How to grow algae for an aquarium at home?

Novice aquarists who decide to practice

growing plants , are often asked questions on the forums: how to apply fertilizers, how to supply CO2, how to plant, how to prune, what to do with black bloom on the leaves, etc. and so on ... They are usually advised to "achieve balance" ... And this is certainly true, but all this general words, there is no instruction such as: "How to achieve balance in the aquarium, step by step ..." Recently, I am also often asked about similar topics and the idea came to me to write such an instruction based on my own experience. Why not? After all, we all launch new banks and use the same launch schemes and parole.

In order to immediately avoid the wrath of the great gurus, who are always and everywhere, I will give a photo of my aquarium (at the bottom of the article) and how it looks at the time of this writing. Since the launch, all this has passed through all types of algae without chemistry and technical means such as CO2 cylinders, external filters, UV lamps ... Ordinary T4 6400k daylight lamps stand instead of the standard ones, as I wrote earlier ... No super-spectra and similar super-means for super loot no!

The instruction I will most likely get multivariate, and the number of options will depend on the goals of the aquarist and the initial conditions .. However, it seemed to me possible to average it so to speak)) Therefore, I decided not to take the initial conditions into account at all! No, no, I'm not feverish and I'm not delirious)) But since we need to achieve a balance, it means there is still no balance ... which means that the initial conditions are as they are. Well, I think it will be clearer further ...

Perhaps I'll start with the simplest option: the aquarist grows plants for himself and the growth rate of plants is not important for him. If only it was clean and without algae. A gardener-aquarist does not grow plants for sale in bulk, does not cut them after three days and does not have technical devices such as CO2 installations and expensive parole, which, by the way, for example, I did not need at all. As I already wrote, I use my self)

So the first option and let's call it:

Growing plants in the simplest way.

We have an aquarium 1 or 6 months old with a flip-flop, a beard and black bloom on the leaves, the water is clean but periodically come out, green threads, sometimes blue-green (for example, in the ground or at the roots) ... The light in the aquarium is just very important. LIGHT AND NOT SUPER LAMPS! For example, I have ordinary fluorescent lamps, but: 100 watts per 140 liters ...

Let's start, as it was previously suggested, with a change of water. But first, let's take a couple of steps. To do this, we need clay balls and udo, which are described by me below.

Step one: We plant the aquarium tightly with plants such as valisneria, hornwort, hygrophila and, for example, rotal indica ... In short, we add cheap but very unpretentious plants that grow quickly and are designed to consume excess nitrates and phosphates. Plants are selected by me so that there are both lovers of nitrates (hornwort) and big lovers of phosphates, or rather quickly absorbing them - as a rule, plants actively give aerial roots and are ready to eat not only leaves ... By the way, contrary to popular belief, it perfectly eats both nitrates and phosphates Well, this is so, by the way I had to ... The main problem is the amount of fish and organic matter in the water. That's why

Step two: We cultivate in the ground, EXACTLY IN THE GROUND, the culture of nitrobacteria. I would recommend Nitrivek, I use it myself when starting ..Why in the ground? Because since the water is full of organic matter, the filter (simple, with a sponge) needs to be washed often! Once a week and thoroughly.

We put clay balls in the soil to the plants, which you can make yourself, there would be clay. This is necessary in order to make less udo by water ... After feeding, we begin to change the water.

The first week - every other day by 30%. The second - in two days by 30%, the third week - once by 50%. Then change the water weekly by 25 - 30%. And it is important: we try to keep the temperature, if possible, not higher than 25 degrees! The fact is that at low temperatures, plants that have not yet started growing properly will have the advantage of supplying nutrients over algae. At higher temperatures, plants are less likely to grow unless they are already actively growing. Algae will start much faster!

At this stage, we are not pouring any udo at all! We only rely on fish. The number of fish can be calculated like this.

Optimally 7cm for 10-12 liters of water. Those, if you have a can of 120 liters, then it is advisable to have no more than 12 fish there, the size of which is about 7 cm ... This is of course roughly and rough, but the principle is clear, fish is the best producer of fertilizers, but also organics, and we need it in such a proportion that would have time to decompose and feed our grass. The task is for bacteria to quickly decompose organic matter and plants have time to assimilate it faster than algae.

