Black moss appeared in the aquarium. Black beard in the aquarium. How to get rid of a black beard

To get rid of algae, black moss in an aquarium, the process is long and painstaking. The aquarist should stock up on patience and perseverance in order to withdraw. Below are the most common options for dealing with a black beard.

Settling with special fish and snails

And they can eat these types of algae. Other fish ignore them.

You can put these fish into an infected aquarium and wait until the unnecessary vegetation is done away with.

But, the beard is not very attractive food even for catfish, in the presence of other plants or food, the fish will ignore the algae. In order for the fish to start cleaning, they cannot be fed, which is not always convenient.

Ampoule snails readily absorb the black beard.

After cleaning all surfaces, the snails (or most of them) are caught from the tank.

Restarting the aquarium

Soil, decorative elements should be poured over with boiling water or boiled. Raspberry hot solution of potassium permanganate helps.

The fish house is cleaned from the inside with brushes and scrapers, washed with potassium permanganate or a solution of acetic acid. Pour boiling water over.

The compressor and filters also require thorough cleaning.

After cleaning, they are filled with fresh settled water, soil, plants and fish are launched.

Plant settlement

To force the beard out of the fish house, other plants will help: hygrophila, elodea, lemongrass, vallisneria.

Plants are planted as densely as possible. Gradually, they fill the entire space and stifle the black beard.

Change in water hardness

Sometimes it can help in destruction - a gradual change in water hardness. To increase the acidity of the water, a mixture of potassium chloride 10% and magnesium sulfate 7% is added, at the rate of 2 ml per 1 liter of water.

To change the environment to the alkaline side, add baking soda (0.2 g per liter).

Acetic acid

Antiseptics

Sometimes aquarists use furatsilin or boric acid for disinfection.

A popular remedy is Sidex, as well as Aldehyde + CO2.

This method cannot be considered good, since it is dangerous for fish.

Safe products are sold in pet stores. These are drugs that can be used in the presence of fish. They are effective in the initial stages of the appearance of a black beard.

Before use, you must read the instructions, some products are dangerous for shrimp.

Batteries

What is a black beard and its external signs

The scientific name for the black beard is Compsopogon.

The algae is brought in from outside, along with new plants or water containing purchased fish. The finest hairs are almost invisible.

The plant is not dangerous for fish.

Compsopogon harms other algae, growing over them and making it impossible to feed and breathe.

The appearance of the aquarium suffers the most - an unattractive dark mass of algae hides decorative elements, pollutes the glass.

Prevention of the appearance

To avoid water contamination will help:

• maintaining cleanliness in the aquarium;
• daily replacement of 10% water;
• regular cleaning of filters;
• compliance with the rules of planting fish;
• mandatory quarantine for newly acquired vegetation.

At the first appearance of black hairs of algae, you should immediately remove them from the aquarium, preventing growth.

Many aquarists often face such a common problem as the appearance of blackbeard algae. It is a bunch of small black threads that settle on the walls of the aquarium, decorative elements and aquarium plants. For fish, they do not pose any threat, but for vegetation this is a big problem.

Several important factors are associated with the appearance of algae:

• a new aquarium with an unsettled biobalance;
• rare change of water;
• overfeeding fish;
• Low light;
• the appearance of infected decorative elements, fish or plants;
• overcrowded aquarium;
• dirty filter.

First of all, you need to understand why the “beard” appeared. Most often this happens after buying aquarium plants. Therefore, in order to avoid trouble, "newcomers" are sent to quarantine before planting in the aquarium. If after a few days the leaves become covered with a dark coating, then such plants cannot be used. You can also treat the bushes with a disinfectant solution of hydrogen peroxide or manganese. This also applies to decorative elements.

An important role is played by the high concentration of organic substances in water. , a clogged filter, too much aeration, overfeeding the fish - all these are ideal conditions for the rapid development of algae. Therefore, the most effective way to fight is to comply with the conditions of the aquarium.

How to get rid of a black beard?

In the early stages, as soon as hairs have appeared, there are several effective ways to get rid of algae:

1. Remove all darkened plants, rinse and disinfect the filter.
2. Reduce aeration and raise the sprayer off the ground so that debris does not rise from the ground.
3. Fallen leaves, fish waste, food residues must be regularly removed from the bottom of the aquarium with a hose.
4. Buy fish. The diet of these fish includes black algae, which will do just fine in a couple of weeks. There is one prerequisite - for the fish to notice the black beard, they stop feeding them.

