Talk:Freshwater algae

If Blue-green Algae "probably indicated poor water quality", then why is it also seen in aquariums with low nitrates? Should probably be rewordedBacod253 22:04, 24 January 2009 (UTC)

Well I guess that as it's a bacteria, it is little to do with nitrate level?

Why would it? You can have no ammonia, nitrite or nitrate and still have poor water quality. BGA as a life-form needs nutrients to grow. I've no idea what these are (apart from it requiring light of course).

But most bacteria need minerals to build with. So I suspect it is dissolved minerals in the water? Maybe the Redox level of the water is off? That's a good measure of bad water as well.

Even a Walstad tank owner needs to change the water eventually. :-)

I admit the article doesn't state what the parameters of 'poor water quality' are. It assumes the reader knows. I suspect others like yourself may think that only relates to NH4, NO3 and NO2 levels. It doesn't.

What do you think?

--Quatermass 22:38, 24 January 2009 (UTC)