Step three: We take a time out ... About 2-3 weeks ... We change the water and don't do anything .... The aquarium is a self-regulating system .. Clay does its job in the soil .. We do not interfere and wait for the biological balance to manifest itself, and this will happen in about 2-3 weeks. How to see it? Just. You will see that the filter has become clogged more slowly, the water is always transparent, and you wipe the glass less and less often from plaque ... and ... you cut the rotala once every 10 days and the valsnria begins to spread its processes along the bank ... All this is still not in perfect condition, but you can see that the life of the grass began to spread throughout the volume ..

Now we are one step away from what we want !!!

Step four: This step depends on the results of the previous steps. Namely:

If algae disappear in the aquarium, and the plants grow, then you should not give extra udo .. In general, you do not need to climb into the biosystem while it heals itself! Then, when cleanliness comes, you feed the plants on the leaf and improve their size, but for now just watch the miracle: everything grows by itself! This is really a miracle, nature regulates itself very effectively without our intervention and chemistry ... You can add more complex and beautiful plants)

If the cleanliness has already come, then with a planned change of water, we begin feeding with sammes. Very careful! Macro and micro + separately iron citrate. Slowly. We continue to keep the temperature not high. If the temperature is reduced to 23-24 gr. then you can increase the number of fish by 50 percent! Temperature and light are the most important factors, and in my opinion, temperature is more important.

That's all! It's simple. but there are small additions.

• if the aquarium is young, less than 6 months old, the tighter you plant it, the better.
• if the jar is older than 6 months, then the stocking density will affect the amount of CO2 in the water, the rate of UDO absorption and metabolism, and it can be changed arbitrarily by changing the amount of UDO and the amount of CO2, respectively.
• if the light in the aquarium is less than 0.6 watts per liter, then CO2 is not needed at all when planting 30% grass. If the light is brighter, then either give the mash CO2 or tighten the landing.
• I will separately note the usefulness of settling cherry shrimps, Beeline snails, etc. into the aquarium. Organic matter will become several times less and black plaque, respectively, too. With thick grass, cherries will survive even with barbs and cichlids - it's proven, I'll publish the video soon.

In the next article, I will describe in more detail and accurately the schedule and amount of making parole by me personally. How much CO2 to give and more about the temperature ... and maybe something else))

I will write in simple language so that it is clear to those who have just bought an aquarium and want to see growing plants in it, and not the quietly withering sprouts of a seemingly healthy bush bought, so I will not get into the endless terminology and description of the substances required for plants.

Very often I see the post: "- Tell me, what kind of seaweed I bought in the store?" Here you must immediately remember that algae is something that the aquarist tirelessly tries to get rid of, all algae belong to lower plants, for example, blue-green algae, brown algae, green algae, etc.

This is all that grows on the glass of the aquarium, stones and grottoes, green threads throughout the aquarium and the most unpleasant thing - fouling on plants, the plant loses its appearance, withers and may die.

Consider the standard case of a beginner, fish, grottoes, stones and finally, plants are bought (well, or already everything is bought plants), a few bushes are brought home, planted in an aquarium, after a few days of observation the question arises, why does not it grow ?? Unfortunately, after several attempts, many give up trying to settle live plants and do not try to understand the essence of the problem deeper, and it is not so difficult to create a garden of various plants in an aquarium (I do not mean Takashi Amano's aquarium - this is a whole art requiring deeper knowledge)

So, what you need to immediately understand is that aquatic plants, as well as plants that live outside the water, for example in a pot on a windowsill, need food and light, and not just water and stones or clean sand. In addition, the water temperature, soil, chemical composition - the amount of dissolved mineral and organic substances, the pH value (pH) and many others - matter. Most plants prefer soft or medium hard water with neutral pH (7). Here, in order:

