# Staghorn Log



## Abrium (Jan 7, 2011)

Hello everyone,

Let me start off by saying: Long time troller, minimal poster, and first time issue haver. I am battling staghorn algae as you will see by the images that I am going to continually post over the lifetime of this log. However, unlike most aquarists that come to this forum looking for help I am going to set about my way to disprove a lot of myths surrounding staghorn and why it explodes and more importantly what works to get rid of it. Let us start by having a look at our enemy. I present to you ladies and gentlemen... staghorn algae:

The whole tank, well not all of it. Sorry, its 6 ft. long. I'll get a better picture as time goes on but as you can see from this angle and distance all of nature seems to be in balance. You will also see some new eelgrass that I've just gotten in that I will be distributing throughout the tank later.












Now let’s take a look inside the tank to see the monster that I am dealing with:

Both of my moss beds seem to be the worst hit by this onslaught as you can see here.











and here:










Now I also see this algae forming on the majority of my stem plants and I'll throw you a shot of that also:










Ok, now that we have a good clear picture of our enemy allow me to provide you with the information that I know everyone will ask so lets start with the tank inhabitants in both the flora and the fauna categories.

Flora consists of:
distributed java fern
sparsely planted HC, dwarf hairgrass, and pygmy chain sword (all of which is meant to make it into a carpet and due to co2 injection it is doing very well)
water primrose, both planted and floating (those are the majority of the hanging roots pictured in the full tank shot)
2 amazon swords
20+ corkscrew vals (great propagation)
huge helping of water sprite
4 small anubias
12 + aponogeton ulvaceus (keeps budding so I keep planting)
rotala
water lettuce (2 breeds that cover approximately 1/4 the top)
large bunch of hornwort in the far corner
10 large vals
multiple bunches of java moss and christmas moss
2 banana plants

I think that about covers it. Now lets move on to the fauna:
15 harlequin rasbora
12 banded kuhli loaches
15 neon tetras
3 dwarf gouramis
2 platies
3 black mollies
5 bamboo shrimp
~ 12 otto cats
6 + apple snails (they keep having babies anyone want some?)
6 amano shrimp
8 assassin snails
4 nerite snail/limpets
2 SAE (full grown 6" algae eaters, the biggest fish I have)
small colony of cherry shrimp

Now that you have an eye into what I am housing allow me to tell you what I am housing it in. My planted aquarium is a 6' long 125 gallon tank, the substrate is 75% floramax with 25% doleen sand. I have two 10 lb pressurized co2 systems attached to the tank and I have no idea how much co2 they are putting into the tank. I have ordered my drop checker and it should be here in a day or two. As far as flow I have over 700 gph of flow not counting the canister return. My filtration is a single xp3 filter with two compartments bio media and one compartment mechanical @ 5 micron. I have a second xp3 on standby but don't see any need for it. My lighting system is 6 T5HO bulbs @ 80 watts each. 4 bulbs are ran for 10 hours straight a day with all 6 running for 4 hours to simulate mid day. I have all of my lighting and co2 on a timer system. The co2 starts an hour prior to the lighting kicking on.

Last but not least my water parameters. I have a feeling that I may disappoint some of you because I don't use a test kit for my ferts. Throughout all of my reading on forums and operating tanks for many years I don't believe that one should rely on test kits so heavily. Test kits are a good indicator but not gospel. Usually the plants will indicate what they are missing if you are paying attention and know how to read the signs. However for the fish I tend to rely a little more o test kits but that doesn't really help in this situation. As I try different methods of removing this staghorn algae I will purchase a test kit that can read the dissolved solids in my tank. If I didn’t I wouldn’t be able to prove what I have added or hadn’t added worked in removing the algae.

I feed my fish once a day very little forcing algae supplementation and my cleaning ritual is a weekly water change ALWAYS. Prior to my water change I clean any algae off of the glass and when I do my changes its always more than 30% but less than 50%. 

So now that we know what we are all doing here and you have a good idea about my tank lets move on to the first of my experiments.


----------



## Quesenek (Sep 26, 2008)

If I remember right what solved my problem was adding more flow so that there was zero dead spots.
My other problem was I didn't have pressurized Co2 at the time so my swords were growing at a snails pace. Once I got the pressurized Co2 all my algae problems melted away. However you already have it which makes me think you don't have enough flow for your tank size.


