Newbie Mistake?

[Interloper]

So I have two aquariums both still relatively new, one is like 3 months, one is like a month old...

Honestly (slap me if you want) I haven't been doing the normal weekly water changes I should (I think)...I was really under the impression that, Ammonia and NO2 and NO3 are good...its fine, lol....buuuuut....

I have been getting algae on the leaves of my plants and sides of my tanks on a regular basis...its not like crazy amounts, but its still not nice to look at....

Is this because I'm not doing regular water changes? Like my newest tank is 38g and has swords and a few other plants I forget what they are...but they all have algae on the leaves =\ I hate it heh....but if its cause Im just being lazy and not doing water changes then (other than healthy fish) I have another reason....

PS...I do keep tabs on water conditions with a API Master Kit...almost every day....


Anyways to simplify....will me being un-lazy and doing weekly or 2x per week water changes help with the crud thats growing on my plants? heh

 

[jlk]

Hi! Well, lets start with your tank numbers for ammonia, nitrite & nitrate and see what they look. Ammonia and nitrite are NOT good for your tanks & fish- they are highly toxic. Nitrate is not as toxic but its still not healthy for fish. Water changes keep your nitrates under control. Exactly how often (or not) have you been doing water changes? Please post your tank numbers & we can go from there!

Now, what type of algae are you dealing with? Is it brown & covering the surface of everything? Some more info to help ID what you are dealing with!

 

[fort384]

Probably this issue or more closely tied to lighting. What kind of lighting are you using, and for how long per day is your photoperiod set?