Talking about algae.....

[Rainbowlightning]

I also have a small amount of algae in my tank... there's tiny little particles on the plants and deco.
I was just wondering....
while ever it isn't too overbearing, how bad is it?
What about algae eaters? In my LPS they only have Plecos, but I've been told that as they age, they can get slighly aggressive...is this info correct?
I can't find fresh water algae eating snails....is there such thing, and how recommendable are they?
And last but not least, tablets, capsules and all these other products that claim to remove algae....are they any good?

[amanichen]

Rainbowlightning said:

I also have a small amount of algae in my tank... there's tiny little particles on the plants and deco.
I was just wondering....
while ever it isn't too overbearing, how bad is it?

Algae actually is beneficial to water quality, it's just that some people go nuts and get spastic when they see it. I don't mind it, but many people go nuts trying to remove it.

This is excluding diatoms and cyanobacteria of course, I'm talking about generic, photosynthetic, green algae.

Red, brown, and blue-green need nto apply here, as while they aren't harmful, they don't have any real benefit for the water quality.

What about algae eaters?

What size tank, and does it have a filter on it?

In my LPS they only have Plecos, but I've been told that as they age, they can get slighly aggressive...is this info correct?

Yes, but a pleco isn't the solution to your problem.

I can't find fresh water algae eating snails....is there such thing, and how recommendable are they?

Ask your LFS for some of the generic brown snails from their tanks. They might even give them to you for free. They'll eat anything, including algae. In fact, most snails will eat algae.

And last but not least, tablets, capsules and all these other products that claim to remove algae....are they any good?

Oh they work, but they're powerful herbicides, and I worry about their effecte on many types of fish and other organisms.

[Rainbowlightning]

Ok, very interesting to know.
This is all just general knowledge type of questions, as like I said, I don't personally have a problem with algae.

I've also heard that a live plant in the water can be good against algae, is this true?
I have a little banana plant in mine, and boy is it an ugly looking thing, lol!

[amanichen]

Rainbowlightning said:

I've also heard that a live plant in the water can be good against algae, is this true?
I have a little banana plant in mine, and boy is it an ugly looking thing, lol!

Yes, but don't expect a plant to win against algae. Rather it's a preventative because it competes with algae for nutrients.