----------



## chad320 (Mar 7, 2010)

I have to agree on the flow as a start. Second, you need more plants and up your Co2. But back to the flow. I run a 950 GPH pump on a 65g and my leaves barely sway. Minus whats lost by using a spraybar to distrubute the flow. Even if you hook up your other filter empty it would help. I am assuming you have your Co2 either too low of dont have enough flow to make it work right. Plant mass has also become critical if you ask me. I never have algae problems in tanks full of plants. Mostly full, kinda full gives algae a foothold. Full tanks out compete the algae.

EDIT: And thats too much light sitting right on top of the tank. But ill let a lighting guru comment for that one as im not experienced enough to give a recommendation. I just know its too much light.


----------



## Abrium (Jan 7, 2011)

Thank you for the replies. I hadn't anticpated answers so quickly. I was going to run this log by trial and error, my trial and error BUT with your instant responses I believe we will make this a combination of the experts forum meets practical application. I will take on a single suggestion, experiment, analyze, and post the results hopefully daily. 

The first expert suggestion is flow so that is the direction that the next two weeks are going to follow. I am going to up my flow as much as I monetarily can and examine the effects on the tank. However, I must admit that I am somewhat skeptical about the flow because dead spots where nutrients would settle could form an algae bed but I have staghorn over the majority of the tank which leads me to believe there is a nutrient imbalance but we will get to that one if flow doesn't correct the problem.

I will make one final change. I will observe the effects for a single week instead of two weeks. Two weeks is just too long. If a solution begins to show a benefit than it will be given another week.

On to flow.

Changes made to the tank.

I did have 875 gph flow including my canister filter but I have now added a 250 gph submersible pump and two more hydra fans @ 240 gph each for a grand total of 1605 gph flow. There isn't a leaf sitting still and the water has become somewhat cloudy from what I may have missed vaccuuming during my 50% water change this evening. 

So flow rate doubled. Here is what we have now and I also planted 10 more Vallisneria gigantea which won't stay down because of the flow now.









From the other side:









My huge SAEs came out to see what all the commotion was:









So I will track the algae change with flow. Also, the light is what it is. I was forced to lower it because this particular tank is in our living room. I did have the light approximately 10" above the tank but the ambient light was just murder to the entire room. My wife, the boss, made me trim the legs down so that not as much light escaped. In order to cut down on exposure I only run 4 out of the 6 at a time accept for a block mid day.


----------



## chad320 (Mar 7, 2010)

Personally I would run two, and then do a two hour burst of all six. I also smell trouble with the Co2. First of all, since you upped your flow, keep an eye on your fish tomorrow. Everyday that you can watch the fish ALL DAY up your Co2 just a bit. If your fish are showing any signs of stress back it off a tiny bit. Lower your tank level to off gas the Co2 and wait until the next day. A drop checker will help but you will still first have to learn how to use one. Hope this helps


----------



## Abrium (Jan 7, 2011)

*3 days in*

Well, with increased flow nothing seems to be happening accept the algae seems to be spreading and a lot of my fish can't find anywhere to rest:fish: As you can see from the pictures the algae is getting worse.

The edges of my melon swords:









My hairgrass is also become infected:









My java ferns have developed a fur like edge also:









Finally you can see the effects on my moss beds and my rotola:

















Pay no mind to the pink spots on the algae I was doing a side experimentations with hydrogen peroxide. It seems to have taken out the algae but it hasn't left yet on the specific spots:









So, this far in nothing has happened and all we have done is greatly increase the flow. 

What happens to be the next suggestion. If I haven't received one by tonight I will go with increased co2 and less light. 

A special note: During all of these experiments to remove staghorn algae I keep the finest of maintenance regimes. I am always changing water to almost 50%, scrubing the walls of the tank, and vacuuming the substrate. I also remove all dying leaves, dead fish don't stay in the tank, and I minimally feed.

So I'm open to suggestions.


