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I have a few questions about algae. I've noticed on the rocks at the bottom of my turtles tank there is green furry algae growing. The water itself is crystal clear. I have a few plants, Anacharis to be specific. Do the plants cause algae? If the water is clear, does the algae hurt my turtle? I have also done some reading on algae eaters, and I believe that the Chinese Algae Eater is better than a Pleco? I have a filter, and I clean the tank out entirely ever other Tuesday. I would buy an algae eater, but not one that isn't fast enough to get away from my turtle. I have also read that they could harm my turtle, the sensitive areas of his skin. I am definitley not trying to invest into an animal that will cause harm to my turtle.

No, the plants do not cause algae. Nutrients in the water and sunlight are what foster algae growth. Is your tank near a window or in the line of sunlight? If it's just in the area where your basking lights hit try to redirect them so they hit less of the water and more of the basking area.

As for algae eaters. You can get something smaller like an Otocinclus or something larger like plecos. Although Otos are smaller they don't clean as much so you'll need roughly three per 10 gallons of tank. That adds a lot of biomass to the tank environment in my opinion. Any kind of fish has an equal chance of being eaten- regardless of their size and speed- some people have found providing hiding spots to be helpful but it's really just luck whether or not your turtle decides when and if to eat the fish.

If the water is crystal clear and the algae is only growing on the rocks, I'd leave it. I have some algae similar to that on the edges of my RES's basking area and I think it adds to the naturalness of the tank. My RES had one patch that grew long and would wave in the water. He had it for a snack one day.

The green algae you speak of will not hurt your turtle.

Thanks for the help. (: Is there a sort of vacuum I could use on the substrate? At this time he has large pebbles. I am going to hate having to clean every rock manually when it comes time.

Yes, you can suck up the debris in between the rocks with the Python gravel cleaning system...

http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ct ... nandfill25

To clean up the bottom on a daily basis, this little battery powered hand vac is good. If you get one, order lots of extra bags:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... eaner&Np=1