Mary Allen
The joy of an aquarium fades quickly when algae settle on aquatic plant leaves, stones, and roots. With simple measures, however, algae growth can be avoided.
How beautiful, interesting, and calming an underwater world in the living room can be. And how quickly it turns into a nuisance when aquatic plants droop and algae spread. The greatest danger of the annoying plague spreading is shortly after an aquarium has been set up and algae can benefit from an oversupply of nitrate and ammonium. These nitrogen compounds, which are produced by fish excretions, are broken down by aquatic plants and bacteria. But immediately after setting up the aquarium, the plants are not yet properly rooted and there are hardly any bacteria.
It is therefore advisable to use used filter floss. It is already occupied by bacteria, which will spread to the new filter material and thus help to biologically clean the water right from the start. Because of the bacteria, a filter should never be completely cleaned. Sponges and filter floss should only be rinsed with water that has a similar temperature to the aquarium water so as not to kill the bacteria. If a filter stops running for too long, they die.
When an aquarium is freshly set up, a race begins between the aquatic plants and algae used for the nutrients in the water. If the plants thrive right from the start, they extract the nutrients from the water, which prevents an algae explosion. To achieve this, many fast-growing plants should be planted.
These include Vallisneria and Hygrophila species. Many Echinodorus and Lotus species also unfold their large, decorative leaves immediately after planting. The cosmopolitan Hornblatt (Ceratophyllum) is undemanding and usually grows rampant in the aquarium immediately. Slow-growing aquatic plants such as water lilies (Cryptocoryne) or species of Anubias are less suitable for a starter setup. Due to their low growth, they withdraw only a few nutrients from the water, and algae settle on their leaves.
Supply Additional Carbon Dioxide
Aquatic plants tend to do better in groups. The substrate of the aquarium should consist of a 7 to 10 cm high layer. A plant fertilizer containing laterite, which is added to the mixture of gravel and quartz sand when setting up, provides the plant roots with food. In order for aquatic plants to thrive, they should also be supplied with an iron-rich fertilizer that is added to the water. Aquatic plants absorb CO2 during the day and process it into oxygen. They, therefore, have an important function for the aquarium habitat. In order for the aquatic plants to grow well, CO2 is often added. The added carbon dioxide lowers the pH of the water. The pet trade offers corresponding systems with CO2 bottles and night shut-off. Plants also release CO2 at night. Water cups and Anubias species, on the other hand, grow well in aquariums without added carbon dioxide. Usually, a few aquatic plant species will emerge that will thrive in the aquarium.
Sufficient light is also necessary for plant growth. Modern aquarium lighting today mostly consists of LED lights. If the conditions for good plant growth are met, algae hardly stand a chance, since the aquatic plants use up all the nutrients. And when thread algae form, they indicate that the water quality is optimal. They can be removed manually and are not a big problem.
Under no circumstances should algae be decimated with an algaecide, as this automatically inhibits aquatic plant growth. It is better to treat the water with humic acids because they inhibit algae growth. Of course, with such actions, the needs of the fish must always be taken into account. Algae spores are always present in an aquarium. Aquarists should only create conditions that prevent them from spreading.