A Community and Forum For Aquaponic Gardeners

Algae

Posted wrong the first time.

I am getting a build up of algae in the tote etc. Water is turning green .Am I overfeeding? Have Tilapia in there and all seems well.

Any advice?

Steve

Thanks

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Phil Slaton on June 17, 2014 at 10:29am

http://www.watergarden.org/Pond-Info/Control-Algae

Permalink Reply by Nick Scud on June 17, 2014 at 11:03am

I'm going to defer to wiser/elder advice given by Jim Fisk and Vlad both - I'm paraphrasing, but hope I get it right.. I had a similar instance last year, inquired and this is what I got (It was correct):

First, algae is Not a bad thing- it is a sign of a healthy ecosystem (generally). However it BECOMES a problem if there is too much of it- and the reason is because it suffocates the oxygen out of the water, once it propogates enough to reach a 'critical' point.

You can use a CLEAN (read NEW, and UN-SOAPED!) brush (scrub brush or mini-broom type thing) and brush off a good chunk of the algae. You can leave some, dont get too OCD - but conversely, dont let it overrun things either. Again, it's about a balance - algae is a sign that the system is vital, but if it gets out of hand, instead of ADDING oxygen (which is naturally does) it will DEPLETE the oxygen. "knock down" the algae witha brush etc, every few weeks, and this should be good.

Be more concerned about a stabilized Ph. remember, AP tends to naturally lean acidic (as mine does) the tilapia and tomatoes thrive in 5.7 (+/- .1/.2) however Jim Fisk suggested a great natural rememedy (wood ash) that pushes the water a little toward neutral, and works as a buffer (not to mention a nice nurtrient supplement).

hope this helps

-n

Permalink Reply by Nick Scud on June 17, 2014 at 11:12am

how much are you feeding??

Permalink Reply by Leo White Bear on June 17, 2014 at 11:26am

Algae in the water means you have a lot of nutrients there. Check the water nitrates, you may need to harvest fish or add another grow bed. To rid your tank of algae, you need to block off the light. This will kill the algae but not harm the fish.

Permalink Reply by Jim Fisk on June 17, 2014 at 12:38pm

Hey Nick,

I would never worry about the build-up of algae on the sides of the tank. Only when the water turns pea soup bright green and again not a bad thing (ugly though) UNTIL it has a die off and sucks all the O2 out of the water thus drowning the fish. Tank wall build-up can even feed the fish. I often notice spots where the trout have been working it over. Could be a salad to them.