Plants - Always See To Overgrow Or Die?

[bobbo]

Hi
i knwo there are lot of topics repoating to growing plants and getting it right from the start, i have read many but i am seeminlgy iunabel to mainaitn a constant plant level in my tank. Typicaly i wil grow plant tall and thin wiht a little pruing along the way ... all very nice then alof a suddey ill get balck growt on them whci my Algea eaters will nto touch !!! Normlay endning in horrble looking plants - an dnow it seems attahcing black tuffs of stuff to the glass!!

My fish do really well ia hve a nice set of Clown loaches that are over 3 years old anlog with a good set of Botia loches and an evil Angel fish i woudlreally like to take my tank up a notch and make it look as nice as it can with good growth and stong coluors...

So to help me i think i have a few questions:

So is it beter to stock up on a good number of plant or slowely bring them in ?
Stronger light or not?
What is this blkack tufty algea and why are my alege eaters not eating it ( very hard to scrap off galss and rocks etc)

Cheers
rob

Tank set up
Enhiem 200L
AQ-One 1200CF external filter
1XArcadia Original Tropical 36W lamp
1XArcadia Fresh Water Lamp 36W

Fish
5 Clown Loaches
4 Corys ( Panda, Bronze)
1 Large Silver Dollar
1 Larger Angfel Fish
3 Botia Locahes
2 ALgea Eaters ( Unknow variety but like greeen algea)

 

[Nim]

Black tufty Algae sounds like Black beard algae to me . I have had it only when I have been lazy enough to do water changes and when I keep up with it, it eventually goes away. Someone might be able to send better pointers to it but I think excess of Nitrates rather then phosphates are respoinsible for it.

Plants do tend to overgrow if you have a good setup. Now this is good for the plants and the tank but bad for the keeper in a way as we have to do prunings every weekend., If I skip a weekend, it feels like an overgrown jungle and one or the other plant then suffers because of the shade. A Good planted tank will need regular pruning and you will have to throw away a lot of plant or give it to someone on the forum or friend.

Nim

 

[bobbo]

Cheers i think you may be on the right track as my water chage cycle got a bit out of sync due to work.

Do you reccomend stocking up in one go with plant sr doing it a litle at atime?

rob

 

[Nim]

You can stock up with plants as much as you like but stocking down needs to be taken with care as that might create a mini cycle as plants also tend to consume ammonia just like bacteria.

Nim

 

[bobbo]

Good advice thnaks nim , ive brought some this plants this wweekend and will leave it a week or so to calm down then do the middle of the tank and then the far end...

Clowns look happier already with additon coverage and greenery will post image soon ..

thnx