# Staghorn Algae - photoperiod or light?



## smmcgill (Oct 26, 2014)

Hi all, I'm looking for some direction/opinion since you are all more experienced than I am, and have been so helpful. I have some algae beginning to take hold in my new-ish 10g NPT, and after a bit of Google research, I'm pretty sure it's Staghorn. It looks blue-black in the tank, but green when I pull it out. Long, branching filaments. Hard to yank off the leaves of the plants it is on. Mostly on my Pelia, but also some now on Bacopa and Lobelia.

I'm running two 23-watt (or 26? The 100W replacements) CFLs, horizontally.

So, would your first reaction be to shorten the photoperiod, reduce the lighting, or something else? I don't dose anything, and no CO2 currently.


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## BruceF (Aug 5, 2011)

I usually run two 13w cfls horizontally . So yes I would say that is too much light.


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## Guck (Nov 27, 2014)

I run two 13w spiralled compact fluorescent in my 10gal and have no problem.


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## smmcgill (Oct 26, 2014)

To be honest, I can't remember why I switched the 13's that I originally had in there with the 26's... They're going back in now!


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## HDBenson (Sep 24, 2014)

+1 to high lighting.. are you using any sunlight to suppliment the tank(indirect/direct)? I have two 15w tube fluorescents and started getting algae so I cut down my photoperiod from eight on four off to six on six off six on six off and did some large water changes to decrease the TDS. What is your livestock - do you have any algae eaters in there ie Otos, Amanos, snails?


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

Yes, too much light!


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## smmcgill (Oct 26, 2014)

HDBenson said:


> +1 to high lighting.. are you using any sunlight to suppliment the tank(indirect/direct)? I have two 15w tube fluorescents and started getting algae so I cut down my photoperiod from eight on four off to six on six off six on six off and did some large water changes to decrease the TDS. What is your livestock - do you have any algae eaters in there ie Otos, Amanos, snails?


No sunlight at all because of where the tank is located. Livestock: 6 guppies, 1 bristlenose pleco, 2 nerite snails, some MTS snails, and a whack of pond snails. Unless I'm missing it, they all completely ignore the algae I'm having the issue with, but do a great job keeping the glass clean.


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