LIGHT: Without light in the aquarium, nothing will work! If you buy an aquarium with a lid, there are already built-in lamps, but, alas, this light is often not enough for growing plants. For plants, the light power for standard aquariums should be approximately 0.5-1.0 W / L for fluorescent lamps (I take fluorescent lamps as an example, since the most common), here you need to understand 0.5 W / L - for not very demanding light of plants, 1 w / l - for more whimsical and light-loving plants. It must be remembered that passing through the water column there is a great loss of light, therefore, the higher the aquarium, the more difficult it is to illuminate it. To ensure the normal life of plants, you need the entire visible light spectrum, in an aquarium this is difficult to achieve. The most important role is played by two relatively narrow spectral ranges - blue-green and red, from which you need to build on when choosing lighting. Now there is a huge selection of various lamps. For freshwater aquariums, special lamps are expensive, but they were specially created with a spectrum for plants - there is even a full solar spectrum. You can also illuminate with ordinary inexpensive fluorescent lamps, you can combine ordinary lamps with special lamps, for example, one Grolux lamp, for the red spectrum of plants (if this spectrum is not enough red, the plants will not be saturated with red, but most likely will be either green or pale orange) and one usual one, with marking 865 (marking “865” indicates a color rendering index of 80 Ra, and a color temperature of 6500 K - indicate the color temperature of the lamp, the lower it is, the yellower the light, let's say 3000K will turn yellow, like incandescent lamps, 10000K will be used in marine aquariums with a blue tint).

If you install reflectors, you can noticeably increase the lighting in the aquarium. In general, you can write more than one page about light, but I promised briefly, the main thing is to understand that it is important for plants and you should pay attention to what kind of light you have.

NUTRITION: Do not underestimate the role of nutrition for aquarium plants, their lack leads to stunted growth, death and yellowing of leaves, plant curvature, etc.

Plants are able to actively extract the substances they need from the external environment.Aquatic plants are more dependent on the environment than terrestrial plants, which receive the bulk of their nutrition from the soil, since, unlike them, they absorb nutrients from their entire surface. Plants need macronutrients (nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, chlorine, silicon, potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium) and microelements (boron, zinc, copper, manganese, iron, molybdenum, cobalt, etc.). Some of them accumulate in the aquarium as a result of the vital activity of fish and other inhabitants, some come with fresh water when changing. But this does not exhaust the entire list of required connections. In such a situation, fertilizers of which in stores are also an impressive amount will help to solve the problem of deficit. Perhaps, you can make fertilizer yourself, but you already need to study this topic in more detail and it will not be very small. It should be noted that the use of fertilizers is advisable if you have a sufficient number of plants in the aquarium, and not 3 bushes. Excessive nutrients can lead to algae growth in the aquarium.

PRIMING: The soil is not only a decorative element, but also serves for the rooting of plants and a habitat for bacteria, which in turn maintain the biological balance in the aquarium, like plants that process fish waste products. The soil should not be too fine, but not too coarse, about 2-5 mm. Since most plants love soft water, it is advisable that the soil does not contain rocks such as marble, coral chips, limestone - these stones enrich the water with dissolved calcium and magnesium salts and make it hard, and the constantly growing GH and KH values ​​will not be appreciated by plants. The shops now have a large selection of primers of all colors and shapes, but the painted primer will discolor over time and the paint will come off. I like the natural color of the soil, I don't really like colored (blue, red ...) soils - it's not natural, and the design looks better closer to a natural aquarium. There is also a nutritious soil, just for the herbalist, if there is an opportunity and it is planned to plant most of the aquarium with plants, it will be a good idea to use it.

I would also like to say about the use of CO2 in an aquarium - carbon dioxide, this is the most important food for plants. The breath of fish is sometimes not enough to saturate many plants with CO2, so you have to let it in additionally, they do this mainly by installing a balloon system with CO2 and dissolving it in water through various diffusers, this is a rather expensive method, but a stable supply of CO2 for several months. More budgetary is obtaining CO2 by fermentation (yeast + water + sugar) or by a chemical reaction (soda + citric acid), knead it in a bottle and bring it to the aquarium with a tube, where, using the so-called bell (an inverted glass in which carbon dioxide is collected ) gradually dissolves in water CO2. This method has drawbacks - it is a short fermentation reaction of 1.5-2 weeks, the reaction is unstable, at first there is a violent evolution of gas, but every day it will be less. You need to be careful when using CO2, because if the plants absorb it and release oxygen during the day, then at night everything is exactly the opposite, and this can lead to the fact that the fish may not have enough oxygen until the morning, so you should take care of additional aeration of the aquarium at night ... CO2 also lowers the pH in the aquarium, which is good if you have a high one, but you should not overdo it with the supply, constant fluctuations in the pH value have a bad effect on the inhabitants, therefore, a stable and in the right amount supply of CO2 is good. Carbon dioxide dissolves easily in water, but it also erodes quickly, you should not create unnecessary currents on the water surface. And again, you should think about saturating the water with carbon dioxide if you have enough light, fertilizers for plants (when CO2 is supplied, nutrients are consumed much faster) and of course there should be a lot of plants themselves, and not a Vallisneria bush with a twig kabombs, otherwise you can only make it worse.
FISH and PLANTS: think carefully about what kind of aquarium you want to see at home, you should not try to settle many fish and many plants in one aquarium, fertilizers and CO2 can negatively affect fish, and most fish, in turn, are incompatible with plants, so you should think before you buy fish from the herbalist if it spoils it. Therefore, you need to decide what you want more on that and focus on it.

