About three circumstances determinate the extent in which the algae in an aquarium will grow. Such as: the chemical parameters of the water, the oxygen content and the wavelength of the light; in plain words; the color of the lamps. We will try to make all three of these circumstances optimal.

On a plant growth like in this aquarium you must not count, since with the duality of the Water as specified here plants will hardly grow, if at all.

The quality of the water can approach at best that of the natural habitat as close as possible. That means that the pH can lay at best between 8.6 and 9.5; Carbonate hardness between 16 en de 20 o dH; de total hardness between 17 and 10 o dh; and the Conductivity 20 o C; between 570 and 640 micro-siemens/cm. At best we keep temperature in the neighborhood of 24o C. Only too often at inspections I observe a temperature that is to high, based on the surface temperature in the lake, which may defer quite 6 degrees with the temperature at larger depth. This higher temperature accelerates as it were the vital functions of the fish. They are sooner adult and burnt-out, it stimulates mating and reproduction. Animals that reproduce to early don't develop well.
Oxygen in the water can be stimulated by regularly and carefully clear all excrement's and rests of food. Fishes living on vegetarian fare often digest enormous amounts of food. One often sees the processed algean zie je vaak in the form of the typical curved sausages on and between the rock .At the decomposition of them a lot of oxygen is used. Specially underneath the rock work lots of these substances stay there to long and unperceived. In order to prevent this one can at the equipment of the tank put a perforated tube under the stones with in the corner a standpipe. By driving water through the pipe with strength the smooth on the bottom is washed away. Also the lead back from the filter to the tank can be leaded ( possibly partial) through this standpipe.
The color of the tubes. In the first place for a satisfying growth of algae we need a lot of light . At least 3 Watt/dm2. On the second place the right light. You see, algae react in an other way at light than higher plants do. It has to do white the function in an other way of the chloroplasts. They thrive best under light with a great part of blue light. A combination of the color numbers 83o (Warm white) and 84o (cool white/daylight) in the proportion of one to two has proved itself by practical experience. These color numbers are standard. That means that they are the same for all labels
The feed; Feeding wormlike food like earthworms, red or black mosquito larvae's, tubifex and author stuff like that to vegetarians is not wise. The long intestinal canal, fixed up to a slow digestion of the algae, don't react very well to it. All kinds of vegetarian food on the other hand can serve well as supplementary food. I think of spinach, curly kale, endive, lettuce, blanched sprouts, but also young peas. Perhaps than the fishes leave a beautiful overgrowth wit algae on the rock intact. Crustaceinss like Cyclops and Bosminen replace the microorganisms in the Aufwuchs (agal growth on the rock in Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika).