# Live plants vs. algae



## marigoldkelly95 (Feb 9, 2012)

Hi all. I've recently decided to try my hand at live plants in my aquarium. Yay! :thumb: However, I've heard (and now experienced) increased algae production. Boo! :x. I do have a pleco but he's very large and very worthless. 
:-? 
So, how do I get rid of the algae?


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## Number6 (Mar 13, 2003)

Grow the plants and let them out compete the algae


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

Also replace the worthless guy with something not so large who will actually help. I like Chinese algae eater or Bristlenose. Neither get so large they are a nuisance and the algae eater is out to be seen so he adds interest rather than hiding.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Number6 said:


> Grow the plants and let them out compete the algae


Agreed, my algae drops off dramatically when I have live plants growing in the tank.


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## marigoldkelly95 (Feb 9, 2012)

That's the thing- I didn't have an algae problem until I added the plants. What exactly do you mean by letting the plants outgrow the algae?_ :wink:


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

That's where theory and actual experience sometimes run into conflict. The plants do use the same nutrients as the algae so if we have enough plants growing fast enough, they use the nutrients first and you get little/no algae. But then to get plants to grow that fast we often need added lights, ferts and such. It gets tricky to balance them so many times algae wins!


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## brandon O (Oct 23, 2010)

get a few bristenose great algae eaters


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

marigoldkelly95 said:


> That's the thing- I didn't have an algae problem until I added the plants. What exactly do you mean by letting the plants outgrow the algae?


When CO2 levels get low, the algae is able to outcompete the plants for it and starts to thrive. If you're keeping your lights on for long stretches at a time, that may be why your algae has taken off.

I would get a timer for your lights and put the lights on a schedule where they are on for 4-5 hours in the morning, off for several hours in the afternoon and then 4-5 hours again in the evening. The theory is that this pattern (known as the "siesta regimen") allows the CO2 to be replenished (when the lights are off) as it's starting to get low so that the plants are always able to outcompete algae for available nutrients.

Slow growing plants such as anubias and java fern have a tougher time outcompeting algae. Faster growing plants such as vallisneria are more effective because they grow fast and use up all the nutrients before the algae gets a chance at it.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

zimmy said:


> I would get a timer for your lights and put the lights on a schedule where they are on for 4-5 hours in the morning, off for several hours in the afternoon and then 4-5 hours again in the evening. The theory is that this pattern (known as the "siesta regimen") allows the CO2 to be replenished (when the lights are off) as it's starting to get low so that the plants are always able to outcompete algae for available nutrients.


Have you had success with this zimmy? I tried it and did not notice a difference, so I went with 8 hours daily.

Using old lights (bulbs-tubes) also was a problem for me once. Surprising that replacing the bulbs made the algae less, but it worked great!


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

As you are starting the planted tank there are lots of problems that won't bother so much later. Not just the learning curve but things the tank does. I was having a lot of problems with algae and did the lights on timer and it seemed to help. I also ran across using really fast growing plants that are sometimes considered a nuisance. It was an accidental thing for me but worked well. In buying fish, I commented on what a nice plant the fellow had in his tank and he gave it to me! I took it home and stuck it in the tank where it grew super FAST and really helped solve my algae problem so I started looking for an ID for this great plant! When I found the answer it set me back to find "possestion, transportation, or trade of hydrilla is prohibited".

Maybe you would like to be such a lawless person and find the local noxious weed for your area??? They really do soak up the nutrients!

NOTE: I've burned all my hydrilla and no longer have it so don't send the law. Please?


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## fmueller (Jan 11, 2004)

marigoldkelly95 said:


> Hi all. I've recently decided to try my hand at live plants in my aquarium. Yay! :thumb: However, I've heard (and now experienced) increased algae production. Boo! :x. I do have a pleco but he's very large and very worthless.
> :-?
> So, how do I get rid of the algae?


Back to the OP's question, before anybody can offer an opinion why your algae are growing better than your plants, one would need to know what kind of light you are using (wattage, color temp, timing), on what size tank, are you fertilizing, what substrate do you use, do you use CO2, and so on, and so on. Without these kind of details one can only make wild guesses, which are unlikely to be of any use.


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

DJRansome said:


> zimmy said:
> 
> 
> > I would get a timer for your lights and put the lights on a schedule where they are on for 4-5 hours in the morning, off for several hours in the afternoon and then 4-5 hours again in the evening. The theory is that this pattern (known as the "siesta regimen") allows the CO2 to be replenished (when the lights are off) as it's starting to get low so that the plants are always able to outcompete algae for available nutrients.
> ...


I had fair (but not great) results. My anubias survived for a long time but never thrived. My algae was under control in that there was very little on the glass and lots on the rocks.

Anubias are slow growing though so they did get algae on the leaves. I never tried a faster growing plant but suspect I would have had more success.

Ultimately I went the route of using terrestrial plants to control nitrates. I doubt I could grow algae now if I wanted to.


