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How to clean artificial plants in an aquarium. How to clean the aquarium from green plaque at home? How to clean an aquarium

Algae on the rocks and aquarium decor are quite frequent guests and spoil it very much appearance aquarium. Remove algae from aquarium decor No problem, they clean up quite easily. It is much more difficult, more important and more laborious to correct the factors that contributed to the growth of algae in the aquarium so that they do not appear again.

List of necessary things:

  1. Toothbrush or sponge
  2. Bucket or other container
  3. Bleach (Whiteness)
Algae on aquarium decorations

Cleaning stones and decor from algae

Take it all away decorative elements to be cleaned, into a bucket

Pour hot water into a bucket (you can even boil water) and leave your decor for 10 minutes. After that, clean the aquarium decorations with a toothbrush or a soft sponge. If there are a lot of holes in the decor, then it is much more convenient to use toothbrush(only not from the personal hygiene kit =))

Leave decorations in this solution for 15-20 minutes. Most of the algae will disappear, and the rest will turn white and eventually fall off.

And on last step When cleaning, all decor must be rinsed very thoroughly under running water.

Prevention of algae in the aquarium

The aquarium should have lighting for no more than 12 hours. Also, keep your aquarium out of direct sunlight.

The fluorescent lamps may need to be replaced. Choose special aquarium lamps. Over time, the algae will disappear when the wavelength of the lamp changes.

Clean the filter regularly

Change 10 to 25 percent of your tank with water every week.

Do regular water tests to know the values ​​of nitrate, ammonia or other algae nutrients. After that, you can take appropriate measures to solve a specific problem.

Content

Whitening

Every aquarium owner has tried to clean the pebbles from annoying green, diatom, blue-green and other algae with a brush. The process is quite long and painstaking. It will be much easier to use the well-known "Whiteness". Dilute warm (even hot) water with whiteness in a ratio of 10:1.

Then we leave the stones in this liquid for 1-2 hours. You will be surprised at the result. Your decorations will be completely cleaned of all contaminants. If there is a lot of plaque initially, it is recommended to pre-clean the pebbles a little with a sponge or toothbrush.

Importantly, after such a procedure, a good washing of the decor under running water is required. This should be done until the smell of chlorine is gone (more than an hour).

The method described above is very effective, even sandstone will become “like new” as a result. But it is not suitable for all types of scenery. For example, white spots may appear on dark stones. Also, with the help of whiteness, you can not clean driftwood, clay and silicone products. They are usually cleaned under running water with a stiff brush.

Cleaning with soda

For heavy soiling, you can also use soda. To do this, apply any convenient way(best with a toothbrush) soda on the wet decor so that it looks like it is “covered with porridge”. Leave for 20-30 minutes, then rinse warm water. To remove the remaining plaque, you can lightly walk with a brush.

Sometimes, due to these cleaning methods, a certain amount of algae still remains on the scenery. You shouldn't worry about this. After the decor has been loaded back into the aquarium over the next few days, the green coating will surely fall off by itself.

Hydrogen peroxide cleaning

One of the safest ways to clean your decorations is to soak them in a hydrogen peroxide solution. 100 ml of 30% peroxide is diluted with 100 liters of water. It is necessary to place the items to be cleaned there and leave for 20-30 minutes. Then rinse well under warm water.

Embossed background

Unfortunately, it will be quite problematic to soak a large decoration with a relief background. Therefore, to clean algae, you need to use a regular dishwashing brush with soft enough bristles so as not to damage the decoration. For faster cleaning, you can use salt or soda.

Be sure to rinse well afterwards. It should be noted that in 5 minutes it is not possible to clean out the entire plaque, you need to be patient and do everything with high quality.

Also for this purpose, you can get catfish such as Ancistrus, Sturis or Otocinclus, which will promptly clean up the scenery from algae, preventing them from growing.

Prevention of algae in the aquarium

Of course, it is much easier to prevent the occurrence of a problem than to deal with the consequences. To do this, you need to follow a few very easy rules:

➤ The aquarium should be illuminated no more than 12 hours a day, and it is desirable to avoid direct sunlight

➤ Only lamps specifically designed for the aquarium should be purchased.

➤ The filter must be cleaned regularly

➤ Carry out regular water changes (10-25% depending on the volume of the aquarium).

➤ Self-assembled stones must first be boiled in water. Then rinse under running water with a brush.