Restarting the aquarium

If the black beard still captured the aquarium, then you can resort to a radical way of fighting - restarting. For this you need:

1. Transfer the fish to another container.
2. Get the scenery, plants, drain the water and soil.
3. Disinfect the aquarium and decorations with a solution of manganese, hydrogen peroxide or boiling water.
4. The soil can be calcined in the oven or spilled with boiling water.
5. Plants are transplanted into quarantine and processed.
6. Launch an aquarium.

Specialized funds

Algaecides are widely used to control algal outbreaks. This is the fastest way to get rid of, but not always safe. Therefore, the choice of such a drug must be taken very responsibly.

To choose the right product, be sure to read the composition. Algicides containing copper sulfate can harm invertebrates (crayfish, snails, shrimp), some fish and plants. The safest drugs are drugs that include monolinuron or glutaraldehyde. They are liquid, in the form of fast-dissolving tablets, insoluble long-acting tablets.

Using these products, you can see the result after 3-4 days.

Prevention

• As a preventive measure, populate the aquarium with fish, snails or shrimps that feed on algae.
• Use fertilizers correctly - any overdose can provoke a rapid growth of algae.
• Plant your aquarium to the maximum with fast growing,
• The water temperature in the aquarium should not exceed 26 ° C.
• In order not to raise the concentration of nitrates and phosphates, change the water more often (15-30% of the volume of the aquarium once a week) or use specialized products.
• If the aeration in the aquarium is too strong, install a “flute” or “rain” (a tube with holes) at the filter outlet, which will break the flow into small jets.
• Light that is too weak or too bright can encourage algae growth. This also applies to direct sunlight.

Video

Why blackbeard algae appears in an aquarium, how to get rid of it once and for all - questions that most aquarium fish lovers face. Black beard is a weed plant, which is a thin dark green and black threads up to 2 cm long. Outwardly, the plant resembles dark-colored moss.

Another name for the weed is “Vietnamese”, since the algae was brought to Europe from this Asian country along with exotic plants. The danger of black algae in an aquarium is that it penetrates the tissues of plants, destroying them. Therefore, experienced aquarists try to prevent the spread of weeds. But even if such a problem arises, you should not panic, since you can remove a black beard with home remedies.

How to prevent the occurrence

Like any weed, the flip flops thrive in an aquarium that is rarely cleaned. It is able to grow rapidly and fill the entire space with itself.

If you do not fight the Vietnamese right away, then it will cover not only aquatic plants, but also the walls of the aquarium.

Algae will not harm the fish, but it will destroy the entire plant world, and the appearance of the aquarium will be far from perfect. In addition, there may be other reasons for the appearance of a black beard:

• rare change of water in the tank;
• the acquisition of new underwater plants or decorative items that are already infected with black beard;
• dim lighting and high temperature;
• overfeeding fish that feed on algae;
• too many fish in the aquarium.

Often it is not necessary to deal with a black beard if the cause of its appearance is identified and eliminated in time. As a rule, restoring the biological balance in the aquarium eliminates the problem once and for all. One of the simplest and most reliable ways is to add Siamese algae eaters and ancitruses to the aquatic inhabitants.

These fish feed on algae and are able to cope with even a large spread of weeds in a short time. Only fish need to be fed moderately so that they eat more algae. In the same way, ampoule snails will help get rid of the flip flops. But it will take about a hundred individuals no larger than 0.5 cm in size. After the snails have eaten all the weeds, remove them from the water so that they do not destroy other plants.

It is important to control the level of nitrates and phosphates in the water. Their source is both the fish themselves, so there should not be many of them, as well as various plant foods.

To prevent the appearance of a flip flops, it is better to choose fast-growing algae for the aquarium, which develop well with minimal top dressing. Before planting, they must be disinfected with bicillin or penicillin. Some aquarists treat plants with ordinary bleach, but this agent is too aggressive.

How to eliminate?

Often desperate aquarists resort to drastic measures using strong chemicals. Such products help to remove the infection from the aquarium in a few days, but they are detrimental to healthy plants and fish. It is better to treat the aquarium with chemicals when the plants are heavily infected and the fish are transferred to a separate container. Furacilin-based products cause the least harm to the flora, but they are toxic to shrimp, snails and some exotic fish. If they are not in the aquarium, then treatment with furatsilin preparations will remove black algae in a week.

The fight against the weed can be carried out not only by chemical means, since it will be possible to get rid of the black beard in the aquarium using home methods. From the aquarium, you need to get the affected algae and lower it into a prepared container with water. Then add a solution of 10 ml of whiteness and 200 ml of water there. This tool works instantly. Within 10 minutes, the dark leaves will first turn white, and then return to a healthy green color. But since we are fighting with the Vietnamese, immediately after staining the plant green, it must be washed under running water for 20 minutes, otherwise the whiteness will damage the tissues of healthy leaves.

