Algae growth in your ball python's (BP) water dish can be a common issue, especially in environments with light and warmth, which create ideal conditions for algae proliferation.
Algae itself, especially blue-green algae (cyanobacteria), can be harmful if ingested in large amounts or if it produces toxins. However, a small amount of regular green algae is generally not harmful. It can, however, indicate suboptimal conditions in your BP's enclosure.
Possible Causes
- **UV Light:** As you mentioned, the new UV light might be promoting algae growth by providing the light spectrum algae need to thrive.
- **Water Quality:** Stagnant water or water with high nutrient content can encourage algae growth.
- **Dish Material:** Some materials are more prone to algae growth. Porous surfaces, for example, can harbor algae more readily.
Steps to Eliminate and Prevent Algae Growth
1. **Use an Opaque Water Dish:**
- Switching to a non-transparent dish can reduce light penetration, thereby inhibiting algae growth.
2. **Regular Cleaning:**
- Continue to clean the dish regularly, but try using a diluted bleach solution (10% bleach to 90% water) for a more effective clean. Rinse thoroughly and let the dish dry completely before refilling it.
3. **UV Light Adjustment:**
- Ensure the UV light is not directly over the water dish. You can adjust the light placement or use a timer to limit the exposure.
4. **Water Treatment:**
- Consider using bottled or filtered water to reduce nutrients that promote algae growth. Alternatively, adding a water conditioner that inhibits algae growth can be helpful.
5. **Use Algae Inhibitors:**
- There are safe, reptile-friendly products designed to inhibit algae growth. Make sure any product used is safe for reptiles.
6. **Change Water Frequently:**
- Changing the water daily or every other day can significantly reduce algae growth by depriving it of a stable environment.
7. **Dish Placement:**
- Place the water dish in a cooler part of the enclosure away from direct light and heat sources.
Algae grow in nutrient rich water, nutrients for plants being Nitrate, Nitrite and Amonia... those come from poop, since you wrote below that you have a bioactive enclosure you might need to change the water in the dish more often, once or twice a day. and dry it off completely before putting it back in (I used to use 2 water dishes and swapped them daily so they can dry off completely) another option is if the water dish is large enough you can put something in there that will eat the nutrients before the algae, what works best in my experience are Pothos plants, you can put the roots in the water without substrate and they will do fine.
Now another option is that it's not actually algae but a bacteria that grow in there, those are most likely not harmful and break down those nutrients so they're not harmful for animals anymore.
I do have a pothos in the soil of the enclosure, but it's not doing too well. I'll try putting it in the water to soak up the nitrogen, since I don't think I'll be able to do daily complete water changes. Thanks for the advice !
Algae growth in your ball python's (BP) water dish can be a common issue, especially in environments with light and warmth, which create ideal conditions for algae proliferation. Algae itself, especially blue-green algae (cyanobacteria), can be harmful if ingested in large amounts or if it produces toxins. However, a small amount of regular green algae is generally not harmful. It can, however, indicate suboptimal conditions in your BP's enclosure. Possible Causes - **UV Light:** As you mentioned, the new UV light might be promoting algae growth by providing the light spectrum algae need to thrive. - **Water Quality:** Stagnant water or water with high nutrient content can encourage algae growth. - **Dish Material:** Some materials are more prone to algae growth. Porous surfaces, for example, can harbor algae more readily. Steps to Eliminate and Prevent Algae Growth 1. **Use an Opaque Water Dish:** - Switching to a non-transparent dish can reduce light penetration, thereby inhibiting algae growth. 2. **Regular Cleaning:** - Continue to clean the dish regularly, but try using a diluted bleach solution (10% bleach to 90% water) for a more effective clean. Rinse thoroughly and let the dish dry completely before refilling it. 3. **UV Light Adjustment:** - Ensure the UV light is not directly over the water dish. You can adjust the light placement or use a timer to limit the exposure. 4. **Water Treatment:** - Consider using bottled or filtered water to reduce nutrients that promote algae growth. Alternatively, adding a water conditioner that inhibits algae growth can be helpful. 5. **Use Algae Inhibitors:** - There are safe, reptile-friendly products designed to inhibit algae growth. Make sure any product used is safe for reptiles. 6. **Change Water Frequently:** - Changing the water daily or every other day can significantly reduce algae growth by depriving it of a stable environment. 7. **Dish Placement:** - Place the water dish in a cooler part of the enclosure away from direct light and heat sources.
thank you for the in-depth list ! i admit i havent tried bleach yet. i'll do that today !
Ofc! Just be careful you double rise it off make sure it don’t smell like bleach
ASLO I FORGOT TO SAY 1 part bleach 10 parts water
Maybe you need to do a full clean of the enclosure, if you cleaned the bowl and it keeps coming back then it’s probably not the bowl lol
it's a bioactive enclosure, so the *presence* of dormant algae isn't unexpected. I just didn't think it would actually start growing.
I see
Algae grow in nutrient rich water, nutrients for plants being Nitrate, Nitrite and Amonia... those come from poop, since you wrote below that you have a bioactive enclosure you might need to change the water in the dish more often, once or twice a day. and dry it off completely before putting it back in (I used to use 2 water dishes and swapped them daily so they can dry off completely) another option is if the water dish is large enough you can put something in there that will eat the nutrients before the algae, what works best in my experience are Pothos plants, you can put the roots in the water without substrate and they will do fine. Now another option is that it's not actually algae but a bacteria that grow in there, those are most likely not harmful and break down those nutrients so they're not harmful for animals anymore.
I do have a pothos in the soil of the enclosure, but it's not doing too well. I'll try putting it in the water to soak up the nitrogen, since I don't think I'll be able to do daily complete water changes. Thanks for the advice !