Green algae are normally of vital importance for the ecosystems where they occur, but for us humans they can sometimes turn into a nuisance. You might for instance find your aquariums overgrown with green algae if you allow the nutrient levels to rise, and green algae can also be problem in swimming pools – especially outdoors where the pool receives a lot of sunlight. Some types of green algae form colonies, while others are unicellular. Some species of green algae even develop fully differentiated tissue which makes them very similar to higher plants, such as trees and bushes.
If you want to control green algae growth in an aquarium, scrubbing is rarely the best approach. You have to find out what caused the algae problem in the first place and make chances. Are the levels of nutrients too high in the aquarium? Are you over-feeding the fish? Is the aquarium crowded? Are you not carrying out sufficient water changes on a regular basis? Is the tank receiving too much natural sunlight? Do you keep the aquarium lights on for too many hours or are they too strong? Once you have figured out the source of the green algae problem and adjusted it, you can start pondering the idea of getting some type of animal that likes to feast on green algae in the aquarium.
