Aquarium Algae

Algae spores are only a few microns in size.  They will be introduced through the upgrading and substitution of fish and plants and with water changes.  They can multiply explosively, and this is an indication that the transformation of nitrogen in the aquarium is not working well enough.

Especially in the initial phase of an aquarium, blue-green algae can proliferate, forming a mostly blue-green, sometimes blackish-purple or brownish coating on plants and stones.  Blue-green algae can grow very quickly and plants that are not well grown choke among it.  A mechanical removal is valuable, but large amounts of algae can grow back from even the smallest residues.

The red algae are the so-called beard, brush, and fur algae.  They are of a dirty green to blackish color.  They are named red algae because the red color is visible if you put the algal filaments in alcohol.  Red algae are eaten, however, in contrast to the blue-green algae, by a variety of fish species.  Guppies are among the fish that eat algae growth.

Diatoms occur when an aquarium is poorly lit and the oxygen value, because of the then low assimilation of aquarium plants, is too low.  These algae form a greasy-brown coating on rocks and roots that disappear when the lighting conditions improve in the aquarium.

Green algae place high demands on the water and the aquarium plants.  They are green to light green in color and, depending on the type, growth resembles cotton wool, or thread-like tufts.  These can be easily removed by hand or with forceps.

Shellflowers take nutrients from the water and thereby reduce the growth of algae.  The Caridina shrimp is maintained similarly to control algae in aquariums.
Measures against algae
Excessive growth of algae in the warm-up phase of an aquarium can be prevented by waiting several weeks before the aquarium is filled for the first time with fish and invertebrates.  During this time the aquarium is illuminated about ten hours a day, and the filter is already running constantly.

At the same time the aquarium is very densely planted with fast-growing plants.  The plants remove the algae, the nutrients necessary for their explosive growth, and the microorganisms that are necessary for the conversion of ammonium, phosphate and nitrite may settle in the filter during this period.

New filters from retailers can be vaccinated with special bacterial cultures to stimulate biological activity.  When retracted, all filter media filters should never be changed or cleaned simultaneously so that the settled cultures of bacteria are not destroyed completely.

If you already have an aquarium, you can replace a portion of the fresh water in the new aquarium with aquarium water and mud of the established aquarium.  This ingrains the new filter in the filter basin and helps the rapid formation of a new equilibrium in the run-in phase.  Particularly well-intentioned beginners confuse sterility with biological cleanliness.
The majority of aquarium plants are marsh plants that are used in water gardens.  They therefore need several days to switch to the aquarium environment.  Among the recommended plants that grow well in advance and culture very quickly are Hygrophilas friend and water star. Egeria densa is also very suitable and it will submerge cultivated, but needs a strong lighting.

It can both surge and grow roots, which also contribute to a reduction of nutrients in the aquarium.  The same applies for floating plants like duckweed and mussels flowers.
A number of fish species eat algae. An excellent algae destroyer is the Siamese algae eater.  Also Loricariidae otocinclus and antenna, among other things, are maintained in the aquarium because of this property.

Beginners commonly have guppies and Poecilia sphenops, belonging to the breed form Black Molly, are fish that eat algae growth.  An existing nuisance, algae can be caused by algae-eating fish, which hardly fight, as these animals graze on mostly young, delicate algae.

Snails are not very suitable, despite their reputation as algae annihilators, since they themselves can develop by proliferation to become a nuisance and contribute through their metabolic products themselves to fertilization. In addition, there are freshwater shrimp that act effectively against the growth of algae.

Meanwhile, the trade also offers chemical agents against algae growth.  These, however, can also damage the plants.