# Staghorn Algae CO2/Bubble filter questions



## PAXpress (Sep 22, 2011)

Hello everyone,
Been a while since I posted. I have a 40 gallon breeder that I've set up recently and am trying to turn it into an "aquascape" or at least something somewhat nice to look at on occasion.
I've done CO2 once before and haven't messed with it in a few years since I moved and didn't have room for a tank over 10g. Recently set up this 40g breeder maybe 3-4 weeks ago, set up CO2 about 2 weeks ago and think I'm pumping somewhere between 2-3 bubbles per second through an atomizer diffuser on one side of the tank. For fear of losing any fish I have had a sponge filter with an airpump hooked up on the opposite end of the tank as the CO2. I am dosing EI method and I can give more specifics of how much of what I'm putting in when I get home as I'm posting on my lunch break here at work, let me know if what exactly I'm dosing would help out. However my question is more about the bubble sponge filter. Should I have it? Recently my java fern (which is probably the one plant thats stayed with me through every single tank I've ever had because even I can't accidentally kill this stuff) has started to get what I believe is staghorn algae. Branching dark black algae on the ends of the leaves (can take a picture sometime soon and post it if necessary to identify). This java fern is really close to the sponge filter that is hooked up to the air pump. I'm curious if the reason that I'm getting this algae is because of CO2 being lost into the air because of the pump? I really only see this algae near and around the sponge filter. The tank itself is open style with 2 canister filters meant for 75+ gallon tanks. The flow around this area of the tank isn't strong either (except from the bubbles of the sponge filter) so thats another thing that had crossed my mind. Just two days ago is when I started dosing more of the fertilizers (trace and a tiny bit of iron on top of that) because I was waiting on the shipment and also two or three days ago I increased how much co2 I'm putting in the tank up from about 1 bubble per second to between 2-3. 
Sorry for this long winded post here. I guess the TLDR version is I have co2 injection and a bubble filter do I need the bubble filter or can I remove it without the fish running out of air at night time? (I do have a timer that I could set the bubble filter to run at night time only maybe that would be a good solution...?)


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