Why do some people experience algae blooms after adding live plants?
First, live plants likely have a tiny amount of algae on them, and if conditions are right, that algae may grow rapidly. But the bigger problem is dying plants or leaves, which not only fail to consume algae nutrients, but actually provide them as they decompose. So what’s the trick? Success depends on a flourishing population of healthy plants, so either proper conditions must be arranged for the desired plants, or plants must be chosen that will thrive under the existing conditions. This could mean either extra lighting, CO2 and nutrients for a thick growth in a “natural” aquarium, or selecting a few easy plants for the fish tank with normal lighting. Any plants or even leaves that appear to be composing should be removed promptly. Can you have too many plants? In a way, yes. If the plant population eventually grows to the point where it constantly consumes all of any one of the basic requirements (most often Nitrogen), it no longer continues to thrive. Algae then has a chance to bec