The above could be described in much more detail, but I did not have such a task, this is an article for those who have just started growing something in their aquarium, you need to understand that if you want to see what will be in your "reservoir" pleasing the eye will have to make at least some effort for this.
In conclusion, I want to say that if you strive for the correct ratio of all elements - light, fertilizer, CO2, you will eventually get a good result that will delight you with a beautiful underwater garden.

I found this article on the aquarists forum and, I hope, it will definitely come in handy for someone!

Best wishes for your creativity!

Everything about growing aquarium plants in simple words. The article is intended for beginners who would like to acquire, or who already have aquarium plants.

So, herbal aquariums are:
1. Mixed, or the so-called vegetable garden, where there is no idea in planting and forming plants.
2. Dutch herbal aquarium. A large number of plants, planted in a certain order, and, as a rule, the plants are whimsical.
3. Aquascape. A herbalist who imitates a landscape, or some kind of picture.
4. Biotope aquarium. A herbalist (by the way, not always), imitating a natural reservoir.
Each type of herbal aquarium requires a certain amount of money, so you should be prepared to "spend". However, money is not everything, you also need to know a lot.
Growing aquarium plants is the most difficult part of the aquarium hobby. To begin with, let's look at how the maintenance of an aquarium with plants (herbalist) takes place, and then decide whether you need it or not.
1. Regular water changes.
2. Control of water parameters.
3. Maintaining the required temperature
4. Adding the necessary fertilizers in the required proportions (determined empirically)
5. Cutting / weeding / replanting plants
6. Complexes of measures for the destruction / disposal of algae
7. Cleaning the walls of the aquarium, filters.
8. Supply and control of supply of carbon dioxide CO2 (optional)
If the standard actions of the aquarist growing plants described by me did not scare you off, then read on. In fact, everything is not so scary, however, the actions I listed take time, diligence, and require some investment (money). And failure to comply with these simple mandatory actions can lead to disaster (death of plants, damage by protozoan algae).

Equipment for the herbal aquarium.Let's start with the most important thing - aquarium... The aquarium should not be high (Amanov herbalists average 45 cm). If the aquarium is taller, it will be difficult to grow ground cover plants that require powerful lighting. In addition, the maintenance of the aquarium will become difficult. Panoramic (convex) aquariums, as well as round aquariums distort the picture, so consider this when choosing. For the herbalist, a simple rectangular aquarium is the best choice. Choosing an aquarium - technical aspects

Now about the ground. Priming for an aquarium - herbalist should be a fraction of no more than 5 mm, rounded, neutral (does not change water parameters) (quartz, pebbles, coarse sand), preferably nutritious. Various colored variegated, and even with the word "sea", are not suitable. The fraction of the soil (average size of a pebble / grain of sand) should be medium-sized and not too small for the healthy development of plant roots. Ground height 3-5 cm, not less. Aquarium articles
Nutrients and substrates what is the difference? Branded nutrient soils and substrates are able to create favorable conditions for plant roots, as well as provide the necessary useful minerals. However, these soils are relatively expensive. Alternatively, try this Homemade Nutrient Pad - It's Easy! It all depends on what kind of vegetation you want to grow. Unpretentious grass will have enough natural "silting" with fish waste + balls of blue clay.

