Water change in planted tank help!!!

[kevfiz]

Hi i am making the change over from artificial plants to real ones. As i get a real one i take away an artificial one. How often do i do water changes in a real plant tank? Also is it true the more planted a tank the less likely it is for algae?

 

[Colin_T]

You do water changes every week or every 2 weeks like normal. Live plants help keep the nitrates lower but you still get a build up of fish waste and microscopic organisms in the water, and water changes dilutes these items to keep the tank cleaner.

Algae grows anywhere there is water and light. If you have lots of live plants, they use the light and limit the amount of algae that can grow.

 

[fish_r_great]

Even with plants you can get algae. You have to find the balance between amount of plants, lighting, co2, and nutrients provided. Excess or lack of any will throw off balance and cause algae growth. If you're doing a lower light setup you can usually get away with fish for co2 and basic nutrient supplements depending on your plants.