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Help with stag horn

Raws69

Member
Joined
5 Oct 2020
Messages
173
Location
Essex
Hi

now starting to see a lot of this stuff all over the tank. Seen people suggest flourish excel, but thought this was an additive the same as tnc carbon (which I use daily). So does it do the same? If so why is it not clearing the algae. My co2 appears to be good and has been stable now for over a month. Tank is an Ada 60x45x45 with an Oase600t, so flow is good across the tank.

appreciate all help as this is starting to be v annoying..

cheers
 

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When I got this I started cleaning my filter more often and switched from lean dosing (ADA) to EI type and it went away.
 
Hi

i clean the pre filter every week, and the main filter once a month. I’ve looked into EI dosing and for a beginner appears overly complicated and just more stuff to worry about getting right.

My question still stands re difference between tnc carbon and excel, can someone pls confirm.
 
Hi all,

From your other <"Stagshorn post">.

cheers Darrel
Hi

i started to read the article someone attached to my other post, and to be honest got lost in the information. I’m new to the hobby and could do with an idiots guide type of response 😂
 
Hi all,
i started to read the article someone attached to my other post, and to be honest got lost in the information
You are good, we don't know what causes any of the different types of algae to "outbreak". We think that outbreaks of Stagshorn (Compsopogon) may be related to high levels of Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM). Because we have plants, usually have large water changes and relatively high levels of flow (even in low tech tanks), the source of that DOM is unlikely to be in the tank, but if we use our filter as a syphon etc, it may be inside the filter body.

cheers Darrel
 
TNC Carbon and Excel are basically the same.

Treating the whole tank with either will not resolve the problem you have in my experience.

I have had success with misting staghorn when its exposed at water change with a mix of about 50ml of TNC Carbon and 300ml water. But that's tricky for a carpet.

I would trim the hair grass hard and hope new growth stays algae free.

I also notice a rather yellow and dead looking plant on the right of your pic, if all those leave are dead then there's a big source of the DOC that @dw1305 mentions. Get rid of all the deadl leaves unless it looks different in real life.
 
Hi

i clean the pre filter every week, and the main filter once a month. I’ve looked into EI dosing and for a beginner appears overly complicated and just more stuff to worry about getting right.

My question still stands re difference between tnc carbon and excel, can someone pls confirm.

Try cleaning the main filter once a week. That's what I did. EI type simply means any fertiliser based off the EI system, there are plenty available commerically which you don't have to mix yourself.
 
Try cleaning the main filter once a week. That's what I did. EI type simply means any fertiliser based off the EI system, there are plenty available commerically which you don't have to mix yourself.
I did not know that, are these then cheaper than say prime in the long run? thought this Was the main benefit of EI as self mixed cuts out the dilution in commercial products....
 
So watched the vid, very helpful thank you. I have good pearling on the moss and plants, so according to the vid the nutrient levels are ok. I have been doubling up on the recommended dosage of tnc complete, wondering then if this is contributing to the algae (but would I still get the pearling in this case). I need to profile the co2 in my other tank so will also check this one.

last question, does tnc complete fall into the rich or lean category, I assume rich.
 
TNC is a complete fertilser. If you use a lot then it's rich, if you use a little then it's lean.

That's a little simplistic, i grant you. But near enough.

Pearling isnt really a sign of plant health. Simply that the tank water has reached oxygen saturation point so when the plants produce oxygen it appears As bubbles. It's neither good or bad.

Double dosing TNC should not cause algae.
 
Starting to lose the will to carry on. Just noticed black beard algae now on the centre piece.

I can take this piece out, so should I dose directly with excel (if so how much, can it be neat?)
or should I bleach the rock?

im going to do a ph profile later this week, to check co2 levels anyway.

but I still have a question around the impact of maintenance to co2 and lighting. For instance my co2 schedule in 8.30am to 5.30pm with light 11.30 to 5.30 including the ramp up/down periods. Light intensity is 75%. I switched everything off and spent a good 2hrs cleaning the tank, filter and giving everything a good prune (including the carpet) to remove as much stag horn as possible. But this has then interrupted the co2 levels in the tank?

so should I only do maintenance after the lights and co2 finish, which will be a pain? Or on maintenance day do I just not put the lights on until the co2 checker shows green again (which may or may not be until the end of the normal light schedule?

or does one day not matter? In which case why has bba appeared over night?

appolgies for picture quality taken on iphone, but assume the black fuzzy stuff on the edges of the rock is bba.
 

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Firstly, chill out. Aquascaping is 90% a pain in the blahblahblahblah, get used to it. :)

BBA happens. God knows why. If you have a burning desire, you can read the longest thread ever on here about it.

Next water change, do a big one so you expose the rock work. "Paint" Excel/Glute directly onto the BBA using a toothbrush or cotton bub. Let it sit there for a few mins, then refill. Over a few days the BBA will turn red. Do same again next water change. After about 7-10 days it will have disappeared. If you keep on top of usual maintenance then fingers crossed it will stay away. If not, repeat.

Re CO2 etc etc. If it's easier, on maintenance day just leave the CO2 and lights off all day, retstart your routine the following day. There should be no ill effect from this at all. And remember to do a bigish water change after a big prune.
 
Cheers.... doing weekly 50% changes at moment, but will for the next few weeks go to twice weekly and blitz the bba
 
you can hassle BBA away. Scrub it with a small wire brush.

However yours is quite bad and has come on quick.
id suggest it is caused by fluctuating co2 combined with excess waste.

ensure your co2 is a nice light green colour at lights on. Move the drop checker around the tank for a week to see.

remove waste with a turkey baster at water change, blast it all up. The larger the water change the better. Donot be afraid to do 80%. Do it twice on the trot if doing a big maintenance session.

donot over feed. A small piinch of quality dried food once a day. Donot feed once or twice a week.
 
I siphon the carpet weekly, do not overfeed the fish and actually don’t feed them at the weekend. Did have the co2 at green but noticed this is slightly blue at lights up, so will make small adjustment.
 
Hi @Raws69 That makes sense. BBA loves fluctuating co2.

what do you use to syphon the carpet? I just wonder if you are disturbing the nutrient rich soil too much and then not removing the waste enough (water change). That BBA is feeding on something that is settling on the stone.
 
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