To protect the plant from the recurrence of blackbeard, do not immediately return it to the aquarium. Let it stand for a while in a separate container with water.

Before fighting the Vietnamese, you can prepare a solution of 7% apple or table vinegar and water in a 1: 2 ratio. Only the leaves are dipped into this solution for 1-2 minutes, as the vinegar will burn the root. The plant is then returned to the aquarium.

Often the aquarist complains that he removed the container, and I fight with the Vietnamese, but I can’t remove it. What to do if there are too many algae affected by the Vietnamese in the aquarium? In such cases, you can not do without restarting the aquarium. This is a long and difficult process, but it will be possible to achieve the complete destruction of black algae. First of all, it is necessary to prepare a temporary container for the fish, where they could comfortably live for 3-4 days.

Sometimes the only way to get rid of the problem is to restart the aquarium.

When the aquarium is free, you need to drain the water. The soil is poured into a separate container. Vietnamese spores die at high temperatures, so the soil should be kept in the oven or heated in a saucepan. Decorative elements can also be heat treated, but not all products will withstand this. Therefore, it is better to carefully treat them with a solution of potassium permanganate or bleach. You can also use hydrogen peroxide.

The aquarium is not treated with bleach, as it is very difficult to eliminate the smell of the product. It is better to just pour boiling water over the container.

The situation is more complicated with plants. It is best to throw them away, as it is not always possible to completely remove spores from them. If some plants are weakly infected, then you can try to save them. To do this, first remove all the darkened leaves, and the remaining healthy part is dipped in a disinfectant solution. Plants are quarantined for 2-3 days, after which the aquarium is restarted.

The appearance of a harmful algae called "black beard" is one of the most annoying and serious problems for aquarium owners. Dark patina and fine hairs dot all surfaces: from walls and soil to decor and algae, and significantly spoil the appearance of the entire ecosystem. How to get rid of the black beard in the aquarium?

What is a black beard and what does it look like

Blackbeard is an algae that spreads quickly in your artificial pond, covering underwater surfaces in a continuous dark carpet. Also known as compsopogon (Compsopogon coeruleus), Black Brush Algae (BBA) or acid algae. It should not be confused with the red beard (Red Brush Algae) or Vietnamese - with external similarities, these are two completely different plants.

The black beard grows rapidly throughout the plant and is difficult to get rid of.

BBA belongs to the group of red algae. And although the natural color of the bushes varies from dark green to dark gray and even deep black, after a short exposure to alcohol, they acquire a pronounced reddish tint.

The fact that a pest has appeared in the aquarium is evidenced by small dark-colored spots on the decorations or leaves of aquarium plants. An adult compsopogon looks like a cluster of filaments about 1.5–2 cm long, hard and rough to the touch. For the external resemblance to the bristles, the plant got its unusual name.

Having approached the plants, dark brushes cover their stems and grow along the edge of the leaves and their tops. They breed intensively in areas with fast water movement and quickly become attached to the walls of the aquarium, the ground and decorations.

The most radical way to combat the pest is the firing of scenery and soil. You can also simply "restart the aquarium" by removing all infected plants. But these methods require a lot of time and effort.

Algae frames the leaves of the plant and spoils their appearance.

Reasons for the appearance

A fluffy carpet of black beard covers a snag in an aquarium

Blackbeard can appear in any aquarium, but there are a number of factors that increase the risk of its occurrence and development. Let's talk about these factors in more detail.

1. Aquarium resettlement. Fish are a source of phosphates and nitrates, so loved by the blackbeard. Therefore, in overcrowded aquariums, this algae feels more comfortable.
2. Burrowing fish. Large catfish and other burrowing fish often pick up turbidity from the surface of the ground. It becomes a favorable environment for the development of the pest.
3. Refeeding the fish. If the fish are regularly overfed, a high concentration of organic matter is formed in the aquarium, which is a nutrient medium for growth.
4. New plants. Along with new plants, unexpected guests can also get into the aquarium. To prevent this from happening, newcomers should be quarantined and only then moved to an artificial reservoir.
5. Rare water changes. The less frequently there is a change of water in the aquarium, the higher the likelihood of a black beard.
6. Weak filtration. With poor filtration, water is not sufficiently cleaned of organic residues and turbidity, which are a favorable environment for the appearance of algae.
7. Physical wear of the lamps. Old fluorescent lamps gradually lose their former brightness. In dim light, algae develop especially intensively.
8. Hard and acidic water. In water with high hardness and acidity, the bearded pest feels better than in water with normal indicators.

