# killing staghorn



## Flear (Sep 29, 2012)

found a way to kill stagorn algae

for moving, tank was very low for several hours
every bit of staghorn that was exposed is now brown and dead
plants are fine

maybe not realistic for many, but an idea for those that can with more resiliant plants


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## Mac120 (Sep 21, 2012)

Hi,
staghorn can also be controlled by excel.
Doing so takes mostly some weeks, but works fine.

But imo the best way is always just not to intruduce any algaes _(this means buying only "clean plants" or for example Invitro plants)_, because in such a case you never need to fight any algaes 
(if there are none)


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## Flear (Sep 29, 2012)

excel can also kill a bunch of desireable aquarium critters, shrimp being the first on the list.

this says nothing about any other desired tiny invertibrates or worms one may have in their tank.

no one can avoid introducing algae into a tank, only avoid intentionally & accidentally introduce algae. "unintentionally", ... spores are wonderful things, they can survive for months out of water, blown around in the wind.

some of the micro-life in the tank, deal with algae spores even before you know they were in your tank so there is no known outbreak.

short & simple, no i'm not going to use chemicals.


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## totziens (Jun 28, 2008)

I don't quite understand what you meant by "for moving, tank was very low for several hours" as a way to kill staghorn algae. 

Mind explaining?

For my case, I'll avoid shrimps at all cost to avoid having the headache of what I can use or cannot use in fighting algae. I don't hate shrimps but I don't enjoy keeping anything which is too fragile and sensitive. It's personal preference.


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## Flear (Sep 29, 2012)

i moved.
in moving all the furniture and the rest of the belongings in the place, lowered the water in the fishtank so it was at least a half-decent weight to move.

the hours the tank had just a few inches of water many of the plants were sticking out of the water. all the staghorn algea that was above the waterline died.


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## Mac120 (Sep 21, 2012)

> spores are wonderful things, they can survive for months out of water, blown around in the wind.


I don´t know from what country you are, but in Europe most off these freshwater algaes are not naturally living here in the wilderness. So this means, just nothing can be transfered by wind. "Good & clean" tapwater also dont contain algae spores.
Still new plants or whatever so putting in a tank may transfer "anything". But if purchasing InVitro Plants = they can not transfer anything, because such plants are grown 100% labor sterile: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Culture_in_vitro.JPG
http://aquaticgardenshop.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=59_64
No algaes, no snails, no pesticides, no parasites with InVitro plants. 



> all the staghorn algea that was above the waterline died.


yes, they were drying out if there is no water - but what about the staghorn under the waterline or near the substrate - how will you lower or empty a tank that much without killing animals?


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## totziens (Jun 28, 2008)

Yes, keeping the staghorn algea above the waterline will kill them. That's why it's easier to keep emersed plants free of algae if the plants can be kept emersed .


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## Flear (Sep 29, 2012)

i'm thinking shrimp, red cherry shrimp, never had shrimp before, so like the plants in my tank, this is going to be new


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