Do live plants reduce algae growth in aquariums?
Algae can be very disruptive in your aquarium and it can easily wreck it making the fish and other creatures look dirty and ugly. Algae grow well in nutrient-rich water. Algae thrive in water with excess nutrients, especially nitrates and phosphates. Excess nutrients are usually due to too much fish feeding, not enough filtering, and insufficient water changes. Aquarium hobbyists often lookout for natural solutions to their algae problems. An example of one such solution is putting live plants in our aquarium.
Do Live Plants Help Reduce Algae?
Definitely, live plants can help to reduce algae growth in fish tanks. They remove nutrients essential for algae growth from the water. Live plants do this primarily through the following:
- A live plant takes up nutrients. By competing for these nutrients, plants effectively reduce the availability of food to algae.
- Oxygen Production: When plants carry out photosynthesis, they produce oxygen in the water. Oxygenation in a fish tank will improve the ecology of the entire aquarium and will promote beneficial bacteria to keep algae in control.
- Shade & Cover: Live plants offer shade and will stop algae growth by blocking sunlight. Algae thrive in light, so putting your plants in the right place will help reduce algae levels.
- Biological Filtration: Plants can also be a fantastic filter by using their roots to break down waste products in the aquarium, which helps remove more nutrients that algae like.
Choosing The Right Plants
Not all plants are the same when it comes to lowering algae levels.
Here are some of the best live plants for your aquarium:
- Java Fern: A hardy plant, it is easy to care for and can even thrive in low-light conditions. Java fern is one type of plant that absorbs excess nutrients thereby preventing algae from growing.
- Anubias: Another easy care plant is Anubias, a slow growing one.
- The Amazon Sword: This plant sports large, broad leaves. Those large leaves are excellent for algae prevention because they can easily absorb nutrients. This plant also makes a great cover for fish. This cover can help reduce fish stress, which can also help stop algae growth.
- Water Wisteria: This fast-growing plant can help absorb excess nutrients before algae benefit from them. Also, it will make your tank beautiful.
- Hornwort: It is an easy floating plant that can also be anchored in the substrate. It will grow fast and compete with algae for nutrients and light.
Balancing Your Aquarium Ecosystem
While live plants can help lessen algae, these plants are just one part of the equation. Here are a few extra pointers to ensure a healthy, clean aquarium.
- Do a Water Change: A water change of about 10-20% (weekly) ensures algae won’t take over your aquarium as it helps remove excess nutrients.
- Do Regular tests for adequate Filtration: A proper and well-maintained filter will keep excess nutrients out of the water.
- Control Lighting: Keep an eye on the light received by the aquarium. Excessive direct sunshine or prolonged lighting periods can encourage the growth of algae.
- It is usually a good idea to limit the feeding of your fish to once a day or on alternate days. Make sure to feed your fish only what they can finish eating within a few minutes. Furthermore, remove any uneaten food soon after feeding.
- Choose Some Algae-Eating Fish: You can consider different species of fish such as otocinclus catfish, plecos, and certain species of snail to eat algae.
- CO2 for Plants: While live plants can help control algae, they can also be used to fight algae growth. CO2 is important for photosynthesis while it may also impact the health of the plant adversely. In aquariums with plenty of plants, if you inject CO2 it can boost plant growth. This results in even more competition against algae. But if you plan on supplementing with CO2, you should be careful. Too much carbon dioxide can mean less oxygen which can disturb fish and aquatic species. It is important to achieve the correct ratio to benefit both plants and fish.
Common Misconceptions About Algae and Live Plants
So there are a number of misconceptions about live plants and algae. Many aquarists cannot differentiate between algae treatment myths and facts, and they often confuse the two. We will discuss a few of the most common algae treatment myths and facts. It will help you free your aquarium of algae with the right solution.
- You need to keep your aquarium free of algae. Selecting the proper types is absolutely crucial.
- Kribensis and Pseudotropheus are two examples of widely kept plants in aquariums. In contrast, Glolia or Cryptocoryne are two examples of plants that not many aquarists keep.
- Myth 3 talks about algae cannot be controlled the natural way. Algae can be controlled by aquarists who implement and establish a balanced ecosystem. The live plants give a help-hand to consume nutrients and thus algae don’t receive enough available nutrients to develop.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the live plants can be used to reduce the algae. By taking in extra nutrients, giving shade and improving water quality, they create a better atmosphere that makes your fish happy. Its worth remembering that plants are just one part of the equation. If you follow these steps, you will achieve success with reducing algae. Proper maintenance, including water changes, filtration, and feeding, will go a long way. Thus, you will be able to help out your aquarium community. So, whether you are a seasoned hobbyist or a newbie, live plants are a natural way to help prevent algae growth in your aquarium.
