Kladofora is a spherical algae that grows at the bottom of water bodies, often used to decorate aquariums. In the modern scientific community, it is also called Aegagropila linnaei. There are two types of this plant. The first type is useful, having excellent decorative qualities and bearing certain benefits to the reservoir in which it is located.
As a rule, the spherical cladophora in the aquarium is used as decoration. The second type is the "harmful" cladophora, highly undesirable in aquariums. This species is a filamentous algae with a rigid structure. This allows it to be successfully fixed in the ground, on equipment and decorative elements of aquariums. The decorative properties of useful algae and how to get rid of cladophora in an aquarium are described in this article.
Study history
The active distribution of this algae in the water bodies of European countries contributed to the intensive study and classification of this plant. The first scientist who described cladophora was the famous Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus. In the middle of the 18th century, he introduced hisa scientific work in which he referred to this plant as Conferva aegagrophilia, which means "leafless algae."
Since then, in scientific terminology, the name of the globular algae has changed many times. Scientists did not reach a consensus until 2002, when biologists decided to give the cladophora the scientific name Aegagropila linnaei, after the researcher who first studied the algae.
Features of Cladophora
Algae has become popular in the world of aquariums because it is a wonderful decoration of the aquarium and an excellent natural filter that can purify large volumes of water. In addition, not everyone knows that it is used in industry in the production of glue, alcohol and strong paper. To date, more than 400 species of algae of the Cladophora family are known to science.
Kladofora has gained wide popularity due to its ability to carry out mechanical and biological water purification in the aquarium. In its natural environment, this alga grows comfortably only at the bottom of reservoirs, where there is limited lighting. Therefore, intensive lighting is not required for a normal life in an aquarium. Cladophora is unpretentious to the characteristics of water. Alkaline water with a little hardness will be acceptable. The most favorable temperature for it will be in the range of 20-22 degrees Celsius, which is not consistent with the conditions for keeping tropical fish.
Breeding and maintenance in the aquariumglobular cladophora
The plant reproduces vegetatively, dividing into parts from which new algal colonies grow. In addition, it can be divided mechanically using scissors. Then it is placed in a separate vessel with cool water, where the formation of new balls will take place. Another artificial method is heating water to a temperature of 24–25 degrees Celsius. In this case, the cladophora itself will fall apart. To keep cladophores in an aquarium, all that remains is to collect individual elements and place them in a separate container.
As a rule, its artificial reproduction in an aquarium does not make practical sense, since it is inexpensive and it is much easier to buy it than to breed it. Here, its main feature is its very slow growth.
Replacement of water for cladophora algae in an aquarium is no less important than for fish. This significantly reduces the amount of nitrates in the water and prevents contamination of Cladophora. In addition, do not forget about aeration and filtration, as well as measures that will have a beneficial effect on the spherical cladophora.
The aquarium should not contain an excess of detritus. Any "garbage" will have a detrimental effect on the algae. If it is nevertheless covered with debris and has changed in color, you just need to rinse it well and wring it out. It will easily recover after such cleaning, but it is better to treat it with care: place it in a separate container and rinse gently. An excellent solution for cleaning cladophora would be keeping aquarium shrimp. They willingly graze on it, eating all the settledtrash.
Possible problems during containment
Despite its unpretentiousness and the possibility of existence in a wide temperature range, the cladophora in the aquarium sometimes changes color, which is a kind of indicator of its he alth and successful growth. If she turned pale or completely white, this indicates an excess of light. The problem is well solved by moving the aquarium to a darker place.
Often, Cladophora can change its spherical shape, other algae appear on it, for example, filamentous ones. It is carefully taken out of the water, inspected and removed fouling. Sometimes you can observe the decay of cladophora. It is believed that this process occurs in case of too high water temperature or due to the accumulation of organic matter in algae. In this case, you just need to remove its blackened parts, and young balls will subsequently grow from the remaining elements.
Unusual use of seaweed
Some aquarium lovers keep Cladophora not only in its natural form, but also in a flat state. To do this, the ball is thoroughly washed with water, opened with scissors or a clerical knife. After that, it is leveled to a flat pad, which is fixed on a flat stone with a fishing line and carefully placed in the aquarium. After a while, the stone becomes overgrown with algae, and the fishing line is no longer visible. The final result is a rather beautiful green island in the aquarium.
Globular cladophora in nature
In its natural environment, it is found in the waters of the north of Iceland and Japan, adapted to the lack of light and river currents. The growth of this algae is very slow. For a year, cladophora grows only by 4–5 mm. The spherical shape makes it easy to move with the flow, ensures uninterrupted photosynthesis, regardless of which part of it is turned towards the light. Inside the ball has the same green color, it is covered with a layer of "sleeping" chloroplasts, which go into active mode if the plant breaks apart.
Bad Filamentous Cladophora
This variety of Cladophora is an algae with long, branched, dark green filaments. It has a stiffer and stronger structure than other types of thread.
In most cases, a bad cladophora is formed in the aquarium due to someone else's equipment or gets in with new algae and decor items. Its spores are able to survive for a long time without water and lighting. Such an alga feels comfortable both in the natural environment and in an aquarium. The main reasons for the appearance of this type of cladophora also include an insufficient amount of macronutrients in the aquarium. In addition, it often occurs in stagnant corners of the aquarium.
Filamentous cladophora in the aquarium
How to deal with aggressive algae that develops so quickly in the water? There are a number of effective measures for this.
The main method of struggle is its mechanical removal. It can be carried out both manually and with a special brush for cleaning aquariums. If the filamentous cladophora cannot be removed mechanically, decorations and equipment are removed from the aquarium and soaked in white.
In addition, the aquarium owner should balance the fertilizer supply. When the level of phosphate in the water drops, the cladophora in the aquarium actively develops. One way or another, it does not tolerate competition, which means that it is necessary to improve the growth of other aquarium plants with the help of carbon dioxide supply, a balanced supply of fertilizers. It also does not tolerate strong lighting and high temperatures.
Algaecides also help. This is a specialized preparation for combating aquarium algae. You can use 3% hydrogen peroxide. It is added to the aquarium water at a ratio of 20 ml / 100 liters. The clarification of the cladophora indicates that it can be exterminated. To ensure unconditional success, it is necessary to take all these measures in combination.
