i was wondering how to encourage algea growth in my tank and is it a bad thing i was told its a sighn of a healthy tank my friends tank has a log full of algae and i think it looks very pretty it even had little red spots in it until her weather loches savaged it! am i the only one who thinks it looks very attractive?

Nope. I think it's pretty too... as long as it's the right kind and not too much. Mine unfortunately is brown. :-(

I have the brown stuff too I have decided that it's from sunlight. I did have the pretty green in my betta tank once, but at the time I didn't know it was an ok thing and got it clean. It is pretty when it is full and green though. I don't know how to encourage it though, that's a good question. It will be interesting what people that know have to say!

Mines white, and only on the side of the tank. Bad isnt it?

We had our tank in the sun, and it grew a grass carpet of algea, it was sitting in a big pcture window. My tank is in a dark corner now and it has that white film of algea. Just wipe it off Esareh. I dont think its bad, just annoying.

my 10gal have white/brown on plants. but the green is very beautiful. a lot of light produces algae.

oh, ok, thats the problem, thanks!

i love green algae....my tank has alot of light and sunlight, and i get nice lush algae

in my south american tank, I"m going to have algae on the rocks, but not on the sides

my tank water did go green once before but it didnt stick to the sides! if i hadnt of done a water change do you think it would have stuck to the tank? if i did have algae growth i would just let i grow round the sides so people can look at the fish still as i get alot of people wanting to see them! and i think my butterfly loach/hillstream loach/hong kong sucker dont know what it is but it was sold to me as a coldwater plec but it turned out not be would be in heaven algae discs look kinda boring i wouldnt like to have to eat one!

the algea in green water wont settle and stick to the sides, its a different type of algea all together.

thats nice to know seeing once i get the green water i just change it. my tank gets the white film and some brown algea but the bushy plec took care of those.

Theres nothing wrong with wanting a nice lush carpet of algea. When mine first started growing, and was brown, I couldnt stand it. Now it hs turned into a nice lush green algea, and I like it alot. I let it grow on the back glass, and all over the rocks. Mine grows because I have sooo much wattage, and probably leave the lights on alittler longer then I should.

its funny after i typed that my loach thing would love it i found it dead under the gravel and my goldies had sort of made a meal out of it! (well actually its not funny) and when i was cleaning my little common tank and i moved their plants around for a little change i found algea on the side great but wrong tank but i wont remove it even if it is a greeny brown colour. its in little patches g

Well, i get no algae what so ever. I'm sorry about your loach.

yeah i miss the little bugger i enjoyed watching him you could see his little heart beating ahh! i have one circle no the smallest little dot of algae youve ever seen in my big tank and i found a snail in there must of come in on a plant its black any ideas on what type it is. its quite small