one of the most notorious pests in home aquariums, usually introduced on live plants. Read our helpful guide on how to control them.