Filtration in the herbalist.
In a herbal aquarium, water filtration is essential. Fish food, waste, etc. settle on the soil and plant leaves, releasing organic matter. A filter is needed to collect waste particles (fish feces, half-eaten food, particles of dead plants) (mechanical filtration), for mixing layers of water, creating a flow, biological filtration (colonization of microorganisms that purify water from harmful substances). There are internal and external filters. Internal filters include sponge pumps, airlifts, bottom filters. Internal, usually for mechanical filtration and stirring. External - for biofiltration. External filters include bag filters (hinged), canister filters, phyto filters. The filter must be selected so that it passes 10 aquarium volumes / hour. Insufficient filtration in the herbalist can lead to algae overgrowth. Also, do not forget that filtering should be around the clock. Turning off the filter for an hour or two, and even more so at night, is not permissible. Filtration in the aquarium

Heaters in the herbalist.
A heater is needed to maintain a stable water temperature in the aquarium. If the aquarium is on a windowsill, in a private house, or if you like to ventilate the premises in winter, you need a heater. Temperature jumps adversely affect plants, and can stop plant growth (or even destroy it altogether), which will cause algae overgrowth. Heaters are vertical, mounted with suction cups on the wall, bottom (ground), lying under the ground. Heaters are chosen with a calculation of 1W / liter. Modern heaters are equipped with an auto-regulator, so there will be no difficulties with maintaining the temperature.

Lighting in aquarium
Lighting, perhaps, is one of the most difficult and important things, it needs to be approached with special care. Daylight hours in an herbal aquarium should last 8-12 hours, depending on the species of plants, etc. Neglecting the necessary lighting can cause plants to either grow poorly or not grow at all. As a rule, the lighting in a herbalist should be from 0.5W / liter to 1W and higher, depending on the height of the aquarium and plants (for example, ground cover grass Hemianthus cube needs from 1W / L). In addition to the power of the lamps, you need to pay attention to the color temperature (common from 2700 to 10000 Kelvin) The lower the K number, the redder the lamp. The higher the number, the more blue the light of the lamp. Also, pay attention to the number of lumens (light intensity), the higher the better. Metal halide, fluorescent, compact fluorescent (energy saving), LED lamps are common in the aquarium hobby. Also, aquarium stores sell specialized lamps for plant aquariums of various lengths and powers. Basically, aquarists use lamps with a color temperature above 5000K, since lamps with a temperature of less than 5000 turn yellow. However, for plants with red leaves, red light is necessary. Therefore, they put several lamps, alternating (combining) the color temperature, which contributes to the more natural light needed by the plants. It is not recommended to use sunlight and its rays to illuminate the aquarium, as the length of daylight hours varies throughout the year. In addition, direct sunlight is simply contraindicated for some plants.
As a rule, ready-made aquariums with lids have very low light, therefore, it often needs to be redone. How to redesign a lamp and increase the light! CFL lamps (savers) are more suitable for small aquariums. There is a large selection of spectrum and power (watts) on sale. Of course, you can order compact T5 lamps, but it's not worth it. Also, small aquariums can be lit with LEDs, but they are not cheap. For medium-sized aquariums, fluorescent lamps (fluorescent, T8 or T5) are more suitable. Moreover, T5 has a high light output at the same length, so they are preferable. For large aquariums, metal halide lamps are used. These lamps are suspended above the aquarium. They are very powerful and generate a lot of heat, so you have to think about a cooling system. Aquarium articles Selection of lighting for the aquarium. Spectrum of aquarium lamps - photo selection

Cooling in the herbalist.
Often, due to powerful lighting and high summer temperatures, the temperature in the aquarium can exceed 28 degrees, which is unacceptable for many types of plants. For this, computer coolers are installed in the lid of the aquarium. However, it is worth noting that when water is cooled with coolers, the water evaporates strongly, so frequent topping is required. Cooling the aquarium with a computer fan

Generator carbon dioxide CO2.
Carbon dioxide promotes fast, healthy plant growth. However, such an installation is not required, many do without it. Carbon dioxide CO2 (CO2) in the aquarium. Methods for supplying CO2 (CO2) to an aquarium. In a nutshell, I will say that generators are balloon, brag generators, and based on soda-citric acid. Balloon generators are the most stable, convenient, but very expensive. Brago generators have proven themselves well, but they differ from balloon generators in extreme instability and are capable of "exploding". Lemon-soda generator - more stable, not prone to explosion, can be assembled "on the knee".
The supply of carbon dioxide to the aquarium is carried out using reactors, diffusers, a bell, or using a rowan branch. It all depends on the volume of the aquarium, the number of plants, and, of course, your financial capabilities. You can read about the budget option here: Yuri-TPV CO2 generators - the end of the wash.