➤ All decorations, before immersion in the aquarium, can be processed special tool , which will protect them from the appearance of algae for enough long time(approximately 2 years)

An aquarium in our apartment or office is little corner wildlife, underwater world. He always pleases the eye of the owner and attracts the views of guests.

Natural purity creates the illusion of a short-term immersion in the realm of Neptune. How to make sure that this feeling does not disappear? How to avoid water bloom and green plaque?

Every lover of the underwater world in the room sooner or later had to deal with the problems of cleanliness of the aquarium.

The most frequent problems.

  1. Cloudy water. Water loses its transparency and acquires a whitish tint. Most often this happens in a new aquarium that has just been populated with fish. This phenomenon is temporary. The development of a mass of bacteria makes the water opaque. This goes on for two or three days. With proper feeding of fish and optimal temperature regime the next stage in the formation of the underwater world begins - the biological balance between unicellular organisms and more highly organized ones. Infusor turbidity disappears.
  2. Rotting in the ground. After some time, the soil may be covered with a dark film and periodically release bubbles. There is a rotting of organic residues that fell into the ground initially or with the process of feeding the fish. To prevent this, it is better to underfeed pets than to overfeed. Snails are an additional means of dealing with organic matter in the soil.
  3. Water color change to green or brown. This is due to the development of algae in the water: green, blue-green or brown.
  4. Formation of plaque on the walls. Plaque is also green or brown.

These two problems are interrelated, often have common causes, the means to eliminate them are also the same. Plaque on the walls is the biggest nuisance in the life of an aquarium.

Brown plaque is caused by the development of brown algae. The reason for its formation is the lack of illumination in the aquarium. As in any living body of water, in our closed underwater world there are all kinds of microorganisms, bacteria and algae.

The imbalance leads to the rapid development of one or another organism. Brown plaque is eliminated by leveling the lighting to normal. Wash the walls, change a little water and add light - and you're done.

The problem with brown algae is solved. Most often this happens due to their replacement with green algae, as more highly organized ones.

The most famous of the school biology course is the green euglena. It is this algae that is the main cause of green water. Plaque is formed by green algae of other species - threads of edogonium and xenococus.

These are the most common green algae that grow on the walls of the aquarium and stones on the ground. It is much more difficult to deal with them, so we will consider all methods.

  1. The main reason for the rapid development of green algae is excessive lighting.. Avoid direct sunlight on the aquarium. The distance to the window must be at least 1.5 meters. Choose artificial lighting lamps at the rate of 0.5 W / l with a duration of no more than 8 hours a day. At a higher pH in the aquarium, green algae also grow less intensively.
  2. Regular wall cleaning and partial water changes. Take care of your underwater world and you will avoid many problems. Cleaning the walls should be done with a soft sponge, cutting with a blade is an extreme measure. Scratches on the glass make it possible for algae particles to remain and continue to multiply. Water changes should not be more than ¼ of the total.
  3. Biological cleaning method. This is the most desirable method. Many types of aquarium fish feed on algae. Almost all viviparous are guppies, swordtails, platies and mollies. Carp, goldfish, veiltails, telescopes also diversify their diet with greens. Experts say that the better aquarium plants grow, the less algae will multiply. A variety of snails will be of great help in cleaning the walls and water. They eat the remnants of the remaining food, some filter the water through themselves, thus feeding on unicellular algae. Ampoules love to gnaw algae off glass. But, as with everything, you need to follow the measure. Daphnia and cyclops can quickly clear the entire volume, but they themselves are tasty prey for fish.
  4. Salting water. In this article, we are looking at freshwater aquariums. The sea walls are not overgrown with green algae, there are problems there. If water acidification is not possible due to the content of certain fish species, you can try to add salt to the water, no more than 1 g / l. Salt will delay the development of green algae in the water.
  5. Chemical method. Antibiotics are useful in the fight against bacteria and lower algae, if the problem has gone too far and other methods do not help. You can treat the aquarium with Riboflavin, Tripaflavin, Rivanol (0.1 g per 100 l). But when using these substances, snails and some aquarium plants with delicate green leaves suffer. Cabomba and hornwort will shed their leaves immediately after applying these remedies. Streptomycin and Penicillin are less harsh. Plants and fish are not affected. The applied dose of Streptomycin is 0.3 mg/l for 48 hours, then the water should be changed. The safest aquarium disinfectant chemical is 3% hydrogen peroxide. Concentration from 2 to 6 mg/l with enhanced aeration. No water change required.

