# What to do about staghorn algae on my tennelus?



## dougz (Apr 4, 2008)

How am I going to get rid of it from the tennelus..

You'll agree that the only way for these too forgone plants is for me to cut them right out, no?

I shouldn't have left it to get to this point, but when I cut away the tips before on one bunch a few weeks ago, it turned reddish yellow (bottom-left).. 










Do I try to use Excel on it?

Do I just start with an EI dosing program and keep doing water changes and it will go away?

See the causes and possible solutions of the algae that I discuss here (when I thought it was BBA, and it was still manageable)..

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/algae/56292-black-thread-algae.html

Thanks for any help you could give..


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

Pick off the worst of it; the leaves don't all look bad. Start the EI dosing ASAP. Problem solved.


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## dougz (Apr 4, 2008)

Ordering them tomorrow.

And I'll lower my pH (and thus raise the amount of CO2 pumped in) as soon as I get my Lamotte CO2 test kit, and my 2nd diffuser for the opposite corner of the tank..

Do I continue to dose with Flourish until then, or wait till I start with the macros?


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

I'd say just dose micros lightly for now. 

Honestly, I don't think much of those co2 test kits. A drop checker would be better.


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## dougz (Apr 4, 2008)

Well, the green of a drop checker (which I have) apparently can mean anything from 30 to 45ppm..

I'd like a little more accurate of an indication, and Lamotte's the best on the market, as far as liquid regents go..


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

When the drop checker is green is a function of the KH of the water inside it.


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## dougz (Apr 4, 2008)

Yeah, there's tank water in there, now, as it said in the instructions to put in there..

I don't know what my KH is, as the API solution goes yellow/orange right away, so either I have a kH of 0 (doubtful if the GH solution is correctly giving me a reading of 11), or the kit is suspect.

I'm going to order another one..


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

Don't use tank water. You create water of a certain KH so that it turns green at whatever co2 concentration you want (I like 40). I believe there's a thread about that going on now.


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## dougz (Apr 4, 2008)

I'll see if I can find it..


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

Use a 4dkh water solution in your drop checker. You can make your own or just get some from Greenleaf aquatics. I got mine for Billionzzz. It's cheap and at a drop at a time lasts forever. When that turns green, lime etc. you know you have enough CO2 in your water...


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## dougz (Apr 4, 2008)

So what's that orange solution that I added a drop of, if not 4 dkH solution?


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

dougz said:


> So what's that orange solution that I added a drop of, if not 4 dkH solution?


That is the reagent which reacts to the CO2 in the water. You need at least 2 drops, some put 3. You fill the drop checker up to the line with 4dkh water. You add 2-3 drops of reagent. You place in tank and wait 1-2 hours and then check the color. If its not a green (near to lime green) then you increase your CO2.


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## dougz (Apr 4, 2008)

Huh..

Ok, again, instructions said one..

How could I make my own solution?

Just had an order shipped from GreenLeaf.. 

Can't really justify another order just for 1 item.. 

I will if I have to, but..


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

Get some calcium carbonate and mix it with distilled water until you get what you want. I'm sure somebody here could tell you precise amounts of each to use in a recipe. Of course, you'll also need a reliable KH test kit.


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## dougz (Apr 4, 2008)

Wouldn't I just keep using the same solution that came with the drop checker, and use 2-3 drops instead of 1?


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

dougz said:


> Wouldn't I just keep using the same solution that came with the drop checker, and use 2-3 drops instead of 1?


Cavan is talking about making the 4dkh water to put into your dropchecker. ...and yes you use the solution that came with your drop checker to add to the 4dkh water you started with in your drop checker.


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## dougz (Apr 4, 2008)

Woohoo!

My ferts are here already!

Gotta love shipping it on the bus!

Question:

With the EI dosing, can I half the doses, and do a 25% water change weekly, instead of a 50% one?


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

No, you need to do full doses. That way your plants will always have what they need. Some people do less than 50% water changes as a rule. Remember the EI dosing is just a guide for a range of tanks. If you fall on the small side of the range and have very few plants you would cut down your dosing. If you fall on the large size and have medium to heavy planting you would maybe need to increase your dosage sizes.


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## dougz (Apr 4, 2008)

Based on what you see here, where would you put me?

Note the frogbit covers about 1/5 of the surface..


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

That looks like a pretty good plant mass. I'd dose like it says. Why do you want to only do 25% w/c? I do 50% even in my shrimp tanks. I think the temperature thing is way overrated. If you think of natural settings one big rain storm or cloudy day could change the water temp. I'm not saying to purposefully make it a different temp but as long as you get it in the ball park I think it's ok.


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## dougz (Apr 4, 2008)

> Why do you want to only do 25% w/c?


Because to get the pH around 6.5 I use approx 80% demin water, and 20% tap water, which has a pH of 7.8.

For a 25% change on a 75g, I need about 15g of demin water, which I have to haul from work in 5g jugs.

Just a bigger deal hassle to do DOUBLE that each week.. LOL

I need to get an R/O filter.. But I'm not set-up to do this presently..


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## Commodore 64 (Aug 13, 2008)

You can make your own 4dKH with baking soda and water. See here.

The indicator you are adding to the solution is simply pH test solution...the pH of the 4dKH water changes as more CO2 gets dissolved.


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## dougz (Apr 4, 2008)

Ok, thanks!


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