Do Live Plants....

[AncientMariner]

...reduce algae from your tank glass, substrate, bogwood etc?

Currently have 3 pieces of bogwood in the tank with silk plants, run a Eheim External filter (2128) with Arcadia I-Bar T5 lighting. Algae on the above usually starts showing about 10 days after a 25% water change & gravel vac. Is this normal? Any other things I should have/or be doing different?

Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 15 (ish)

(This is my first tank which has been running since May 2005)

Thanks

 

[Chri$]

i don't think live plants reduce algae, could be wrong

 

[@ombomb]

Plants will use up certain things in the water that algae will feed on in their absence (phosphates for example). Having said that, the general rule of thumb is a weekly water change anyway which would solve your problem.