The easiest way to keep an aquarium clean is to organize it properly from the start.

In a properly organized aquarium, a biological balance is established, and the water in it can not be changed for years.

A few tips on how to start setting up an aquarium.

  1. The larger the volume, the easier it is to establish a biocenosis in it. Aquariums from 10 liters are generally considered temporary - for jigging fish for the duration of sanitary work or for spawning. An ideal aquarium is an aquarium with a volume of at least 100 liters. Only in such a water space can life organize itself.
  2. The population of the aquarium with fish should be at the rate of 1 medium-sized fish per 5 liters of water, a little more liquid is better. Planting should also be taken into account. Plants absorb the waste products of fish and snails from the water, saturate the water with oxygen, converting carbon dioxide in the process of photosynthesis. But at night, plants themselves consume oxygen, and the process of photosynthesis stops at this time. Therefore, an overabundance of plants can play a cruel joke with an inexperienced aquarist, although this is rare. An excessive number of snails can turn from a squad of cleaners into a crowd of pollutants, it is necessary to thin out their population in a timely manner.
  3. It is advisable to purchase fish, plants and snails in specialized stores or from experienced breeders. The risk of introducing an infection from a natural reservoir is too great. This also applies to aquarium infestation with euglena in summer period when it multiplies intensively in ponds and lakes.
  4. Feeding the fish should be very moderate. Dry food should be eaten within 10-15 minutes. Preference, of course, fresh live food. For most aquarium fish, it is not particularly difficult to fast for 3-4 days. If you are going to be away from home, do not pour food in advance.
  5. Illumination. The aquarium should be set up so that direct sunlight does not fall on it, but the illumination is sufficient. A distance of 1.5 m from the window will be ideal. Solar lighting is best organized in the morning, and the duration of lighting 8-10 hours a day is sufficient. The lack of sunlight can be compensated by artificial lighting.

The established biological balance in the aquarium is characterized by the transparency of the water and the natural greenery of the plants. Colour right water, if you take a glass from the aquarium, yellowish. This is the so-called Fish condition water.

The water became alive, the biocenosis was established. After about a week of operation of the indoor underwater world, this should happen. If not, you need to analyze the errors, but you should not panic. Nature is wise, you just need not interfere with it.

A home artificial reservoir is a complex system in which the biological balance is maintained artificially. Cleaning the reservoir is one of the ways to maintain cleanliness and biological balance. If the aquarium with fish is not cleaned correctly, then inside the vessel it may fade. Therefore, the aquarium should be washed, taking into account all the subtleties and requirements, in order to avoid many ailments and maintain the health of the inhabitants. The article will help novice aquarists figure out how to properly clean the aquarium without harming the fish.

Aquarium cleaning is vital for all living organisms inside the reservoir. Pollution appears on all surfaces: soil, bottom, wall, plants and decor, and the filter becomes dirty. Plaque and debris appear as a result of the vital activity of the inhabitants, which excrete feces, the remnants of uneaten food and the active growth of algae. Regardless of the size, large and small aquariums equally need washing, if the procedure is regular, then washing the vessel will not be difficult, since strong pollution will not have time to form.

How often should you clean your aquarium

Cleaning the aquarium should be carried out depending on the rate of plaque formation, which, in turn, directly depends on the density of the population inside the reservoir, as well as on the species of fish. Usually wash the aquarium 1-2 times a week. And also significantly affects the frequency of harvesting the presence and number of living plants. Vegetation well absorbs nitrates and nitrites, as a result of which the need for cleaning the vessel is reduced.

Signs indicating that it is necessary to wash the container:

  • Plaque on the surface of plants and decor items.
  • A small movement of fish near the substrate contributes to the raising of turbidity.

It should be noted that under such conditions, the water parameters do not change much, so there is no urgent threat to the life of the inhabitants. However, if the water inside the vessel has begun to change its color, cleaning is urgently needed.

How to clean an aquarium

For high-quality cleaning of the vessel from the inside, it should be washed using special equipment.

Necessary tools and accessories to clean the aquarium:

  • Glass scraper to remove plaque and algae.
  • Soil cleaner -.
  • Bucket or bowl.
  • Net.

