In any aquarium, the Cladophora plant is an intriguing addition. Its distinct look, which frequently resembles a soft, green ball, distinguishes it from other common aquatic plants. It not only gives your underwater ecosystem a decorative touch, but it also has several advantages.
Cladophora is a hardy and low-maintenance plant that is great for novice and expert aquarium keepers alike. By absorbing excess nutrients, it can help keep the water clean by preventing the growth of undesirable algae. It also gives tiny fish and invertebrates a natural habitat to live in, giving them somewhere to hide and explore.
Cladophora is a plant that is worth taking into consideration if you want to improve the aesthetics of your aquarium or find a low-maintenance plant that improves the health of your tank. Aquarium enthusiasts favor this adaptable and visually pleasing option because it can flourish in a range of environments.
| Feature | Details |
| Type | Algae |
| Growth Rate | Slow |
| Light Requirement | Low to Moderate |
| CO2 Requirement | Not necessary |
| Water Temperature | 15-25°C (59-77°F) |
| pH Level | 6.0-8.5 |
| Care Level | Easy |
| Placement | Foreground |
| Propagation | Division |
| Special Notes | Can be shaped into a ball |
Types
Cladophora come in two varieties for aquarists:
- Spherical (Aegagropyla Linnaeus) – a noble plant that is specially placed in the aquarium as a decoration. It looks beautiful in the water and has a number of useful properties. In appearance, it resembles a ball, velvety and soft.
- Wandering – it is not specially placed in the aquarium, but is usually brought in with other plants or on the scales of fish. It is hard threads that float in the aquarium and quickly multiply.
Some species of this plant are restricted to rivers and other bodies of water; they are not found in aquariums.
Useful properties of algae
Aquarists have come to love spherical cladophora because of its practical qualities:
- it has high decorative qualities, looks unusual in an aquarium and has a pleasant color;
- passes large volumes of water through itself, filtering it;
- cleans the liquid from nitrates;
- is an additional source of oxygen for the inhabitants of the tank;
- collects on its surface the products of the vital activity of fish and particles of their food, preventing the water from becoming polluted.
It is best to keep it with the smaller, fry crustaceans. Shrimp control the size of the balls by consuming delicate threads. The simplest microorganisms, called ciliates, are found in the bushes and provide extra food for small fish. They turn into an extra food source for fries.
How to get rid of a stray variety
It is advisable to eradicate stray cladophora. It will soon cover the entire aquarium if you don’t take this action. Usually, areas with stagnant water are home to the initial colonies of this algae. Subsequently, it extends along the aquarium’s walls and bottom, tangling tubes and hoses.
Allowing roving cladophora to spread will eventually cause problems for the aquarium’s inhabitants:
- reduces the amount of light entering the water;
- prevents the enrichment of water with oxygen;
- absorbs useful minerals from the water;
- interferes with the free movement of fish.
Algae can be eliminated in various methods. You can utilize a standard net until their colony has become excessively large. Its assistance makes it simple to identify individual cladophora threads that are wandering.
A new colony can be formed by any weed bush that has been torn off. As a result, first push the algae into a single area and aim the oxygen supply hose at its filaments.
If the colony has expanded, mechanical removal might not be successful. As such, it makes sense to employ alternative techniques:
- Using young Amano shrimp. They clean the aquarium well if you put them in it hungry. For a 100-liter tank, you will need at least 30 individuals.
- Chemical control method. For this, you will need to stop filtering the water, turn off the compressor, and move the fish and other inhabitants to a separate container. For 100 liters of water, you will need 10 ml of algaecide, it is released into the water with a syringe in places where algae accumulate. Such treatments will need to be done at least 5-10. Filters and aeration can be turned on only 20-30 minutes after using the chemical.
The majority of aquarists would rather use a chemical to combat stray cladophora.
By utilizing all available means to combat the detrimental variety, aquarists attempt to tame the beneficial variety by establishing the most favorable conditions for its growth. Linnaeus’s aegagropila can develop to its full potential all year long if you:
- You will maintain a fairly low temperature in the aquarium – from 18 to 20 degrees.
