Background color and green algae

[moganman]

Setting up another tank that will be an algae factory for me. I am using high output GLO T5. I am wondering will background color help or hinder green algae growth. Have blue on the 72 bowfront and it grows green algae like no other but I'm not a blue background fan and it looks ugly when the algae gets bad. Would black work the same? Or should I stick with blue?

[TexSun]

I really dont think it matter much. The blue may help reflect some light back into the tank ( if that makes sense).

Tips for algae are: TONS of light, extended photoperiods & plenty of food (nutes) for the algae to feed off of.

[allysangels]

tinfoil reflects most light back into the tank, i found this out the hard way... :)

[mistahoo]

I really dont think it matter much. The blue may help reflect some light back into the tank ( if that makes sense).

Tips for algae are: TONS of light, extended photoperiods & plenty of food (nutes) for the algae to feed off of.

+1 Blue does reflect more light because black is a darker color which absorbs some light. It doesn't really matter much between the two as long as, just as texsun said, you have long photoperiods and plenty of food or waste for it to feed on. Just leave the light on 24/7 and toss a bunch of food in! It'll be an algae factory in no time!

[KhmerStyle]

tinfoil reflects most light back into the tank, i found this out the hard way... :)

did you line canopy with tinfoil?

[allysangels]

no lol it was my old convict breeding tank... red/black gravel with skull caves and i used crumbled then smoothed out tinfoil for a background.. looked cool at first until everything was covered in algae 3 days later.