The scraper must be selected according to the type and size, relative to the type of aquarium. The most expensive and convenient option is a magnetic scraper that collects dirt by passing along the outside of the wall. The reservoir can be washed with a regular sponge, without impregnation with cleaning agents.

A soil cleaner is required to be able to clean the substrate without removing it from the tank. If a significant or complete change of water is planned inside the vessel, it is necessary to purchase a net for the safety of the fish. The landing net should be selected according to the size of the pet, so as not to damage the delicate fins.

When washing, you can use baking soda as a cleaning agent. Soda is important to rinse thoroughly.

What cleaning products can be used

It is not recommended to use cleaning chemicals to clean the reservoir, as there is a risk of leaving particles of the substance inside the vessel. The remaining agent can cause significant harm to the health and life of the inhabitants. The use of baking soda is allowed, however, this substance is also harmful to pets. After cleaning the aquarium with soda, it must be rinsed with running water several times.

If there is a need to still use strong chemical mixtures, you can use:

  • Soap.
  • Domestos.
  • Comet.

An important rule when using such products is to thoroughly rinse the container with water.

Washing and cleaning a new aquarium

It also needs washing. However, the first time you wash the vessel should not be so thorough. small size the container can be rinsed with running water in the bath, it will be most convenient to do it there. It is not recommended to rinse the aquarium hot water using a sponge. Too much hot water may damage the glass walls of the vessel.

If there is doubt about the cleanliness of the vessel, then baking soda can be used, soap is not recommended, and before starting the vessel, it is necessary to make sure that all cleaning agent particles are washed off. To do this, under strong pressure, the aquarium is rinsed at least 4 times. When cleaning is completed, the aquarium must be rinsed with clean, chlorine-free water. To do this, tap water should be defended for several days.

The purchased substrate also needs to be washed. The soil is washed without the use of chemicals, until the water becomes clear. The new filter also needs to be thoroughly rinsed. All decor items are also washed, but using baking soda.

How to properly clean an aquarium

It is important to clean an aquarium with and without fish, following certain rules, regardless of whether the reservoir is large or small. If the cleaning sequence is violated, it will be difficult to achieve proper cleanliness. Regular cleaning is essential to maintain the natural balance of beneficial and harmful bacteria.

The procedure for cleaning an artificial reservoir:

  1. Removal of deposits from algae and bacteria from glass.
  2. Cleaning of decorative elements and stones.
  3. Thinning out living plants.
  4. Removing rotten leaves on plants.
  5. Soil siphon, to eliminate waste products.
  6. Partial drain of water.
  7. Cleaning and washing filters.
  8. Filling with clean water.

If the aquarium is not new, then before you start cleaning it is important to turn off all appliances connected to the electricity. Fish, if necessary, can be left in the reservoir, if the procedure is carried out correctly in compliance with all recommendations, the fish will not be harmed.

We clean the walls

Glass is always contaminated and covered with a coating, even with the highest quality content of the inhabitants. Without regular cleaning, the glass becomes cloudy, preventing comfortable observation of fish life.

You can clean the walls without draining the water. For the procedure, use a scraper or sponge. For plastic walls, the use of metal scrapers is prohibited. For tall containers, it is convenient to use a magnetic scraper to thoroughly clean the entire height. However, it is difficult to clean corners and hard-to-reach places with such equipment.

If it is not possible to easily clean the plaque, you can use the blade, but this should be done very carefully so as not to damage the surface. The walls on the outside and the cover of the reservoir can be washed with a sponge and water. On sale there are solutions for washing containers, which can be purchased at specialized points of sale.

Bottom care in an aquarium

To rid the aquarium of turbidity, it is recommended to completely wash out the soil. A siphon with a hose is used to clean the substrate. The device allows you to remove turbidity, let water through, preventing stones from being drawn in. Cleaning is recommended to start from the most contaminated area of ​​the substrate, moving in the process of cleaning to the cleanest areas. It is recommended to use a basin white color for draining water. A light container will allow you to immediately see a small fish that has accidentally fallen into the hose.

Replacing the water in the aquarium

After cleaning the aquarium inside, you can start. The amount of water changed depends on the degree of contamination. As a rule, about 25% of the total amount of water is replaced. The required amount of water for replacement should be drained to clean the soil. Water is drained using a siphon, following the instructions of the device. Do not use normal running water for replacement, it must be defended in advance. It is recommended to pour new water onto a grotto or saucer that was previously placed on the substrate, so that the pressure of water does not immediately fall on the ground and does not damage it.