- Every week you will renew up to 30% of the total volume of water. Continuous filtration will help to maintain an attractive appearance. The plant develops better in clean water.
- You will achieve optimal water hardness and acidity in the aquarium. If the environment is alkaline and the water is excessively hard, the plant will begin to disintegrate into separate fragments, and eventually die.
- Moderately illuminate the underwater garden with fluorescent lamps with a power of about 0.5 W / l.
If there are other residents in the aquarium that need the water to be salted, it is acceptable to do so. Cladophora are resistant to water with a salt content of up to 5%.
The plant needs to be rinsed with clean water if a coating forms on its surface or if the algae starts to turn brown. After giving it a quick squeeze with your hand, put it back in the aquarium. Allow the water used to clean the cladophora to settle before adding any chlorine particles to the tank.
How to plant
The fact that egagropila can plant without soil is one of its characteristics. It is normally arranged on the bottom and then roams freely throughout the aquarium. The emergence of tiny bubbles on the balls’ surface indicates that photosynthesis is active in its threads during the day. The algae now floats to the top. They descend to the bottom as the oxygen is used up. Usually in the evening, this takes place.
Some aquarists would rather the algae just decorate the bottom of the tank rather than float in the water. In this instance, the ball is carefully cut open with scissors (it has to be cleaned beforehand and only treated tools can be used), and the resultant flap is then laid out on a sizable stone and fastened with fishing line. The finished ornament is then dropped into the aquarium. The stone will eventually become totally entangled in the algae, making the fishing line invisible.
Reproduction
Two techniques are available to facilitate the growth of the algae:
- Fever-up to 24-26 degrees. In such conditions, the plant actively grows, disintegrates into separate fragments. They need to be collected and placed in a separate container of any volume, after some time, new spherical cladophora will be obtained from these fragments. It is not recommended to keep the temperature in the main aquarium above 22 degrees for more than 2 months, since in this case the plant will begin to die. Set the temperature in a separate container to about 20 degrees.
- If you do not want to wait for the aegagropyles to begin to disintegrate on their own, help the plant without changing the conditions of maintenance. To do this, select the largest specimen, tear it apart with your hands and place these parts in a separate tank with cool water.
You’ll need to wait a while to obtain fresh algae specimens. If you establish ideal conditions for their upkeep, the growth will occur quickly and consistently.
Why cladophora does not grow
The plant does not grow larger for an extended period of time or could not be propagated for a number of reasons:
- water hardness and acidity are set incorrectly;
- water is not clean enough;
- shrimp activity, eating the threads of the balls;
- defeat by green or blue-green algae.
Aquarists most of the time just don’t wait for fresh cladophora balls to form. Up to a year may pass during this process.
An eye-catching and distinctive addition to any aquarium is cladophora. It’s a popular choice among aquarists because of its spherical shape and vibrant green color, which can enhance the visual appeal of your tank. In addition to being beautiful, Cladophora has functional uses as well. By absorbing nutrients and acting as a home for helpful bacteria, it helps to keep water clean.
Because Cladophora can survive in a variety of water conditions and needs little care, it is comparatively easy to care for. To maintain its health and stop it from spreading too much, perform routine maintenance like gently rolling the balls and making sure there is enough lighting. To prevent possible problems with overgrowth, it is crucial to keep an eye on its growth.
All things considered, Cladophora is a great option for novices and seasoned aquarium enthusiasts alike. It is a great addition to any tank because of how simple it is to maintain and how beneficial it is for the ecosystem of the aquarium. You can take advantage of this plant’s aesthetic qualities and practical benefits for your aquatic environment by learning about it and taking care of it properly.
Cladophora is a special kind of algae that gives aquariums a beautiful and useful touch. It is sometimes mistaken for moss. Cladophora, which is distinguished by its spherical form and soft, velvety texture, improves the aesthetic appeal of your tank while also assisting in the maintenance of water quality by absorbing excess nutrients. Aquarium enthusiasts favor this resilient, low-maintenance plant because it is ideal for novices and can flourish in a range of environments.
