Algea Problems?

What's the difference between green and brown algea? Is there one an algea eater won't touch?

Are their any pro's to having algea in your tank?

Is there any way I can use my plant-food without feeding the algea too?

Can Algea grow on other plants?




thank you!
Answers:
There are many types of algae, some good, some bad. Most are considered "bad" by aquarium lovers because no matter how beneficial it might be, it's still nasty to look at. www.applesnail.org has a good breakdown (with photos) of various types of algae.

Unfortunately, most algae eaters do little algae-eating (from my experience and what I've heard from others). I had a horrendous algae problem in my small preform pond. I tried plecostemus (sp?) and they did little good. Most other algae eaters won't live in a pond. Anyway. I finally solved the problem by getting snails. I have several apple snails and a couple trapdoor snails as well and the combination of those two species cleared my tank of "bad" algae in a matter of weeks. I still have a fine layer of a pretty green algae (looks like a miniature forest) on the walls of my pond, which my fish munch on occasionally. My water is clear, my fountain is unclogged. I love my snails! Finding ones that wont eat your other plants is a challenge, but mine are fine. They do eat certain things more than others though (I put some creeping jenny in there and it was devoured quickly. but the fish helped). They seem to leave my irises alone, or just chew one leaf at a time as it's dying anyway. Petstores usually dont know what they're talking about when it comes to snails, so I'd suggest going to aquabid or ebay and talk to one of the more experienced sellers there. They'll be able to get you set up with snails that wont eat all your other stuff. Good luck!

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Brown is dead algea green is live. Best stuff I found is algae destroyer advanced got it at pet soulutions .com

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Algae is a plant so feeding your plants plant food is also feeding the algae. Brown algae are actually diatoms and not an actual plant though, it's not dead algae. Most algae eaters, includuing snails, will only eat the green but there are some that eat both. There is also the hard green algae that usually appears as little dots, it is so hard that no algae eater can eat it so you would have the scrape that off yourself. The good green algae is really the only algae that has any pros, it's food for all your fish and acts just like other plants in the way it removes the nitrates and such from the water and adds oxygen. And yes it can grow on other plants, it can grow on almost anything.