ordered my first live plants!!

[TracyRee]

So I've been keeping fish for 10 years and never attempted live plants. I've been over run with algae in our new house because the tank has to be placed near a window. Someone suggested trying live plants which will hopefully cut down on algae growth.

I'm starting out small and with ones suggested to be easy.

I got 1 Aponogetons Ulvaceus and 12-16 stems of Anacharis (Egeria najas).

I have a 55 gallon.

Will my clown pleco eat the plants? He won't eat any cucumber or anything like that I offer him, just fish food.

Thanks!! Can't wait for them to get here

 

[TracyRee]

 

[Bangin]

I've never owned a pleco, so I'm unable to comment on their eating habits.

Expect that aponogeton ulvaceus to get big. I have one in my 55 gallon that's three feet long! It curls at the water surface! It also puts out beautiful yellow flowers above the water line.

Edited to add: I'm not sure if your algae problem will be reduced. Sunlight will always contribute to algae growth.

 

[TracyRee]

Thanks Well, it's worth a shot anyway. I look forward to the ulvaceus getting big....

 

[sinistral]

I haven't had great luck with Anacharis, as in warmer waters it tends to melt and turn into mush. I believe endparenthesis had luck with this plant melting, then growing back in a much spindlier form.

I don't know much about plecos as I've never had one, but I do understand that the larger ones tend to uproot and shred plants. Again, I stress that I'm not familiar with plecos, particularly not the clown pleco species you have.

You might want to consider having a go at any of the plants that are known to compete with algae for nutrients. Ceratopteris thalictroides, more commonly known as water sprite, is very lovely to look at, easy to care for, and competes off algae. Check it out on tropica.

Finally, I second what Bangin wrote about sunlight being the main problem. Do you have a background on the tank? If you don't putting a dark one up might function to block out some of the sunlight hitting the glass.