# Chlorophyll and Blue Green Algae in Aquariums



## RiskyShenanigan (Dec 21, 2010)

Hi, I would like to know what are the effects of Chlorophyll and Blue Green Algae in Aquariums at high volumes on fishes?

Thanks.


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## NeonShark666 (Dec 13, 2010)

Chlorophyl is a pigment that all green plants have that is used to preform photosynthesis. Fish and snails eat some forms of algae. Mollies and Plecos eat algae, most Cichlids and Catfish don't. Too much algae is usually an indication that your Nitrate levels are too high. High levels of algae in a Coral tank means you water chemistry is messed up and will eventually kill your Coral.


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## RiskyShenanigan (Dec 21, 2010)

So will high levels of chlorophyll harm that fish?


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## chris oe (Feb 27, 2009)

No, high levels of chlorophyll will not harm fish. In fact I've had algae blooms that the fish positively thrived on, and green water (free floating algae) is a great first food for baby fish. There's only one kind of chlorophyll bearing organism that's harmful, that's cyanobacter, and that is because it releases a toxin when it dies, but that toxin isn't related to the chlorophyll.

Chlorophyll is a catalyst in a reaction that happens in plant cells allowing them to transform light energy into sugar. We eat it whenever we eat plants. All veggie eating fish eat chlorophyll as part of their normal diet, and any algae browsers eat it as well. 

Sometimes you run into trouble when people use algaecides in their high algae tanks because the sudden death of all that plant material leads to a big decay load and an ammonia spike, but that's not the chlorophyll either, that's just a big pile of decay, you'd get the same kind of spike from an equivalent amount of decaying food or dead animal matter. 

I hope this clears things up for you.


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