There is a great way to reduce the volume of organic matter in an aquarium - activated carbon in an external filter. Just put it inside and in a couple of days you will notice the result.

Ways to deal with black beard in the aquarium

If the alga does not want to voluntarily leave the conquered territory, they get rid of it with the help of household and special means.

household products

Peroxide

Three percent hydrogen peroxide is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:20. Pour into the aquarium gradually, adding a filter to the jet. After 30–60 minutes, change 30–50% of the water. Siphon the soil, removing organic remains of food and plants from it.

Vinegar

This method is only suitable for hard-leaved plants. Vinegar is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:35. The plant (except for the roots) is immersed in the resulting solution for 10-15 minutes, then it is washed well and returned to the aquarium. You can use apple cider vinegar instead of regular vinegar.

Potassium permanganate

A light pink solution of potassium permanganate is prepared and the plants are kept in it. Hard-leaved plants take a bath with potassium permanganate for an hour, soft and tender - about 30 minutes.

Furazolidone

All inhabitants are removed from the aquarium. Dissolve several tablets of furazolidone or furacilin and incubate for several days. Under the influence of drugs, the water may turn yellow.

Special funds

Sidex (Johnson & Johnson)

Sidex is also an additional plant food and beneficial bacteria.

This universal medical solution is sold with an activator powder. The activator is thrown away, and the solution is added to the aquarium at the rate of 15–20 ml for every 100 liters of water. Duration of treatment - no more than 2 weeks.

Under the action of the drug, the water in the aquarium may become cloudy. This is how its effect on the flora and fauna of the micro-reservoir is manifested.

Algicide + CO2 (AquaYer)

Turn off the filter. After 10-15 minutes, the drug is added to the water at the rate of 10-15 ml for every 100 liters of water. With smooth movements, the beard is treated with medicine from a syringe. The leaves of nearby plants can get burned. For shrimp, the medicine is not dangerous.

Before using the drug, it is necessary to make sure at the minimum dosages that the fish will tolerate its presence.

Algafix (API)

The drug Algafix is ​​detrimental to crustaceans, so it can only be used in an aquarium with fish.

Easy Carbo Easy Life

Increases the competitive power of plants against algae

In accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, add 1-2 ml of solution per 50 liters of aquarium water daily. After a few days, bearded algae should change their color to whitish or pinkish. Once this has happened, the treatment is stopped.

Prevention of the appearance of a black beard

Algae covers any surface, including decorative stones and soil

Keeping the Aquarium Clean

Maintaining cleanliness is especially important to prevent pest infestation. This algae absorbs the remains of organic matter that settle on its villi. To prevent the growth of a black beard, you need to regularly remove organic sediment.

Water should be changed once a week, each time renewing 25-30% of the total volume. In a heavily neglected and clogged aquarium, the water is changed every day, after cleaning it with an ion-exchange filter. This method does not work immediately, but after 2-3 months the number of beards is significantly reduced.

Dying plants are fertile ground for the reproduction of bearded algae. They must be removed from the aquarium immediately.

Cleaner fish and snails

There are also environmentally friendly methods of dealing with black beard. They involve the use of herbivorous cleaner fish and snails.

fish

Harmful algae are eaten with pleasure by Ancistrus catfish, Siamese algae-eaters, Labeo, mollies and fish of the carp-tooth family. In about a week, they are able to completely clear the aquarium of uninvited guests.

In order for the inhabitants of the aquarium to quickly destroy the pest, they must be kept on a starvation diet. Other fish for the time of "treatment" should be deposited in a separate container.

For catfish, it is necessary to create artificial twilight for 40 minutes a day. During this time, the fish actively eat harmful weeds in the underwater garden.

ampoule snails

Ampoules cope with the pest as effectively as herbivorous fish. It is best to launch about a hundred small snails no larger than a match head. After the kids have completely coped with the task, they must be removed from the aquarium, otherwise they will begin to grow and eat everything green in their path.

Thus, the black beard is not a pest plant, but it does not bring benefits to the aquarium either. To avoid the appearance of a fluffy carpet on the walls, plants and soil, it is necessary to monitor the cleanliness of the home reservoir, clean its bottom, change the water in a timely manner, and prevent too dense settlement and overfeeding of the inhabitants.

