Is oxygen related to algae growth?

[Jacob Hill-Legion Aquatics]

I was just watching the aquarium co ops video on ocean aquarium in San Fransisco they have some really amazing and really clean algae free Planted tanks. The owner says that big filters cause algae to grow because they create high amounts of oxygen and fast flow. Ive also heard other people say high oxygen and fast flow helps prevent algae problems.

what has your experience been? have you noticed a difference in algae growth depending on the flow in the tank?

 

[JoeQ]

Yes, flow is huge when it comes to algae and it's a hardly mentioned topic. The main narrative being a less than helpful "turn down your light" and "cut back on fertilizers". Which is counter productive, good plant growth is how you fight algae. It requires all the light the plant can handle and an abundance of nutrients. Flow helps distribute said nutrients along with adding surface aggitation which also aids in gas exchange (bringing in oxygen and co2) among other things. As for oxygen, more oxygen (in your tank) allows more beneficial bacteria to grow. More bacteria help to break down organic waste (example dead leaves, stems, ect). Without the beneficial bacteria algae fills the void and decomposes the waste. This is one of the reasons why colder water tanks (73 degrees) are easier to grow in than warm water tanks 79+ degrees) . Cold water holds more oxygen than warm water, and aids in breaking down organic waste. Where as, the owner of a warm water tank needs to be extremely diligent in maintaining a clean tank or algae will fill the void and do the job for them. As for oxygen in the filter itself and algae I can not comment on. Im not sure how this impacts the whole eco system. And as always as a disclaimer, I urge the reader to do their own research. The information above may not be 100% accurate. Not a licensed biologist!

Edited September 30, 2023 by JoeQ
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[nabokovfan87]

On 9/30/2023 at 4:50 AM, Jacob Hill-Legion Aquatics said:

what has your experience been? have you noticed a difference in algae growth depending on the flow in the tank?

I talk about it a bit in the algae thread in the sig below, but there's a few things I tend to have noticed battling the stuff on my end.

*A Huge Caveat* is that each type of algae has it's own things it likes and dislikes.

1.  Dead spots, poor circulation, stagnation, can lead to algae issues.
2.  Mulm sitting, organics sitting, waste building up, can lead to algae issues.
3.  Pretty much anything sitting, stagnant, in excess, can lead to algae issues.
4.  If you don't have enough surface movement, that can absolutely increase algae issues
5.  Some types of algae populate areas of flow because this allows them to spread spores and reach throughout the tank.
6.  Some types of algae love dead spots because they "can't handle" flow. 
7.  Some plants hold muck on the leaves, like moss, and that rotting detritus can lead to algae!