Filamentous algae: stages of development, reproduction, how to remove from the aquarium?

Filamentous algae, as soon as they appear in the aquarium, begin to expand rapidly, braiding thin threads of plants and stones. Within a few days, the filament can completely fill the room pond. Growing, algae secrete a large amount of waste in the water, interfere with the growth of plants, become cobwebs, in which fish fry can become entangled or feed particles can get stuck. All this is the reason for the activation of decay processes. If you do not take any action and start the problem, green filamentous algae can lead to the death of the entire ecosystem.

How does algae differ from plants?

All representatives of the plant kingdom in terms of biology are divided into higher and lower. Plants, including aquarium plants, are quite complex organisms that have different departments in their structure: the root system, leaves, stem, shoots, flowers and fruits.

Examples of diving plants that are unpretentious in their care are duckweed, limnobium, elodea, vallisneria, hornwort. These inhabitants of the indoor reservoir carry out photosynthesis, during which carbon dioxide is removed and oxygen is released, phosphates, nitrites and nitrates are absorbed, cleaning the aquarium, are indicators of the state of the ecosystem and an additional food for its inhabitants.

Algae are representatives of lower plants, protozoa. Their structure is much more primitive than representatives of a group of higher (flowering or seed plants) - algae do not have organs, they consist of one or several types of cells in which complex biochemical processes occur. Algae are divided into unicellular and multicellular algae. The main feature that distinguishes lower plants is spore propagation.

The variety of algae is conventionally divided into departments. The simplest of them are blue-green algae, while the rest of the group are more complicated. In aquariums you can find brown, green, diatom and red algae. A frequent "guest" of domestic water bodies, deprived of natural light in sufficient quantities, in the winter are brown algae, and the high content of organic substances in aquarium water often leads to the activation of blue-green representatives of the group.

Why do aquariums appear in the aquarium?

Filamentous algae in the aquarium are actively growing and rapidly occupy virtually the entire area of the home pond under the following conditions:

• Increased water hardness;
• Insufficient number of aquarium plants;
• Irregular water replacement;
• Poor cleaning, which causes the accumulation of nitrates, necessary for the growth and development of the filament;
• Supply of oxygen in insufficient quantities;
• Too bright illumination: the filament appears more often if artificial lighting is used more than eight hours a day or the direct sunlight hits the aquarium.

Beginners aquarists face the filament in those cases where higher plants have not yet had time to take root in the ecosystem and there is an overabundance of trace elements necessary for the active development of protozoa. Sometimes you can bring green algae along with new aquarium plants.

What are the harmful algae?

The active multiplication of filamentous algae leads to the fact that organisms literally fill the entire space in the aquarium in just a few days. They connect into bundles, entangle plants, hampering their growth and development, clog filters and other equipment, attach to snags. Toxic substances released by filamentous algae in large quantities, have a harmful effect on the inhabitants of the aquarium. In the filaments themselves, algae can become entangled in fries and small fishes, get stuck with food residues and other organic substances.

How do we look like algae?

Green filamentous algae is the representative of one of the groups, often delivering unnecessary trouble to aquarists. One of the signs of active reproduction of green algae in a home pond is the visible turbidity and greening of water. Externally, the filament looks like thin green threads. The alga is slimy, soft to the touch, when removed from the water immediately loses its shape and saggers. The development of filamentous algae occurs due to the absorption of nutrients dissolved in water and the process of photosynthesis.

Why does the filament "conquer territory" so quickly?

Filamentous algae rapidly expand under favorable conditions. Promote the rapid spreading of the nipple in an artificial reservoir, the method of reproduction: the alga breaks up into separate areas, each of which forms a new thread. Also, filamentous algae reproduce by spores. In the latter case, spores with flagella attach to the ground and germinate.

What are the types of algae (filamentous)?

In the aquarium, two types of filamentous algae can be present: directly green threads floating freely in the water, and shorter, usually accumulating on the glass surface and plant planes. Different types of green algae have different "preferences" in terms of habitat and nutrition, so that the methods of combating them differ.

To filamentous algae are:

1. Spirogir. Algae has the appearance of long bright green "strands", which are lost in peculiar nests. The threads are soft, easily kneaded with fingers. Most often spirogyra settles near young plants, and a surge of alga activity is facilitated by an excess of nutrients and light.
2. Nitcat. This species combines a lot of very similar algae. Long threads are attached to old snags or stones in well-lit places, the color can range from dark or light green to grayish or black.
3. "Pushok". At an early stage of development of filamentous algae, "fluff" covers the leaves and stems of plants. The appearance of such algae indicates a lack of nutrition in the aquarium and poverty of the soil substrate.
4. Chlorella and chlamydomonas. The simplest algae are part of the natural life process in natural water bodies, whereas in an aquarium they can become a real calamity. Chlorella and chlamydomonas are exactly those unicellular ones that cause the flowering of water.
5. Ulotriks. The filamentous alotrix ulotriks forms tangles that join together. The algae covers well-lit walls and aquarium soil.

