Plant Questions

[MAM]

okay, when i set up my tank i was lead to believe that live plants would be a major headache that would create algae and snail issues. so i avoided live plants like the plague. so now i want to set up a dwarf puffer tank, and i want snails. i figured that with live plants,that would help naturally keep the snail population up and i wouldn't have to worry about buying any for the puffer to eat. but then i said, "oh, i'll get algae so i'd better think of a small algae eater" (otos came to mind....). no problem. but after doing some plant research online (to find the kind that the store kept in their puffer tank) it seems that plants are actually supposed to cut down on algae.....?? i have not had algae probs in any of my unplanted tanks so then where does this algae come from? i'm talking the ugly stuff everyone complains about and buys algae eaters for. have i just been lucky in not getting algae in my unplanted tanks or is it because they don't have live plants? i'm real confused. will i get algae if i have live plants?

 

[MAM]

*bump*

 

[Lateral Line]

Higher plants are more efficient at converting light, CO2 and nutrients into plant than algae. So, if your conditions are right for growing plants, the plants will outcompete the algae and you will not have algae problems.

That said, getting the conditions right so that the tank is perfectly balanced is not that easy, and whilst getting things right you can get all kind of algal blooms. So...

>>> will i get algae if i have live plants?

... maybe. I'd go as far as to say probably, because there is a certain amount of trial and error in getting things right - the chances of you getting it spot on first time are practically nil!

Keeping live plants adds another dimension to the hobby and is a rewarding, (but often frustrating), passtime.

 

[Sye]

In my opinion live plants do the aquarium the world of good...the water quality is allot better!

There is less chance of having algae in a planted tank as the plants use the nitrates up that the algae would use.

 

[MAM]

okay, so then why haven't i had an algae problem in my unplanted tanks? does it have to do with lights or sunlight reaching the tanks? (because currently, none of my tanks get direct sunlight and i leave the lights off most of the time as the lights seem to stress my fish more). just curious. don't fully understand the whole algae process.
basically, if i was having algae probs the plants would help eliminate it? so if i decide to put live plants in the puffer tank (to boost the snail population), this wouldn't necessarily create algae problems then.
crazy question, what if i wanted some algae growth for an algae eater?