Algae for the aquarium: types and names

Most beginners aquarists for some reason believe that plants for the underwater kingdom bring only additional care and trouble to the owners. But this is a serious misconception that we will try to dispel in this article.

We will present you the popular seaweed for the aquarium. The photo and name of the plant you like will help you make the right choice for your pond. Now there are many different plants for the underwater kingdom. There are among them those who are really not easy to take care of. But along with them there are plants that do not require special care.

Algae for the aquarium are the simplest plants, although they are sometimes referred to as the protista kingdom (Protista). Blue-green algae is even referred to as bacteria. They can be the size of single-celled microscopic organisms to grass of 70-meter length.

These are the most ancient inhabitants of the Earth, who carried out the first photosynthesis more than three and a half billion years ago. Algae can reproduce in all water bodies: with salty, fresh, clean, turbid, fast flowing or standing water.

The use of aquarium plants

For the life of underwater inhabitants, algae in the aquarium are of great importance. The views, whose photos we will introduce below, have several important functions. They create a special biosystem of the aquarium, purify water from harmful substances, serve as a natural interior and a "maternity home" for fry, fish, snails, shrimp, additional food for many underwater inhabitants and finally just decorate the house: with them your home pond will look natural and aesthetic .

Often, experienced fish lovers achieve striking biological balance with the help of plants in the aquarium. They even do not need water filtration and mechanical aeration. However, in order to do this, it is necessary to know well the algae for the aquarium. Photo and name of these plants often publish special editions for beginners who love to watch the underwater world.

Cultivation of plants

If you are going to acquire an aquarium, you need to create comfortable conditions for its inhabitants. For plant breeding, it is important to choose the right soil, stock up on necessary fertilizers for fertilizing and think about good lighting. Let us dwell in more detail on each of the listed points.

Priming

Algae in the aquarium - species whose names are not known to all - are very diverse. All of them require an individual approach to the choice of soil: one plant is not needed at all, and the other, on the contrary, requires a lot of it. Nevertheless, there is a general rule: the soil for plants should be a layer of up to five centimeters with an average grain size. This thickness will allow the plants to take root.

Planted plant should first be pressed with pebbles, tied with a fishing line before rooting. Often, aquarists make the mistake of tying a lead sinker to the roots - this should not be done. Yes, in this case the plant does not emerge and the fish will not be able to wrest it. But do not forget that lead is oxidized, does not allow the root system of the plant to develop.

Fertilizing fertilizers

Algae for an aquarium are living things, so they, like fish, need nutrition. Modern aquarists with this do not know the problems. Almost every pet store can buy liquid conditioners or tablets for plants. For example, Tetra Crypto. The tablets are crushed and introduced under the root system on a monthly basis. This means strengthens and protects planted plants.

The composition of the drug includes plant hormone, enhancing growth, stimulating the development of roots, enhancing the resistance of plants to diseases due to the content of macro-substances.

Tetra Crypto

This is one of the most popular fertilizing for aquarium plants. It helps the normal development of the root system. The composition of the tablets includes micronutrients and iron. They do not have nitrates, phosphates. The product does not cause turbidity of the water.

The tablet acts for a long time, promotes the development of necessary microorganisms, prevents the growth of harmful algae.

Lighting

Algae in the aquarium, the photos of which you see below, can not live without light - without it the process of photosynthesis is impossible. The lighting features are individual. They depend on what kind of algae you grow in the aquarium. Types of plants can be divided into two categories. Among them are light-loving and requiring moderate illumination.

Algae in the aquarium: species, photos and names

All plants can be divided into separate groups:

• Floating on the surface of the water;
• Fastening in the ground.

Often, beginners do not know the name of the algae for the aquarium, but at the same time they are noticed everywhere: on gravel and sand, plants and stones, equipment and walls. This is normal, since algae are part of the balance of the reservoir, but only if they do not develop excessively.

In a balanced aquarium, there should be clear, well-cleaned, stirred water and perfectly clean glass, although many owners prefer not to clean all the walls: they leave the rear glass covered with fouling. It is noticed: algae on walls of an aquarium or on stones absorb nitrates and many products of disintegration, reducing thereby growth of seaweed on lateral and forward glasses. In addition, some species of fish feed on the back wall, for example, all kinds of chain hooves.

Some species of algae are especially common and give owners of aquariums many problems. Here are just a few of them.

Threadlike green algae

They have the form of long filaments of green color and grow from stems and leaves of plants upwards. This species needs a lot of light. "Threads", how often these algae are called aquarists, can be fatal, as they consume a lot of nutrients necessary for ornamental plants. Control their development and growth can be by removing them manually or using fish that are happy to feed on algae.

Fibrous

They are a thin spider web that spreads on the leaves of plants. They can reach two centimeters in length. Fibrous algae develop more often in water with an excessive content of nitrates and can cause the death of plants. Help fight them algae fish (Siamese algae), as well as snails that feed on this vegetation. Regular and frequent water changes will save your aquarium from these algae.

Floating

This version for the beginner may seem just green water. But it consists of algae volvox. As a rule, the reason for the appearance of this species is the excessive feeding of the inhabitants of the aquarium. They can be removed by filtration, UV lighting, large water changes. In addition, you can use special chemicals.

Green spots

It is impossible not to say about this species, representing harmful algae in the aquarium. Species, photos and names of these plants can be seen in the reference literature on aquaristics. Green spots are dark green small algae, forming small patches of rounded shape on the glass and leaves of plants.

