Chemicals dont work..
even if they do kill algae, its only temporary, and the algae will simply return when the chemical wears off..
algae exists in an aquarium because conditions are good for it to exist.
you cant get rid of algae completely in a planted tank..its impossible.
you have to make life as difficult for it as possible so that is seriously minimized, and it becomes no longer a problem.
In a planted aquarium, you need lots of light for your plants..
algae also loves all that light!
what you need to do is STARVE the algae, so it grows so little that its not a problem..
you starve algae by having a tank STUFFED with tons of healthy, growing plants..a LOT of plants.
your plants then suck up all the nutrients, and out-compete the algae.
Most peopla have problems because they dont have enough plants..
too few plants in a planted tank means there arent enough plants to suck up all the nutrients, they cant compete with the algae, and the algae "wins"..
its a battle for nutrients..you have to help your "good" plants..the plants you want, out-compete the algae..
thats the ONLY way to win the algae war..
chemicals ae only a temporary fix..
algae eating fish and animals help somewhat, but they cant do it all either.
in my experiance, plecos are worthless for algae control.
the only fish I have ever have any luck with are Siamese Algae Eaters..
those guys are great!
but you need the *real* SAE's, not the look-alikes:
http://www.thekrib.com/Fish/Algae-Eaters/
clear fins..no color in the fins at all.
and the stripe extends to the end of the tail.
they are hard to find, but well worth it if you can..
they eat flake food, but also nibble constantly at algae..
they do nothning for algae on the glass, btu they keep leaves algae-free.
I have never found a fish that will deal with algae on the glass.
I have to scrape the glass on my tank once a month or so..
but I havent had any algae on my plants in years.
Other than that, its all about nutrient control..
nothing else will work long-term.
the tank has to achieve a balance..and that can take awhile.
I fought algae for a solid year before my tank stabilized..
now algae is beaten..other than a thin layer on the glass that builds up slowly, I have no algae problems at all.
stuff the tank with plants!
and give them lots of light..
A planted aquarium is TOTALLY different than a non-planted tank! its a totally different mindset.
and plants are MUCH harder than fish in an aquarium.
a lot more work, and much more of a challenge.
but worth it in the end.
You dont want a few plants for your fish tank.
You want a few fish for your plant tank.
Scot