Socket with timer.
Since the lighting must turn on and off every day at the same time, a socket with a timer will help you with this. Of course, if you sit at home and can turn on the light yourself at a certain time for a certain period, and then turn it off, then you do not need it. However, the thing is extremely convenient. I can only say that there are electronic and mechanical timers. Mechanical ones are less convenient, because when the light is turned off, the "settings" get lost, but they are relatively cheap. Electronic timers can be programmed by day, which is very convenient (for example, if you have a fertilizer dispenser). In general, they have the same essence - to supply and remove voltage at the timer outlet.
Let's summarize all of the above regarding herbal aquarium equipment.
1. The aquarium should not be too high, otherwise difficulties will arise
2. The soil should be 2-5mm fraction, rounded, neutral, 3-5cm layer height.
3. Filtration should be around the clock, with an intensity of 10 volumes of aquarium water / hour.
4. The heater should be 1W / liter, the temperature in the herbalist is 24-28 degrees (depending on plant species)
5. Lighting from 0.5-1W / liter, with a color temperature of 2000-10000k
6. Cooling in the herbalist if necessary, when the temperature exceeds 28 degrees.
7. CO2 generator (optional)
8. Timer to turn on / off the light
That's all! This is done once and for a long time. And if you wish, also budget. However, failure to comply with any of the points may make it impossible to grow plants, or the herbalist will look unattractive.

Let's move on to the fun part. Water in the herbalist.
Water needs to be changed, once a week, a quarter of the volume. This is necessary to reduce harmful substances accumulated over the week. In addition, fresh water contains useful minerals and trace elements consumed by plants. The replacement water must be free of bleach. To do this, it is defended. Also, it is not recommended to use well water if it has inappropriate parameters.
Water parameters. The parameters of water are one or another value of the substance dissolved in it. I will not describe the parameters, but simply give a link to an excellent topic, where everything is described. The main parameters of water in an aquarium - what should they be?
You should know these parameters as "our father". Knowing the parameters of water, the ability to change them and bring them to normal is your main weapon against any troubles - be it algae, stopping plant growth, etc. And remember: LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OR UNDERSTANDING OF WATER PARAMETERS IS THE ONLY SOURCE OF PROBLEMS.
The article on the link describes the parameters in general terms, what they mean and how they are calculated. And here are the approximate, rough figures of the parameters for the stable existence of the herbalist: NO3 5-20, NO2 0, NH3 / NH4 0. PO4 0.5-1.5, PH 6.5-7.5. KH 3-15. GH 3-15.
It all depends on the plants you choose, their quantity, the presence of fish, the parameters of the water being changed. For a better understanding, let's understand the processes taking place in the aquarium, because it is the processes in the aquarium that affect the water parameters. There is a good article on the subject: Nitrogen Cycle and New Aquarium Syndrome Nitrate Creepy - All About the Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle

Redfield proportion.

Understanding the processes occurring in the aquarium, the ability to control them will allow you to engage in aquarium keeping without any problems.
We discussed the parameters of water, the processes taking place in it, and the water in the aquarium as a whole. Now you have a question - how to measure these parameters? Therefore, now let's talk about tests.

Aquarium water tests come in a variety of brands and prices. There are drip tests, there are strip tests, there are long-term tests. And there are electronic (PH-meter). I must say right away that strip tests are not of interest to us, since they are very inaccurate. Long-term tests include, for example, a drop checker designed to determine the amount of carbon dioxide dissolved in water. The electronic PH-meter is convenient, but requires adjustment, and the price leaves much to be desired.
When it comes to drip tests, the choice is great. There are many topics on the forum where a particular brand of test is discussed. So which tests are especially important? Of course it will be better. If you have all kinds of aquarium water tests, however, these tests are often not cheap. Therefore, we will focus on the most important ones: Test PH, KH, GH, NO3, PO4. These are the most important tests for a herbal aquarium. If you have just started the aquarium, or you have bad tap water, then you need NO2, NH4 +, NH3, Cl tests (chlorine test). If you have shrimp in your aquarium, then an iron Fe test is needed.

