Staghorn algae is a type of red algae that forms coarse long strands of gray green to solid green color. Sometimes it is almost white colored. It is very unsightly. It grows on the edges of plant leaves as well as on the edges of almost any hard surface. Composed of coarse strands or tufts, it grows in dense patches. It is very similar to black beard algae.
It sometimes forms long strands six inches or more in length which wave in the current. It is soft, slippery, and grows rapidly, yet clings tenaciously to plants and cannot be easily removed by hand. It generally comes with high nitrates or high iron.
Note that the green staghorn algae above is somewhat similar in appearance to a common water plant called Java Moss. Newbies often confuse the two.
Here is a link to an article on controlling all different types of algae including staghorn algae:
16.2. Controlling Algae
Startpage Aquariumscience
Source: Aquariumscience.org – David Bogert
The author, David Bogert, is a certified chemist, something that is only useful in the sections on chemicals such as conditioners and fertilizers. He has about 43 patents, mostly in the medical device field, which only helps with some DIY designs. But he also spent much of his life as a scientific researcher working on literature research, data analysis, statistics, and a little-understood field called “experimental design.” This experience is very applicable to ALL fishkeeping science. The author has been keeping all kinds of aquariums and all kinds of fish for over 54 years. He currently has ten large and many small aquariums. But note that he is not an “expert” in all aspects of aquarium keeping. The ecology of an aquarium is far too complex for anyone to be a true “expert” in all the different aspects. One can only search the journals and books for relevant research in each individual subject.