Filter cleaning

It is not recommended to wash the internal filter together with other elements of the aquarium, as a sharp change in the biological balance can cause significant harm to the inhabitants of the reservoir. Once a month, the filter can be disassembled and washed using a toothbrush.

Cleansing manipulations should be carried out in such a way as not to harm the beneficial bacteria that have settled on it. They should not be washed thoroughly. The filter elements are lightly rinsed in aquarium water. If the filter has a ceramic filler, then it should not be washed more than once a month.

Vegetation processing

If in artificial reservoir there is living vegetation, then it also requires care and purification. Plants can be cleaned at home, following certain rules:

  • Plants do not like transplants.
  • Vegetation is processed not at each harvesting manipulation.
  • Broken and damaged leaves are cut off.
  • Overgrown plants must be removed so that they do not become an obstacle to the free movement of fish.
  • Pruning should be done as the bushes grow.
  • Overgrown bushes should be thinned out so that they do not interfere with the penetration of light into the container.
  • If it is necessary to remove the plant with the root, the manipulation is carried out as carefully as possible in order to prevent turbidity from rising from the substrate.

Helper fish

For additional help in the daily cleaning of the aquarium, you can have fish - orderlies. There are species of fish that feed on unicellular algae, thereby saving the artificial reservoir from excessive sedimentation of plaque. However, these pets are only helpers and begin to eat algae only when they feel hungry.

Useful tips for cleaning in an artificial reservoir:

  • How often it is necessary to completely wash the reservoir depends on individual indicators and the speed of its pollution, it is not necessary to perform unnecessary manipulations, interfering in the life of the reservoir. As a rule, the procedure is carried out 1 time in 2 weeks.
  • If possible, it is recommended to refuse the use of cleaning products.
  • Plant substrates should not be washed.
  • If a new aquarium It has big sizes, then cleaning must be carried out at the installation site, while detergents should not be used as these conditions will fight chemical particles that are difficult to wash off.
  • Hydrogen peroxide can be used to wipe down a new aquarium;
  • All cleaning equipment must be safe and used for one body of water only.
  • It is not recommended to feed the fish a few hours before washing the vessel.

Wash your home aquarium carefully, applying all the recommendations, and then the artificial reservoir will delight with its beauty, and the fish and other pets will be healthy and attractive.

The issue of algal outbreaks in the aquarium periodically torments both beginners and pros of the aquarium trade. And all why? Because these unwanted guests can appear both "in a young" and "in an old" reservoir.
An experienced aquarist will immediately notice unwanted algae and, knowing approximately its name or genus, will quickly neutralize it, preventing an outbreak. But for beginners, it's hard!

The situation is further aggravated by the diversity of information on the issue of algae control. Who says: keep the aquarium in the dark, who, on the contrary, increase the daylight hours! Some say: you have an overdose of fertilizers in the aquarium, while others, on the contrary, you have little macro fertilizers, etc.

Let's figure out what's wrong in the aquarium ?! How to deal with it! Let's debunk the legends and myths about algae.

What is aquarium algae?


Many beginners call algae aquarium plants and vice versa plants are called algae! This is a fundamentally wrong understanding of the essence of plant nature.
aquarium plants are the highest of the plant world. In the aquarium, these are the same plants as in the field or on the lawn near the house. This is a biological kingdom, one of the main groups of multicellular organisms, including mosses, ferns, horsetails, club mosses, etc.
Seaweed are the lowest. A heterogeneous ecological group of predominantly phototrophic unicellular, colonial or multicellular organisms, living, as a rule, in an aquatic environment, systematically representing a combination of many departments. Entering into symbiosis with fungi, these organisms in the course of evolution formed completely new organisms - lichens.

Having demarcated these two concepts, we decided with whom specifically we need to fight. Our aquarium enemy is algae, the lowest of the plant world!

How to deal with and get rid of aquarium algae

At the dawn of the formation of our site, a simple article was written: PLAQUE ON AQUARIUM WALLS AND STONES. Time passed, and to our surprise, even such a short article gained popularity! Yes and on forum, guys often ask for help in the fight against these nasty "raids".
Well, perhaps it's time to paint everything on the shelves!