Now let's talk about fertilizers... Fertilizers are liquid, added to water, there are soil (tablets, clay balls). Fertilizers are available from different companies. Fertilizers for plants in aquariums from different companies.
Whatever one may say, but without fertilizers (at least, most plants) in any way. And fertilizers cost money. Fertilizers are micro and macro. Lack of this or that fertilizer leads to undesirable consequences. Phytoindication or Plants instead of tests
Micro fertilizers are composed of many components such as iron, boron, manganese, copper, etc. Macro fertilizers include nitrates, phosphates, iron, potassium. If you have to buy micro fertilizers, you can make a macro yourself: Homemade fertilizers (self-fertilizers, PMDD) are easy!
Micro can also be cooked, however, it is very difficult. There is, of course, a way out of this problem: Fertilizers for an aquarium (microfertilizers) based on the Ecoplant mixture, but such a mixture is not sold everywhere.
More about selfies: Fertilizers in the aquarium. Samomes
Micro fertilizers are delivered dosed, either once a week or once a day. Macro fertilizer is fed based on test readings.

A few words about algae.
You need to know the enemy by sight, so I highly recommend reading this article: Algae in the aquarium. Overview.
I can only say one thing - observing everything written in this article, you are not afraid of algae.

And now about the most important thing: oh plants.
Plants come in a variety of shapes and colors. Whimsical and not very, fast-growing and slow, long-stemmed and ground cover. All of them (with the exception of mosses) have stems, roots and leaves. In some, the root system is well developed, while in others it is weak. Some prefer to eat "leaves", others - roots. Some require a lot of light - others don't. This should be taken into account when choosing and buying. Also, it should be borne in mind that the acquired plants experience severe stress, because, firstly, the water parameters change, and secondly, the root system suffers. Therefore, do not expect the plants brought home to start growing the next day. Interesting topics: Techniques for working with plants Diagnostics of the state of aquarium plants How to plant aquarium plants correctly Macro and microelements and their role in the nutrition of aquarium plants.
Here. Now you know everything. Well, almost everything. The rest will come with experience.
But what if you bought an aquarium, put fish in there and planted whimsical plants, and only then, when problems appeared (and they certainly will) start reading this topic?
Your actions will depend on what plants, in what quantity, are planted. How many and what kind of fish, what volume of the aquarium, etc.
1. Ground. If it is not suitable, it will have to be replaced. There are no options here.
2. If you, a beginner, in the store foisted a nutritious substrate or something like that, then you will have to plant at least 60% of the aquarium plants, the thicker the better. This is necessary for the plants to consume nutrients from the substrate, otherwise the algae will overpower.
3. If you started the aquarium on "empty" soil, normal fraction and neutral, planted several "demanding" streamers - add balls of clay under the roots. Fix the light. Buy a hornwort and float it. Never pour any fertilizer until the plant takes root and takes root / babies. If there is a familiar aquarist - ask for a squeeze from the filter sponge, some of the silt from the soil, or water from his aquarium. This will speed up the start-up and start the nitrogen cycle. You can, of course, use drugs for accelerated launch, since there are plenty of them.
4. - "The aquarium is three days old, the plants turn yellow / crumble / dissolve, what should I do?" - these are typical questions. Plants that are under stress after changing conditions fall into an unstable / unbalanced system. Buy water tests, test water. And, based on the testimony of the tests, take action.
5. Increase aeration until balance is established. This will speed up the startup process.
Read this topic about starting a plant aquarium: Starting an aquarium. Step-by-step instructions in pictures
In conclusion, I would like to say that although this is a difficult business - growing plants, it is costly, time-consuming, perseverance, but very exciting. After all, everyone started somewhere. Good luck

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3 parts: Prepare the growing medium Add the algae Monitor the growth of the algae

Algae are aquatic plants that grow thanks to the nutrients in water and solar energy. People grow many different types of algae, which have a myriad of uses in their daily lives. Different types of algae are grown for different purposes: for food or as a source of biofuel for trucks. One of the benefits of growing algae is that it is a fairly straightforward and straightforward process.

Part 1 Prepare your growing medium

1. Choose a transparent container so that the light shines on the algae.

   A glass or plastic container is perfect for this purpose.

   • If you're growing algae for a science exhibition, get a plastic bottle or something larger, like a small aquarium.
2. Fill the container with water.

   The culture medium will mainly consist of sterilized water. Pour the water into a clear container.

