plastic plants in aquarium

Question
Hi Nick,  I have a 30 gal tank and have put in a number of the plastic plants in it.  I have had this aquarium since February.  I never had any problem until now with green algae.  It was like all of a sudden I have green algae all over everything except the glass.  How harmfull is this to my fish and what do I do to get rid of it?  Do I need to remove and replace everything in my tank?

Thank You, Toni

Answer
I need more tank info than that. The fish, the water change scedule, the parameters...etc.

Algae is not harmful, and is actually very beneficial to the fish. It is unsightly though, so you can get rid of it if you like.

It is caused by mainly things, but mainly and ultimately by poor water quality. What is your water change scedule?

Also, live plants can reduce algae, as can a team of otocinclus, amano shrimp, or a single bristlenose pleco.