How do you remove staghorn algae?

[NikkiY]

Hi,

I know this is a silly question. I have been using s tweezer to pick threads of the staghorn algae from my plants. This is very time consuming and tedious. Is there a better way to get rid for them (dipping the plant in a diluted bleach solution is not an option for me)? What is the primary factor for the growth of Staghorn algae? I have tried frequent water change and check my water chemistry regularly. I also have SAE and oto who love munching algae but not the staghorn algae.

Nikki

 

[FoundMoney]

bump...I'd like advice on this, too.

This weekend I'm going to uproot my plants and try to clean them as best I can. Then I'll scrub the rocks and driftwood. My anacharis and hornwort really seems to be taking off now. Hopefully, that will be enough to outcompete the algae.

I would like to know if it is safe to use bleach on swords or vallisneria and if so, what is the ratio of bleach to water?

 

[handsomeboy]

ive heard 16:1

 

[NikkiY]

I don't feel comfortable uprooting my plant. I found that I always break too many roots. I am now cutting on the daily feeding amount from twice a day to once a day. I just notice that some of my tiger barbs have become pale and some serpae tetra become more clear and less orange. I wonder if this is due to lack of food

 

[FoundMoney]

I feel the same way about pulling up my plants but I'm thinking it's the best way to really give my plants a good cleaning. I'll consider it like starting over. You've given me second thoughts though.

As to your fishes' color if the only thing you changed was the amount of food you were feeding them then that could be the cause. I would suggest feeding them the same amount but do it a little at a time. Maybe I'm stating the obvious, but I used to take the food and put it all in the tank at once. Some of it inevitablly escaped my fishes. I started using the same amount of food but just putting it in a little at a time and watched to make sure they were eating most of it. Once they finished I added a little more, and so on.