So here are the main effective methods fight against green, brown, brown, black, blue-green algae.

1. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO DETERMINE WHAT IS A PLAQUE AND WHAT IS ALGAE!
Like plants, there are a large number of algae, as well as their species and subspecies. Of course, it is impossible to know all of them, but you need to know the group, the genus of these algae! The effectiveness of the struggle and the actions that need to be taken depend on this.
This is where all the confusion in the advice on the forums lies: turn off the light, turn on the light ... Everyone has different outbreaks of algae, different aquariums, different lighting, water and hydrobionts.
Below, in this article, there will be an overview of the main and most common algae in the aquarium and the specifics of dealing with them.

2. AQUARIUM BIOBALANC IS OUR EVERYTHING!
The root cause of any aquarium trouble is the absence or violation of the biobalance in the aquarium, that is, the mutual balance of all hydrobionts (fish, plants, mollusks, algae, fungi, bacteria, etc.).
You will be surprised, but in the aquarium there are always, constantly spores of various algae, as well as bacteria and fungi! All of them perform their function, for example, to clean the aquarium of dead organic matter, remove poisons (ammonium, nitrites and nitrates) from the aquarium, etc. In other words, the aquarium is not sterile - it is a living organism, from various groups, colonies of living organisms visible and invisible to humans.

An algae outbreak is a visual evidence of a violation (absence) of the biobalance in an aquarium. This is the loss of any link in the balance!

Having found out which link fell out, you need to return it to its place. Which is hard for a beginner to do!


Here are the main reasons for the loss of the biobalance link:

- excessive daylight hours in the aquarium or incorrect aquarium lighting. Accordingly, you need to reduce or adjust the daylight hours. Or in general, if possible, turn off the light for a couple of days, as a preventive measure.

- lack of daylight hours or using the "wrong" lamps with the "wrong" spectrum. Accordingly, it is necessary to increase daylight hours or remove lamps with a “bad” spectrum and buy lamps of the desired spectrum or purchase lamps of the missing spectrum. More Aquarium lighting and lamp selection and Do-it-yourself aquarium lighting.This item, for example, is relevant for diatoms that appear in "young aquariums" and which do not like intense lighting.

- the presence in the aquarium of excess dead organic matter and dirt(dead plants, fish, food residues, waste products of hydrobionts, etc.). Simply put, the aquarium does not have time to cope with such an amount of "garbage" and the only way out for our beloved, live aquarium is to call for help from algae, which will happily gobble up all this garbage.
Accordingly, you need to remove all the “garbage”: siphon the bottom of the aquarium, clean the walls, decor and equipment, try to mechanically remove algae, as well as do more frequent and more complete water changes with fresh water, in the end, you can pour aquarium coal into the filter compartment .

The next reason follows from the above and is a disastrous continuation of the accumulation of "dirt" in the aquarium. All dead organic matter is decomposed by beneficial bacteria and fungi, and removed from the aquarium. If there is a lot of this dead organic matter and it accumulates, microorganisms do not have time to process it! Poisons begin to accumulate in the aquarium - decomposition products: ammonia, nitrites and nitrates, which leads not only to the appearance of algae, but generally destroys all living things in the aquarium.
In addition to the above measures for thorough cleaning of the aquarium, you need to use aquarium preparations that either absorb poisons or increase the colony of beneficial nitrifier bacteria, for example:

A) zeolite. Sold in pet stores or other places. A mixture of zeolite and coal is found everywhere Fluval Zeo-Carb.
On a note: you need to know that aquarium charcoal is not effective against poisons and only ion-exchange resin - zeolite removes them.
B) Biostarter drugs, as well as drugs that increase the colonies of beneficial bacteria. Simply put, these are preparations that contain the very bacteria that decompose poisons. There are a lot of such drugs, for example, popular ones: - colony of bacteria,Tetra NitratMinus , Tetra NitrateMinus Pearls - these preparations for feeding beneficial bacteria and others.

3. A large number of plants in the aquarium. No one has yet scientifically proven that plants suppress algae, but the fact remains that in an aquarium with live aquarium plants(1/2, 2/3), no algae flashes, except that sometimes green dots appear, and then from strong lighting.
Therefore, if you have the opportunity to provide plants with proper care: LIGHT, CO2, UDO- be sure to plant beds!