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## Number6 (Mar 13, 2003)

marigoldkelly95 said:


> That's the thing- I didn't have an algae problem until I added the plants. What exactly do you mean by letting the plants outgrow the algae?_ :wink:


The plants probably simply introduced the algae spores... in the wild, plants out compete algae simply by taking in a locking up nutrients. It is when nutrients are at an imbalance that algae thrives as they are an opportunistic lifeform. You can drive yourself nuts identifying each species of algae you have in the tank, combating each usually damaging your plants in the process or you can simply ignore the algae (for the most part... cyanobacteria and the like aren't so ignorable of course) and if you ignore the algae to grow plants, you will find that the algae quickly recedes to a few tiny spots dotted around your aquarium. The algae can also become quite a useful bioassay warning you of otential problems. I used to have a patch of hair algae in one corner of a planted tank and if phosphates ever rose too quickly in the tank, it would start to spread! Better than a test kit!!!

Feel free to post a photo if you want to id the algae. :thumb:


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## marigoldkelly95 (Feb 9, 2012)

Wow! LOTS of info! :thumb:

I am going to add more plants this week since I got my taxes back  and I think I'll pick up a couple of bristlenose to help out. Don't have the heart to get rid of my giant pleco 'cause he looks just TOO COOL!! 8)

What kind of terrestrial plants can be used in an aquarium? I too have an issue with nitrates as they come out of my tap at 40ppm.

Also, do I need to fertilize?

Is there a specific way that you need to "plant" the plants? I just have regular aquarium gravel right now and I just dug a hole and inserted them. Fish so far, have been leaving them alone and they (plants) seen to be doing well.

I have a 90 gallon, about 76-78 degrees, with a flourescent tube light (unknown wattage), a lot of natural light comes in too, and I do not use CO2.


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

Most common mistake is planting plants too deep so that they rot. many need only the roots in the substrate and will rot if the tuber itself is buried. When you don't know which of your plants will rot due to this , it is much safer to simply put them ALL in to the roots only. somewhat hard to get them to stay down while you cover the roots and then they tend to get jerked out easy but it is important. Have you seen mangrove swamps where only the roots are in the water? Same idea is reuired for anubia, val, and lots of others. A pellet of fert tucked under each group of plants will not hurt in most cases. I find it can give new plants a kick start to feed them this way.


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## marigoldkelly95 (Feb 9, 2012)

Good to know! The plants I currently have seem to be rooting quite well.

So, if you can't root them very deep how do you keep your cichlids from pulling them out when they're digging? I've been using small rocks around mine and tried to keep the plants in between my holey rock pieces to help with that. But they have been digging like crazy lately in other parts of the tank!

Also, when vacuuming the gravel do you just vacuum around the plants? Or should you uproot them? Sorry for so many questions but I want to do this right so I'm not wasting money. :fish:


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## Ollie (Sep 22, 2009)

Once the plants establish themselves there roots will spread out and keep the plants in place, I've had an amazon sword produce a root system over 12" in diameter in less than 3 months it made a lot of mess when I uprooted it, so that brings me to your second question no dont uproot your plants to clean and dont be to fussy around then as the trapped waste will feed your plants for free.
Floating plants like amazon frogbit are very good for nitrate removal as they use amospheric CO2 which is more readily avalible and a higher ppm value than the CO2 in the water.

Regards

Ollie


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## vann59 (Jun 20, 2011)

I had no luck with Java ferns, so now I am trying anubias. I am just letting them float around so they can get more light at the surface. I don't know if it is going to work out, but if not, I will probably just stick with some green algae. I don't mind it, and it adds character to the rocks.

I also find that a mag float works much better if you do two things. One, put a piece of scotch dish scrub, on the velcro surface of the inner magnet, slightly larger than the magnet itself. It cleans better, and slides along easily. And secondly cover the outer magnet with felt or some more slippery fabric. I find it's not such a pain to use when the mag float slides along easily and actually cleans the glass.


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## marigoldkelly95 (Feb 9, 2012)

Great idea!! My magfloat is just about spent! :thumb: However, my plants are well, some are ok some they are tearing the heck out of. Live and learn I guess.


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## vann59 (Jun 20, 2011)

PfunMo said:


> As you are starting the planted tank there are lots of problems that won't bother so much later. Not just the learning curve but things the tank does. I was having a lot of problems with algae and did the lights on timer and it seemed to help. I also ran across using really fast growing plants that are sometimes considered a nuisance. It was an accidental thing for me but worked well. In buying fish, I commented on what a nice plant the fellow had in his tank and he gave it to me! I took it home and stuck it in the tank where it grew super FAST and really helped solve my algae problem so I started looking for an ID for this great plant! When I found the answer it set me back to find "possestion, transportation, or trade of hydrilla is prohibited".
> 
> Maybe you would like to be such a lawless person and find the local noxious weed for your area??? They really do soak up the nutrients!
> 
> NOTE: I've burned all my hydrilla and no longer have it so don't send the law. Please?


Ok, really I would like to know more about the hydrilla. Just in case the anubias doesn't work out, I could just destroy some hydrilla. And then of course dispose of the remains by cremation, and bury the ashes in a hermetically sealed box. So as to save the planet.

So where do you think I could find some?


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