   • Use sterilized salt water to grow microscopic algae.
   • To grow spirulina, you should use clean fresh water. Take water from any source, such as tap water or bottled water. The main thing is that it is filtered with activated carbon or through a ceramic filter.
   • If you are concerned about bacteria, boil water before use to reduce contaminants.
3. Add nutrients to the water.

   In nature, algae live together with other aquatic inhabitants. These creatures create balance in the underwater ecosystem and provide them with ample amounts of nutrients such as nitrates, phosphates and silicates. Since the water bottle does not contain these nutrients and trace elements (such as trace metals and vitamins), you must add them yourself. Buy them from the store, or take some water from an aquarium or pond and add to a container.

   • Water from a pond or aquarium can contaminate the nutrient medium with various particles.
   • Nutrient salts can also be added to the container. Find a nutritional formula that works for most types of algae.
   • Analyzing the effects of different nutrient mixtures on algae may be one of the topics of your scientific exhibition.
4. Find a sunny spot.

   Before adding the algae to the bottle, find a suitable place for it (a windowsill or sunny spot in your yard where you can safely leave the algae). This will allow the algae to receive enough sunlight to grow in a nutrient medium. If you can't find a suitable place, place a container of algae under the phyto lamps.

   • Learn as much as you can about your algae to determine which lighting is best for optimal growth. Conventional plant lamps are not very effective for some types of algae. Find a lamp that will primarily emit light in the red or orange spectrum.
   • Different types of algae require different amounts of sunlight, and excessive temperatures (over 35 degrees Celsius) can even kill them.

Part 2 Add Algae

1. Select the type of algae.

   According to the latest estimates, there are now about 70,000 species of algae in the world, and this is not counting those that have not yet been classified.

   People use different types of algae for many different purposes. Many types of algae are used to produce biofuels that power electrical components. Other types of algae, such as spirulina, are used in food. Sometimes algae are grown in schools or for scientific experiments. The choice of algae depends entirely on the purpose for which you need it.

   • For example, if you want to include algae in your diet, start growing spirulina.
   • Spirogyra is sometimes used in science exhibitions.
2. Take a sample of the algae.

   For a simple experiment, you can take any sample of algae and observe their further development. If you just want to observe the development of algae in general, take a sample of algae from a pond, lake, or other natural source. Remember that there are many different types of algae in nature. If you want to study a particular species, take a sample from the appropriate location. In this case, it is best to purchase a specific algae species or algae culture from an algae company or order them online.

   • For example, many people are interested in growing algae such as spirulina. Since it is often used in food, purchase a sample from a reputable company.
   • If the algae is needed for a school project, get a plant sample from a local pond.
3. Add algae to the nutrient medium.

   Once you have chosen the type of algae, simply add them to your culture medium. Make sure the selected algae get enough sunlight. Wait for the algae to grow.

   • It will take several weeks before the algae can be seen. This is because most types of algae (called microscopic) cannot be seen with the naked eye. For a person to be able to see them, there must be a lot of algae.
   • If you are growing a type of macroalgae such as kelp, it will be much easier to spot them.

Part 3 Watch out for algae growth

1. Pay attention to the color change in the culture medium.

   As it grows, the algae will begin to take up more and more space in the container. The denser the algae grows, the dimmer the water will become. Most varieties of algae are green, but they also come in other colors.

   • For example, algae called "crimson" are red in color.
   • Keep a record of all changes in algal growth.
2. Add nutrients as needed.

   For a short experiment, it is enough to add nutrients only at the very beginning. If you want to grow them for a long time, nutrients must be added with each new batch of algae. You should also add nutrients as the algae builds up. If you are unsure of when and how much to add nutrients, consult a health professional.

   • If the amount of algae becomes too large, you will have to transfer a little to a new container.
3. Look at the algae under a microscope.

   If you want to know more about your algae, take a closer look at them. Examining a drop of algae under a microscope will tell you much more than looking with the naked eye. In addition to the algae themselves, protozoa can also be seen in the sample.

   • If you are growing algae for a school science experiment or for work, this will most likely become part of your assignment.

Advice

• If there is too much algae, feed some plants to your fish.
• Diary entries with photographs of algae growth will be an ideal addition to the project.
• For optimal algae growth, you should monitor the pH and salt levels in their environment. Optimum performance will depend on the type of algae.

Warnings

• Do not give seaweed to children as they may eat it.
• Don't eat seaweed unless it's an edible variety like spirulina.

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