What are the ways to deal with the filament?

Combating the thread can be done in several ways, it is better to approach the problem in a comprehensive manner. Get rid of algae can be as follows:

• By mechanical cleaning;
• Creating conditions unfavorable for the growth and development of algae;
• Biological and chemical methods.

How to remove algae mechanically?

How to start fighting? Filamentous algae that may have left the artificial pond after mechanical cleaning are spirogyra and filament. In the fight against other organisms, mechanical removal will only be the first step.

So, you must carefully clean the walls of the aquarium from the greenish plaque. To simplify the procedure, there are many special devices: scrapers that work on the principle of razors, graters with a magnet that allows you to control the process through the glass. However, in practice, it is simpler and more effective to clean the walls of the aquarium with a regular dishwashing sponge. By the way, soft lips do not leave scratches, which are typical when using special scrapers.

Clear from the plaque, decorative elements, driftwood and stones are a little more complicated. But even here there is a simple and reliable method - the most effective tool has shown itself an old toothbrush. Rigid bristles and small size allow you to carefully handle uneven surfaces. Together with mechanical cleaning it is necessary to change the water in the aquarium.

What are the unfavorable conditions for a nipple?

The fight against filamentous algae also implies the creation of unfavorable conditions for their reproduction and development. So, you need to reduce the brightness of the lighting, and if the aquarium is under direct sunlight, darken it with white paper or gauze. Algae will die with specially dimmed lighting. Three days is enough to get rid of the filament in this way.

In addition, it may be worthwhile to increase the number of aquarium plants. Living plants are necessary to maintain a harmonious life of an artificial reservoir, otherwise their place will be occupied by algae. It is also important to ensure a good aeration - a sufficient flow of oxygen will allow plants to feel good and suppress the growth of algae.

Which aquarium inhabitants eat algae?

The excessive amount of filamentous algae will also be helped by the inhabitants of an artificial reservoir. Some species of fish feed on algae, controlling their distribution. So, for the normalization of the ecosystem, it is sometimes enough to have a fish called Ancistrus vulgaris. The natural enemies of algae are also:

• Crayfishes of daphnia;
• Mollies;
• Barbs;
• Shrimp;
• Snails-coils;
• Pecilia;
• Guppies and other viviparous fishes.

What drugs suppress the development of a nipple?

It is not always possible to cope with the activation of algae growth exclusively by "natural" methods. In some cases, it is worth using chemicals that can be purchased in aquarium or zoological shops. From filamentous algae helps to make the artificial pond bicillin-5 and penicillin.

How to prevent the appearance of algae?

To prevent the appearance of nicks in the aquarium, one must know not only why seaweed-parasites appear, but also what conditions are necessary for a normal life. Lighting is one of the important factors. Direct sunlight or just a bright light contributes to the birth and spread of algae, so the aquarium should not be left under strong lighting for a long time.

It is also believed that a large content of nitrates and phosphates causes an increase in the growth of this alga. The substances are part of the fertilizer for aquarium plants, but still do not completely abandon the additional fertilizing, since fertilizers are still necessary. So, in plants you need to fertilize is normalized.

In order not to introduce the algae parasite together with new plants, it is necessary to control everything that is planned to be placed in an artificial reservoir. If there are any signs of nipples on new plants or decorative elements, you need to wait with the purchase.

When cleaning the aquarium, all plants should be thoroughly rinsed with water and cleaned. The soil should be treated in the same way. With a regular cleaning of the soil, the risk of the filament is significantly reduced. Nice in the prevention of nitric oxide or hydrogen peroxide. However, all of the above methods are of little help if the algae has already appeared in the aquarium. In this case, you should first get rid of the parasite.

Why not completely remove algae?

Algae are full participants in biological processes, so that the visible presence of nipple in moderate amounts will not damage the aquarium. In contrast, filamentous green algae are able to absorb excess nutrients and rotting products. Harm also causes excessive growth of algae in an artificial reservoir. In addition, this situation serves as a clear indicator that there has been some kind of failure in the closed ecosystem. Perhaps the problem is the lack of aquarium plants or excessive lighting.