This species develops in water containing insufficient nutrients, as well as its unstable parameters. Normalization of the internal environment of the reservoir, as well as snails and fish, for which algae is your favorite treat, will help you get rid of this variety.

Bouquets (bunches)

The name of this species completely corresponds to the shape of the plants. These are really bundles, up to three centimeters in size. This is a very common algae in aquariums, where lighting is excessive, and excessive nutrients are observed. Bunches are removed by hand or fed to fish.

Seaweeds are blue-green

This variety forms a fairly dense layer, covering the soil and plants. Blue-green algae in the aquarium develop due to excessive lighting. The high level of phosphates and nitrates also contributes to their appearance. Blue aquarium algae are able to release harmful substances for fish. Even algae eaters often refuse to eat them because of bad taste. Slow down their growth will be ampularia, but hope for them is not worth it. In this case, serious treatment is necessary.

It is necessary to completely turn off the lighting and darken the aquarium for a week, combining it with massive water changes.

Black algae: stains

And now tell you what to do if you find black algae in an aquarium, and how to deal with them. This species forms small black spots on plants. Unfortunately, the cause of their appearance has not yet been determined exactly, but excess light and nitrates can further spread the spots.

Coping with this species is not easy, experts recommend a radical way to deal with it - the complete removal of diseased leaves.

Black beard

These algae indicate that the aquarium has sharply increased the amount of organic waste that serve as a beard to food. These algae are often located on plants and walls of the aquarium. It is a thick, disgusting-looking black carpet. How to deal with it?

First of all, it is necessary to reduce the level of organic matter. After cleaning the soil, changing the water and filtering it, the growth of the black beard slows down. In addition, this species settles in places with a strong current: on the surface of filters, on their tubes. The current provides the beard with abundant food, organic residues settle on its surface. Therefore, we recommend to reduce the aeration in the aquarium. To reduce nutrients in the water, in addition to harvesting, it is necessary to plant fast-growing plant species: nasas, elodea.

Diatoms (brown algae)

And these algae, unlike the previously introduced ones, appear in poorly lit aquariums, with a high content of phosphates and nitrates, in which the pH is higher than 7. Brown algae create an unpleasant brown layer on rocks, glasses, and plants that remove snails and fish. Diatoms die off after the water condition improves and the intensity of light increases.

Beautiful algae

We showed you the common, but unwanted algae in the aquarium. They give the owners a lot of trouble. The species, names and photos of these plants, we hope, will help you to start a fight with them in time. And now we want to present you very effective plants, which, undoubtedly, will decorate your aquarium.

Vallisneria Giant

This is the largest variety of the genus of vallisnerias. It is suitable for large aquariums with a depth of at least fifty centimeters. It is better to plant it at the back wall. The leaves have a deep dark green color. For active development requires nutritious soil and bright lighting. To the plant does not completely cover the water surface, it must periodically be thinned. Comfortable temperature is +25 ° C.

Tiger vallisneria spiral

This variety of vallisnerias is selective. It grows and develops very quickly, the leaves are bright green, saturated color. The plant is hardy and unpretentious in care. On the leaves there are strips that resemble a tiger pattern. This species multiplies in a vegetative way, by dividing shoots, called arrows. Contain these algae can be at a water temperature of +25 ° C, with an acidity of 6.0 pH.

Riccia

This species refers to floating algae for the aquarium, which perfectly develop in moderately warm water. In natural conditions are found in many countries of the world. Bright green interlacing creates a beautiful cover, reminiscent of islets. These algae have no stems, no leaves, no root system.

Riccia is a thallus of flat small plates intertwined with each other. Riccia is often used as spawning substrate for breeding fish, it is great for sheltering fry. With increased water hardness, the alga develops slowly. The recommended temperature is + 22 ° C.

Hornwort immersed

Perennial algae floating on the surface of the water, because it does not have a root system. When the water temperature drops, it falls to the depth of the aquarium and slows down the growth. The stems of the plant are long, the leaves are needle-like and very small. This kind is ideal for aquariums, as it is an ideal shelter for fry. In the leaves of this alga, juveniles will not find large fish, on the leaves there are microorganisms that will become food for the fry.

Hornwort can be used as a spawning substrate. The fish will lay eggs on it, which will be firmly adhered to the needles. Hornwort is best immersed in a moderately warm or cold aquarium, with normal water hardness and a neutral pH reaction. This kind needs good lighting, so a light day of more than twelve hours a day is allowed.

Kladofora spherical

This alga belongs to the family of cladophore. Decorative plant for freshwater aquariums. Its structure is a colony of green filamentous algae, intertwining and forming a dense bead. The native land of this plant is Japan. In natural conditions it grows to ten centimeters, in an aquarium does not exceed six centimeters long.

In the aquarium, the balls are placed on the bottom, and they are attached to the substrate. In the mornings, the cladofora secretes oxygen. Inside the coil, air bubbles appear, it becomes light, almost weightless, and floats to the surface. In the evening, oxygen becomes much less, and the ball again sinks to the very bottom.

Marimo can be kept only in cool water at a temperature of no more than +20 ° C. At a higher temperature, the outline of the tuber deforms, the ball breaks up into small fragments. Lighting for this species is allowed a moderate, light day - not less than ten hours.