Beginner here- algae in tank, advice please

[Twirly]

Hi,
My daughter has had an axolotl for just over a month now. We set the tank up as recommended by the aquatic store, and they tested all levels before we took the axolotl home.
We have been doing 50% water changes every week, and all levels (Ph, oxygen, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate) are spot on, but algae is growing as soon as we clean it.
Is this harmful? How can we get rid of it? The tank is not in direct sunlight, and the filter is on low, to minimise water flow, as we were told that axolotl's prefer still water.
Many thanks in advance.

[Jacquie]

Hi Twirly,

Aquarium algae is not harmful, it's just an eyesore.

Have a read through this article for tactics on how to deal with algae outbreaks: Caudata Culture Articles - Aquarium Invaders: Algae, Snails, Worms and Other Critters

Are you able to post some photos of your tank setup?

Great to see you're doing your research! Welcome to the forum.

[Chirple]

Unless your tank is not cycled, I would cut back to 20% water changes.

It's not harmful. If you want to get rid of it, you can blow it off whatever it's growing on with a turkey baster or you can try live plants (if you don't already have them) and a plant fertilizer - that way the plants will out-compete the algae.

Depends on the type of algae you have, too.

[Coastal Groovin]

Bright Green algae is good. It adds oxygen to the water and helps absorb waste. I never remove it from the back and sides of my tanks. I agree with Chirple, cut down the water changes to 20%. 50% water changes can stress your axies due to fast changes in water temp and ph. The best way to stop the algae is to just limit the light to when you are actually looking at them. Axies don't like light anyway.