Creating a unique, inimitable and well-maintained aquarium with healthy inhabitants is the dream of all aquarists. But, unfortunately, there are also cases when a rather unpleasant problem appears in your aquarium, dramatically spoiling the appearance of both the aquarium itself and the plants living in it - blackbeard algae or (Vietnamese).

So, black beard in aquarium- This is a weed algae, which is a plexus of small dark green and black villi. Tightly covers the leaves and trunks of plants, driftwood, literally everything that is in your aquarium.

A black beard in an aquarium in a short time is able to weave a continuous carpet of its threads, penetrate deep into the tissues of plants and tightly attach to hard surfaces, causing great harm to the plants living in it. Although this algae is not dangerous for the inhabitants, it is necessary and necessary to fight it.

Causes of a black beard

This weed can live in any aquarium, but the main reasons for its rapid, progressive growth are a violation of the nitrogen cycle, lack of oxygen, improper lighting of the aquarium, its overpopulation or overfeeding of fish. Here are a few reasons for the appearance of black moss.

1 . If you ignore ongoing aquarium maintenance, don't do regular water changes or complete water changes if necessary, don't clean your aquarium regularly, you can bet black beard will show up in your tank.

2. This weed can easily get into the aquarium when new plants are planted. Therefore, be sure to check them for black beard before planting them in the aquarium. This is easy to do, just lower the new plant into the water, when swaying, small black villi will be immediately noticeable. Such plants should never be planted in an aquarium. You should also do the same with other items that you want to put in the aquarium, be it rocks, driftwood or any other decorative element.

3. Overcrowded aquariums are Blackbeard's favorite haunt. After all, nitrates and phosphates are the best stimulation of the growth of this algae. And fish, especially in large numbers, is a source of phosphates and nitrates. Constantly monitor the population of the aquarium and periodically transplant excess fish into other containers or aquariums.

4. Keep an eye on the lighting of your aquarium. Periodically, as necessary, change the lamps, as dim light is a very favorable environment for the reproduction and growth of a black beard.

5. The remains of food that fell into the ground when overfeeding fish is a favorable environment for the growth of algae, including black beard. Try not to overfeed the fish, do not forget - it is better to underfeed than overfeed, this is a proven truth.

6. Insufficient filtration in the aquarium can also encourage algae growth.

How to get rid of a black beard in an aquarium?

Blackbeard, of course, does not pose a direct danger to fish, but will do a lot of harm to healthy plants in the aquarium, especially slow-growing ones. And of course, from the aesthetic side, such an aquarium does not look very attractive. Few people will enjoy looking at the black, unpleasant algae that fill literally everything in the aquarium. It is possible to deal with this, although it is difficult. How to get rid of black algae in an aquarium , and in what ways? Today there are two ways to do this:

1. Biological method.

2. Chemical way.

Biological approach

1. Transplant the fish and all plants to another container or aquarium. Remove black moss from all aquarium surfaces. The soil must be boiled. All snags, stones and other decorative elements should be thoroughly washed and disinfected. Plants should also be cleaned and, if necessary, severely affected plants removed to avoid re-infestation.

2. Also, to destroy the black beard, you can use fish - the so-called algae eaters. Also use neretin snails, they also perfectly clean the aquarium from algae, the main condition is not to feed them. And in a week your aquarium will be much cleaner.

3. Fast growing higher plants such as hornwort can be used to control black beard. These plants are a kind of aquarium orderlies, preventing and reducing the growth of moss and silt.

4. In an already cleaned aquarium, you need to turn off the aeration and make the water flow minimal, periodically clean the bottom, clean the windows and change the water, darken the aquarium (when carbon dioxide is supplied, on the contrary, increase daylight hours). With an increase in pH to 8 - 9, the black beard dies.

Chemical approach

The chemical method does not require so much time and effort from you, so it is more often used to combat black beard than the biological one.

For the chemical method of struggle, there are a lot of tips on how to use them. On our website you will find safe antiseptics and, to combat various algae, including black beard, as well as other drugs that prevent the water from blooming, leaving it clean and fresh for a long time.

Prevention of black beard in aquariums

Now that we have figured out what a black beard is and how you can fight it, it will not be superfluous to recall preventionsuch an unpleasant event.

1. Try to clean the aquarium regularly, collect dead plants and change the water on time.

2. Try not to give the fish too much food, the fish should eat the food within 3-4 minutes. And if this does not happen, reduce the amount of feed.

3. Try not to overload the aquarium with excess fish and remove excess individuals in time to other containers.

By adhering to these simple rules, you can admire the beauty of your aquarium for many years.