Species Catalogue

Dense, bushy stem plant with tiny paired leaves. Creates an incredibly fine texture. Turns reddish-brown under high light. Great for nano scapes.

Fine, powdery green coating on the glass that wipes off easily but returns quickly. Different from Green Spot Algae — much softer and more responsive to physical removal. A large clean-up crew (nerites, Mystery snails, Otocinclus) keeps it in check. Usually a sign of moderate light excess.

Hard, dark green circles on glass and slow-growing plant leaves — familiar to virtually every planted tank keeper. Caused by low phosphate (counterintuitively) and high light. Nerite snails are the most effective control. A small amount is considered normal and harmless.

Nymphaea lotus Green is a stunning aquatic lily with deep green, rounded leaves that can reach 4-6 inches in diameter. This rooted stem plant produces both submerged and emergent foliage, making it an excellent focal point for midground to background placement. Under good lighting, it may produce delicate white or pink flowers above the water surface.

Pea-soup green tank water caused by a bloom of free-floating unicellular algae. Usually triggered by a combination of high nutrients and direct sunlight. A UV steriliser will clear it within days. A 3-day blackout is an alternative. Daphnia (water fleas) can be added to a fishless tank as biological control.

Hemianthus callitrichoides 'Cuba' (HC Cuba) holds the record as the smallest-leaved aquatic carpeting plant, with each leaf barely 0.5 mm across and stems rarely exceeding 3 cm. Under optimal conditions of high light, CO2, and soft water it forms an impossibly dense, bright-green lawn that is the holy grail of foreground carpets in aquascaping. Extremely demanding and unforgiving of parameter fluctuations, it is best suited to experienced, high-tech setups.

Fine, bright-green strands that drape over plants and hardscape. One of the most common new-tank algae — usually caused by excess light, nutrient imbalance, or lack of fast-growing plants competing for nutrients. Nerite snails, Amano shrimp, and Florida Flagfish make short work of it.

Attractive calcified green macroalgae with segmented, coin-like lobes. Grows upright and anchors into sandbed or live rock. Naturally calcified — contributes to calcium demand. Fish tend to leave it alone. Adds a natural look to the display tank and provides nutrient export.