Question about planted aquarium and fishless cycling

Hi GreenAmy,

Sometimes 12 hours of light is too much when you do not have enough of other things (nutrients, CO2, etc.) the plants need.   A lot of people keep lights on less than 10 hours.  Some of them keep them at 8 hours max.  There is no one rule for everyone, since light strength is also affected by the depth of the water in your aquarium.   If you got an algae problem, you need to decrease the time of light exposure.  Try to use an automatic timer to make things easier for yourself.  

Other things to consider is to add trace mineral for plant food, as well as CO2.    

For details on algae control, we have an article on How to Get Rid of Alage


As for pond snails, it is hard to eradicate them completely.  It takes time.   As long as they no longer overpopulate your aquarium, there is no harm done.  Nope, they will not harm your plants.  All they do is to feed on leftover fish food and a little bit of algae.    I am also curious.  What are some of the methods have you tried anyway?