----------



## they call me bruce (Feb 13, 2011)

my wife told me to lower the light too; but I won when the bba showed up {sure you dont have BBA} Im making a sort of hood to direct the ambient light into the tank instead of the whole living room Im up about 8 inches my water paramiters are good and my co2 cooks at 3bps with 2 watts per gal. no dead stops but the dam BBA still grows its heart wrenching-I use ie dosing with pherts. there is a big thread on BBA but it doesent offer much any more its just getting goofy


----------



## Abrium (Jan 7, 2011)

See, I don't know much about dosing. I know I have enough plants in my aquarium to do and I use these fertilizers located here. I picked this particular blend up because of its simplicity. My dosing scheme is approximately 5 ml each morning prior to turning the lights on. As I continue to learn though I am not very comfortable adding my ferts to the water column. Does anyone have information regarding the ferts I am using or have any experience with it? Within a 4" to 6" radius of each of my heavy root feeders I also have one of these. My next experimentation is going to be cranking up my co2. However, this is going to be difficult to meausre so I am going to wait until I get my drop checker in so I can measure what level I have. So I guess I will hold off until I get the appropriate equipment in. If that doesn't work I am going to need to know a good test kit to pick up to meausre nutrients in the water because that is where I am going to go next. I am going to make sure that I have the right parameters in my water. Everywhere I have read states that the presences of staghorn can be related back to amonina in the water and weak co2. I would like to prove these things.

So, to recap increasing of the flow did not slow down the staghorn it indeed seemed to help it spread. I would not use this solution. Also, to those that say my tank isn't planted enough I actually argue this. I have a lot of plants in there but they are not huge yet. I continue to add but am actually running out of places to put stems and I have enough floating.

The saga continues...


----------



## Abrium (Jan 7, 2011)

hey sorry bruce I didn't see your post and now that I look at it it seems that some of the algae I have is bba. I know that staghorn is my enemy but with bba its a whole new ball game.


----------



## anh (Jul 20, 2009)

i have BBA before, got rid of them using h202 (hydrogen peroxide) since they seen to grow in certain spots.

Now i have have to deal with staghorn algae.... the worse part of it is that it grew on my sand and clay pellet! impossible to get rid of by hand. Thinking about doing H202 on it for the kill.


----------



## Abrium (Jan 7, 2011)

I am going to peroxide the rest of the bba. I can actually remove the staghorn by hand pretty easy and a couple strands of it isn't that unsitely. My only question is once the bba has been peroxided and turns pink/white how long does it take to fall off? I mean mine has been white for 3 days now.

I have spot checked staghorn with peroxide also and the staghorn just laughed at my attempts. There was no change what-so-ever.


----------



## Abrium (Jan 7, 2011)

So we are going to buy a few bottles of peroxide and attempt to oxygenate the bba to death. I am told that stem plants will hold up well but floats/moss may not make it through the assault. I will post pictures tonight while I attempt to take this algae on chemically or I'll just make a movie out of it and post it on youtue and provide a link.

Does anyone have dosage experience with peroxide? I mean the tank is 125 gallon how much can I use before fish and inverts start turning belly up and should I do a water change after? I mean peroxide turns into oxygen and water right?


----------



## they call me bruce (Feb 13, 2011)

I think its a mil and a half per gal but with a big tank like that dont think youll od anything I use a siringe to do it. turn of all water flow put in on the spots wait 15 minutes or so and then turn back on the flow- 3 0r four days it falls off and then you can go after what you missed


----------



## DarkCobra (Jun 22, 2004)

Some staghorn recently snuck into my previously algae-free 10G, on new plants, and started spreading quickly. This is the first time I've encountered this algae.

I did not do any manual removal. I wanted to see effects of treatment on the existing algae.

Tried H2O2 spot treatment at 2ml/G, but it had no effect.

I have two Aquaclear Mini HOBs on this tank. One is used to diffuse DIY CO2. I swapped them so that the CO2 outflows onto the staghorn, but did not change the flow pattern or CO2 level (drop checker is always green).

Right before lights-out, I did an extra 50% water change to reduce organic wastes, followed by extra fert dosing to make up for what was lost.

Next, I removed my Marimo balls, shut off filters, and spot treated the general area with 2ml Metricide (equivalent to 3.5ml Excel) in one cup of water (to allow me to treat a larger area). Waited 10 minutes then turned filters back on.

24 hours later, another 50% water change, extra ferts again, and replaced Marimo balls.

That was four days ago. The staghorn is no longer growing or spreading, and seems to be slowly decomposing. Some of the new leaves on my Limnophilia Aromatica seem a bit stunted and deformed (orange peel texture), but otherwise no ill effects.

I may follow up with a second Metricide treatment, just to be sure I have a 100% kill.


----------