4. There are useful fish that fight - eat algae and algal plaque:
A) Siamese algae eaters- tireless workers of the aquarium, sometimes it seems that the only meaning of their life is an insatiable desire to kiss all the plants and all the stones, and walk through all the aquarium decorations. They can also be found under the abbreviation SAE, which stands for Siamese Algae Eater and translates as Siamese algae eaters. There are also KAE and IAE - Chinese and Indian algae eaters. Effective against algae "black beard", "thread" and "deer horns", etc.
B) Otocinclus- no less effective fish. Due to the structure of their mouth, they carefully and well remove algae from plants, decor and walls. Copes with green, brown (diatoms), etc.
B) Ancistrus- are also useful. But, unlike the aforementioned fish, adults of Ancistrus are lazy. Yes, and they say that in addition to algae, they also eat plants.
G) The whole family also belongs to a good assistant in the fight against algae. pecilian- guppies, swordtails, mollies, platies and others.
D) All possible shellfish- pugulars, coils, physes, marizas, etc.

E) Amana shrimp. Help in the fight against thread.

Note that you can rely on the help of these fish, but not rely on them.

5. And finally, on help will come aquarium preparations that suppress algae. There are a lot of such drugs sold in pet stores, as a rule, they contain the word “Algo” (algae) in their name, for example, .

These drugs must be used carefully, wisely and according to the instructions. We recommend Tetra products, as their preparations contain monolinuron, which has a milder, more gentle effect. When used correctly - taking into account all the prevailing circumstances in the aquarium, Tetra products do not have negative impact on fish and plants. Read more.

Another and rather extensive group of preparations for algae contains glutaraldehyde, a more powerful algaecide. It can be used in advanced cases or, for example, in dense herbalists. In general, in practice it has been noticed that if the aquarium is just with fish, then it is better to use Tetra and monolinuron. And if we are talking about the herbalist - an aquarium with plants, preparations based on glutaraldehyde are well behaved and effective. There are a lot of such drugs, including domestic brands. Of all the variety, we can recommend the algae preparation from the Medos VladOx company - glutaraldehyde, at the right price! You can learn more about this drug.

So, we have examined the main causes of algae in the aquarium, and also analyzed the main methods of dealing with them. Finally, it should be noted that, as a rule, “an algae trouble comes in a complex”, and therefore it is necessary to deal with it in a complex way, i.e. not one method, but several at once, or even all at once.

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Algae in the aquarium - know the enemy by sight!


Types of aquarium algae with a photo

As previously mentioned, there are a lot of varieties of algae. There are over 30,000 species! Below are the most common algae, the reasons for their appearance in the aquarium and the individual features of solving problems with them.

But first, a classification. Due to the abundance of algal mass, they were simply divided according to the color of the thallus (thallus) into:

- Diatoms - Diatomeae;
- Brown algae - Phaeophceae;
- Green algae - Chlorophceae;
- Yellow-green algae - Xantophceae;
- Red algae - Rhodophceae;
- Golden algae - Chrysophceae;
- Blue-green algae - Cynophceae;

They include the following "popular algal pests":

Brown or diatoms

(brown coating on the walls, soil, stones of the aquarium)

photo brown, brown algae in the aquarium

These are the simplest and, if I may say so, harmless algae. They are placed at the very top of the list, as they often appear in beginners - in young aquariums. The first reason for their appearance is the lack of lighting, the second is the lack of biobalance in young aquariums - tuned.
As soon as a young aquarium is set up or lighting is added, diatoms will disappear on their own. You can remove them mechanically and with the help of snails.

Red algae or black algae

Vietnamese seaweed or deer antlers


photo of Vietnamese aquarium algae

This algae is probably written on everyone! And all the same, the ranks of the unfortunate owners of this infection in their aquarium, everything is replenished and replenished.
This algae is very tenacious and difficult to remove. Its appearance speaks primarily of the high content of dead organic matter in the aquarium, which it feeds on.
The methods of struggle are common: we carefully remove everything, siphon the soil - we remove the organic matter. We put coal and zeolite in the filter, do frequent water changes (up to 50% per week), well, we use algicides and algae eaters.

Seaweed black beard


photo seaweed black beard

Many people confuse her with "Vietnamese", because. it is similar and has the same causes of appearance. As a rule, appears in "young aquariums". The extraction methods are the same.