[APD] CO2 and Algae

["Bill" <billpers at comcast_net>]

Standard advice to people whose aquariuims are plagued with algae is often, 
"Add more CO2."

That seems to work in many cases.  My question is, Why?

Does CO2 directly kill algae or stop it from multiplying?  I think not; as a 
plant, algae should benefit from CO2.

Does CO2 enable plants to grow faster?  Yes.  But how does that affect 
algae?

People say that higher plants can't outcompete algae for nutrients.  The 
higher plants need much more nutrient than does algae; by the time the algae 
feels the impact of lower nutrients, the macrophytes would be suffering.

Does the growth of the mactophytes reduce the amount of light that the algae 
gets, thus limiting it that way?  That could be, but such growth would also 
limit the growth of other macrophytes.

Why does increasing CO2 often control algae?

Bill 

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