Staghorn

[Matty24]

OK guy over the past couple of weeks I've had an outbreak of staghorn algae, i believe due to changing my light, I'm dosing seachem products every day and also injecting co2 I'm looking for some of your personal experiences with the staghorn whats the first steps I should take I'm currently doing a 50% water change as I do every Sunday to reset the tank should I stop the ferts and lower the light intensity for a week and see what happens? Any advice is much appreciated.

I'm also looking for some advice on ferts I'm currently dosing seachem products each day and to be honest I'm getting sick of it I'm looking to maybe change the dosing to a lean dosing method but I'm worried about an outbreak in other algeas if I do so.

Cheers

 

[Byron]

"Problem algae," whatever species of algae, in a planted tank is always due to an imbalance of light and nutrients. Things were likely balanced previously, but the new light has thrown the balance off. If it is the intensity, you can shade the light with floating plants. Or reduce the duration sometimes helps, but keep in mind that intensity and duration are not interchangeable, i.e., the intensity is what it is and cannot be compensated to any significant amount by duration, but it can help depending.

The fertilizers would not be the issue unless the light intensity was reduced, then you could be providing more nutrients than the plants can use because light intensity drives photosynthesis.

The above is the overall picture; I cannot offer more because I have never maintained a high-tech system with diffused CO2 and thus higher light and more nutrients. Others may have comments.

 

[Matty24]

I have the fluval led plant 3.0 light which I can change the intensity and I'm also waiting on some risers for the light as it sits so close to the water the most effected plants are the vallisneria which is directly under the light, I watched a video on YouTube Bentley pascoe who goes in to detail on the light itself but im guessing each aquarium is different based on co2 ferts etc I have alot stem plants which do grow really fast but I'm looking for ease on the fert sides of things I see alot of different opinions lower the intensity lengthen the photo period I dont know what to do for the best maybe in time it will balance its self again I've increased the flow in the tank alot from the fluval u3 to the fluval 107 canister filter (alot louder annoyingly) begged can't be choosers I've read flow can also be an issue and the u3 I seemed to be having to clean the propeller very often so it seems it wasn't really upto the job