Staghorne algae

1283 Views 5 Replies 4 Participants Last post by JJJ, May 22, 2020

JJJ

Discussion Starter · May 16, 2020

Hello there,

I ve been fighting against staghorne algae for more than one month and I can't get rid of it.

Initially I painted with a brush Ad glutaraldehyde in the wood while doing a water change and the results was just fantastic after 1-2 weeks.

However, the algae has spread out all over the "Cuba" and I can't use glutaraldehyde there or Cuba most likely will die...

Don't really know what else I can do.

I have good light 7h per day, good CO2, adding NP Fe and micros everyday.

23 Celsius degrees

Also good flow and good CO2 distribution with a power head.

PH 6.5-6.8
Kh 4-6
Gh 6-8
TDS 120-180
No3 5
Po4 0.5
K 12 (trying to go down)

Any help? I don't know what do to...

Thanks

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1 - 6 of 6 Posts

mistergreen

· #2 · May 16, 2020

Clean out your filter. It's usually from NH3 not being processed by your filter.

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hoppycalif

· #3 · May 16, 2020

If you want your plants to grow at the rate the light intensity is dictating, you need to dose both NPK and the micro nutrients. You probably have enough iron, and more iron helps the algae at least as much as it helps the plants. Iron works best when it is in the substrate, where only the roots can get to it. Very often the missing nutrient is CO2, because it isn't that easy to find out how much we have in the water. How are you measuring your CO2? One more: Why are you trying to lower the potassium in the water? Next to nitrogen, potassium is the most used by the plants.

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Duckweed Hunter

· #4 · May 18, 2020

Algae cant lives in a balance tank because all the plant takes up the nutrients. The first thing I see is your drop is right over you Co2. In my experience that will give you a false reading. The drop checker will catch bubbles make the Co2 more concentrated. Move the drop check and see what you Co2 looks like after that.

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hoppycalif

· #5 · May 18, 2020

I missed seeing the drop checker. How are you using it? Do you have standard KH water in it, or just tank water?

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JJJ

Discussion Starter · #6 · May 22, 2020

Well, I have 2 drop checkers plus the ph controler, measuring Kh 4 and ph 6.6 gives me around 30 ppm co2.

Also I let evaporate water and the difference on ph goes from 6.5 to 7.5.

So I would say is not related with co2...

One thing I know I was doing wrong is the am mount of potassium I had initially...it was around 80ppm.
After a few big water changes I have know 8ppm.

Another thing is that I was using propel for iron and envy for micros...and I recently found out that envy is not micros, so for micros I am now adding fluorish trace.

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