Thread algae belong to the group of green algae. The name says it all, they form long threads and occur even when the water quality is good, often when there is a high supply of nutrients and strong sunshine or sunshine. strong lighting in the aquarium. Thread algae grow as early as spring. They can mix with plants and significantly cloud the water. With extreme reproduction, even fish in the pond or aquarium can die.
causes
Whether in the garden pond or in the aquarium, fish encourage the growth of algae.
- Excess fish food decomposes in the water. The nutrients favor algae growth
- Fish droppings are also a good fertilizer. The more fish, the more nutrients
- Dead plant parts, as well as in the pond, as well as in the aquarium
- In the pond there is also rain, which washes in fertilizer and soil
- Leaves can also fall into the pond, decompose over time and release nutrients
- Pond soil also ensures an oversupply of nutrients
In principle, the same scenario occurs every year in the garden pond. In spring there is a short algae bloom caused by floating algae. This cannot be prevented and is also part of the pond's self-cleaning process. The mass multiplication of algae means that the existing nutrients, mainly phosphates and nitrates, are consumed. When the food is largely used up, the floating algae die. The water becomes clear again.
solutions
If this doesn't work naturally, it is sufficient to pump the pond water through a suitable UV-C lamp. Floating algae clump together and are caught by the pond filter. The water is now clear, which not only has advantages. The sun can now penetrate to the bottom of the pond, whereby the thread algae begin to multiply. It goes very quickly. Thread algae get stuck everywhere and can become a real nuisance. In order to get rid of them, consistent fishing and deprivation of nutrients helps. This can be achieved in a number of ways.
Fish off thread algae
The easiest thing to do first is to fish out the algae. That works pretty well with a broomstick
Well. You just pull it through the water, from left to right and vice versa. The long, thread-like algae simply wrap around the stem and can be easily removed. The smaller ones can be fished out at the end with a landing net or net. Algae are great for composting, so don't throw them away!Water change
Regular water changes can work wonders. However, around 30 percent of the water volume should be replaced, which is a lot for large ponds. It is important that the water is changed at regular intervals. This is of course easier with an aquarium than with a garden pond, but it is important for both bodies of water. It is not clear whether rain or tap water is more suitable. The scholars argue. Some say rainwater is too acidic, others say tap water is too nutrient-rich, which promotes algal bloom. What is certain is that not all water is created equal. Depending on the residential area and where the drinking water comes from, the quality can be very different. Well water usually contains too much phosphate. In any case, you should have the water quality tested.
Fast growing aquatic plants
Fast-growing aquatic plants use up a lot of nutrients. These are no longer available to the algae. Below I have put together some plants that grow quickly. Not all are winter hardy, so they have to be removed from the pond and overwintered in the aquarium. Water lilies, which are so popular for ponds, are not among the useful plants that are important for the biological balance in the pond. They're just plain beautiful, but that's a plus too. Another advantage of aquatic plants is that they shade the water, especially floating plants and tall plants around the edges that provide shade.
- Horn leaf (hornwort)
- Waterweed
- Ground nettle
- Crab claw
- Brazilian mill leaf
- Fir fronds
- Mexican oak leaf
- Small duckweed
- Water hyacinth
- Swimming rice
- Water lily clover fern
- Shell flower
- Tufted fern
- European frog bite
- Floating milkweed
Tip: The combination of fast-growing aquatic plants and changing water is ideal. This removes a lot of algae. Algae-eating fish and invertebrates take care of the rest.
Reduce nutrients
Thread algae can be starved. You have to deprive them of the nutrients. There are various ways of doing this.
1. Shade water surface, at least one third
- Above and underwater plants
- Awning
The plants not only provide shade, they also provide oxygen in the water. They also consume nutrients, mainly phosphate and nitrate. Water hyacinths are ideal for water purification.
2. Phosphate bond
Algae growth stalls when there is no longer enough phosphate available. Unfortunately, very low values are enough for them. Well water is often particularly rich in phosphate. It is therefore advisable to have well water tested. There are special phosphate binders to bind phosphate. These work for about two months, so that there is little food left for the algae. Quite a lot is required. Success occurs after about two weeks, because thread algae survive that long even without food. It is best to use the phosphate binder in the filter from autumn through to spring. During this time the pond plants do not grow or take in any food.
Tip: There are different phosphate binders, not all of them are natural.
3. bacteria
Certain bacteria are able to convert the nutrients phosphate and nitrate to make them usable for other organisms. If the overall conditions are right, the algae can be starved. The bacterial mixture Ema lactic acid bacteria from Emiko was tested. In addition, a suitable sugar cane molasses nutrient solution was used.
The bacterial mixture is propagated according to the instructions and is ready for use after 7 days. You can simply add the liquid to the water or the filter. The bacteria activate the biological degradation. Corresponding temperatures are decisive, they have to be around 20 ° C, not too warm, not too cold. The nice thing is that the bacteria are completely harmless to humans, animals and plants. It is important that there is enough oxygen because the bacteria use a lot of it at work.
4. Seaweed powder
There are also differences when it comes to algae powders. A natural remedy is e.g. B. the one based on salicylic acid. The remedy has to be used about twice a month. It removes nutrients from the water. Overdosing is not harmful.
Do not use algae powder with copper sulphate. In the long term, this can cause great damage in the water, even if it says on the packaging: "... harmless to animals and plants".
5. Regular pond maintenance
Pond care includes, for example, that in autumn the leaves that land on the water surface are quickly fished off,
In addition, dead plant remains of the pond plants must be removed regularly. This affects the plants in and around the pond. Dead animals also provide plenty of nutrients, so remove them as quickly as possible.
Prevent nutrient entry - prevention
Prevention is better than cure. Not that many nutrients should get into the pond in the first place. This cannot be completely avoided, but the measures make all sorts of things in the crowd.
- Pay attention to the position of the pond when planning. There should be no deciduous trees or bushes in the immediate vicinity, even if they are good shade providers. Instead, choose evergreen trees or provide artificial shade, e.g. B. with awning
- Lay the pond in such a way that rain cannot wash soil into the pond
- Do not use any soil in the pond, ideally also no pond soil. Simply place plants between stones, pebbles or the like.
- Many floating plants also shade the pond well and grow without any substrate, they only swim on the surface of the water
- Still plant a lot of plants for the water's edge, they improve the water quality immensely and are food competitors of the algae
- Remove dead plants regularly
- Without fish, the biological balance is much easier to maintain
- If there are fish in the pond, then only a few
- Fish the leaves regularly. It must not sink to the bottom where it will rot and release nutrients. It is best to cover the pond with a net in autumn.
- Skim off dead algae; when they decompose, lots of nutrients are created again
- Install pond filter
Conclusion
Algae are natural. An algae-free pond or aquarium, on the other hand, is not natural. It is important to find the golden mean. Probably nobody has anything against a certain number of thread algae, only they should not multiply en masse. It is easier to pour some kind of agent into the pond than laboriously fishing off algae and changing the water frequently, but the pond or pond can be cleaned more naturally. do not keep the aquarium clean.
A basic requirement to find out why too many algae populate the water is an accurate water analysis. This must be carried out in a suitable laboratory. There you will often get tips on what needs to be improved and how this can be achieved.
Anyone who intervenes heavily in the cycle of nature should not be surprised if the natural equilibrium is upset. Unfortunately, many of the anti-algae agents that have been identified as being fish and plant-friendly are not. Many users have already had this painful experience, others will still do it. Of course, providing clean water is safer, albeit more labor-intensive. Lots of plants in the water, little fish stocking, not much feeding, fishing off algae and changing the water, in most cases nothing more is necessary.