Cladophora globular: keeping in the aquarium and reproduction

Globular Cladophora is a popular plant in the world of aquaristics that attracts fans of home artificial reservoirs with its unusual shape. In addition, this is a rather picky representative of the flora, although it requires compliance with certain maintenance rules.

In nature, culture grows in Eurasia, it can often be found on the islands located near the mainland. In its natural environment, the plant prefers to develop in cool reservoirs with a weakened current. The densest specimens can be seen in lakes on the Japanese island of Hokkaido and in northern Iceland.

This plant is a type of algae that, under some conditions, is capable of taking the shape of a ball. This is not a higher aquatic plant and not moss, although for simplicity of syllable it is sometimes called aquarium moss.

The formed ball has a dense structure and a perfectly round silhouette... In general, this phenomenon is formed due to the combination of several specimens of cladophora. Plants intertwine and form a spherical shape.

The surface of the ball looks like bright green or dark green moss. If a brown or yellowish precipitate is observed, then it can be assumed that the culture is being kept under unfavorable conditions.

The ball inside is also green. The plants from which it is composed have a radial direction, which forms the basis of the structure. The inner layer contains dormant chloroplasts. If the ball is divided, then the chloroplasts will take an active state. Balls formed by old plants have a completely hollow interior.

The culture, like other representatives of lower algae, has no roots, and thanks to this, it is very interesting to observe the life of the ball. So, the daily cycle is divided into two stages: in the morning the moss is located at the bottom, and in the afternoon and evening it floats to the surface. Observing the process allows the aquarist to admire the beauty of a natural phenomenon. This feature is explained by the fact that many oxygen bubbles collect in the mossy upper layer, which force the plant to float. On the surface, the bubbles disappear, and the ball returns to the bottom.

One such figure is usually 8-12 cm in diameter. Development and growth time is determined by the temperature of the water.

As a rule, aquarists do not like to grow lower algae - they pollute the container and can negatively affect the health of the fish. But the peculiarity of the cladophore is that it has the opposite properties. The formed ball is able to clean water and enrich it with oxygen. In addition, such an interesting phenomenon in the aquarium looks very unusual in aesthetic terms.

However, for the full development of this biological filter several content rules must be followed... First of all, pay attention to the indicators of water. The culture will grow well with acidity 4-6, hardness up to 7 units and at a temperature of 22 degrees... If the temperature rises, then the ball begins to grow ugly and unevenly, to deform. Having seen such a phenomenon, it is necessary to lower the water temperature for a month - during this time the ball will return to its previous neat shape.

In addition, the plant prefers to thrive in clear water, so every week you should change 1/3 of the volume of the aquarium. It is imperative to equip the tank external or internal filter.

It is undesirable to allow excessively bright lighting when growing a culture, as this threatens the accumulation of oxygen bubbles. Lights should illuminate the aquarium moderate, restrained light.

If the aquarist noticed that the ball was covered with a dark brown coating, then it can be assumed that he needs rinsing... You can rinse the cladofora in cool water, and then squeeze out a little water. This procedure is able to return the plant to a beautiful rich green color.

If the algae has taken a different shape, then it is periodically rolled so that it becomes spherical again. Some aquarists make aquarium carpets from the plant by cutting them to shape them to the desired shape. To do this, divide the moss and press each part down so that it becomes flat.

Sometimes the plant grows so much that thinning is required. To eliminate unnecessary copies, they are removed mechanically. Also, to maintain the required amount, shrimps are added to the aquarium.

When caring for a plant, it is important to monitor its condition, sometimes it indicates problems in the maintenance of the entire aquarium world. The following signs should alert you.

• The ball has lost its brightness. This may indicate a violation of water performance or an excess of lighting.
• The formation of light or yellow fibers from one part may indicate insufficient flow. In such a situation, the plant is turned over.
• Deformation indicates an increase in temperature. Overgrowth also leads to this. Elimination of surpluses and control of the thermostat will help to solve the problem.
• Black spots or spontaneous decay indicates a putrefactive process or death of the plant. With healthy fibers, the colony can be rebuilt.

Cladophora is not only a natural filter for the aquarium, but also a source of nutrients for aquarium inhabitants.For example, shrimps love to feast on this alga, therefore they are often grown in small quantities in the same container with the presented culture. You can put the ball in a jig with fry: ciliates accumulate on the fibers, which can become full-fledged food for the young.

When choosing a neighborhood, keep in mind that the cladophore will not develop normally in warm water, which means that its potential neighbors will also have to be kept at 22 degrees. Catfish, crayfish, goldfish will become not the most favorable neighbors. These creatures quickly gnaw at the plant.

You can breed mosses vegetatively in two ways:

• naturally;
• in an artificial way.

In nature, the cladophore reproduces when the temperature rises to 26 degrees. The process looks like the disintegration of a spherical moss into several parts, from which fresh colonies are formed.

Artificial propagation is as follows:

• first, the aquarist raises the water temperature by 2-3 degrees;
• then a medium-sized fragment is separated from the ball;
• the resulting share is planted in a separate container.

The annual growth is only 10 mm, and at temperatures up to 20 degrees - 5 mm. A full-fledged ball is formed in 1-2 years. If the aquarist is patient and wishes to become the owner of a large 20 cm ball, he will have to wait for 15 years.

Most aquarists do not want to waste time on such a long process as cladophora breeding, but prefer to buy new copies from pet stores. The plant is offered in almost every pet department and is very inexpensive.

For information on the features of globular cladophores, see the next video.