Beep'ing Green Hair Algae

cooltowncorals · Dec 19, 2018

Nice looking good

cooltowncorals · Dec 19, 2018

One thing to keep in mind is that GHA is eating up nitrates so once you remove it you will see a spike of both in your tank so I would turn back on GFO now that your removing it. Over 10 ppm nitrate is pretty high IMO if your keeping corals.

spiritwalker · Dec 19, 2018

cooltowncorals said:
One thing to keep in mind is that GHA is eating up nitrates so once you remove it you will see a spike of both in your tank so I would turn back on GFO now that your removing it. Over 10 ppm nitrate is pretty high IMO if your keeping corals.

Funny, I just brought the gfo reactor back online. With PO4 at 0.08 when I last measured it really needs to come down. No use feeding the gha while I'm trying to kill it.

I put the rocks back in the tank which look super clean and the tangs have taken a liking to whatever may be left. Perhaps it's more tasty once comprised.

spiritwalker · Dec 20, 2018

Well, I think I found a big part of my problem. 11 dead turbo snails. The smaller ones were added about 10 days ago. There are 3 smaller ones unaccounted for and I assume they are dead. I added the smaller ones because i thought the big ones got lazy... turns out they were dead or dying. I have one large one left and it seems pretty lethargic.. sumped it so i can keep an eye it.

All my astrea snails and hermits seem to be fine.

I know these turbos dont have a good survivability record but this is a bit much. Something took them out. If it was just the small ones I'd chalk it up to shock even though I drip acclimated. I'll have to review my notes and see what may have happened.

SashimiTurtle · Dec 20, 2018

Scrubber_steve said:
Cool. Maybe 6" off the surface would be good going by the diagram I posted.
And yeh, the Grow setting,,, too much blue

I'm glad I found this. I too have been battling GHA in my display, but I have high phosphates. I've been running my H80 about 6" off the water at 100% for 18 hours on grow and can't seem to get ahead. I have had good growth on my chaeto, as you can see below. I will switch to red only and see if that helps.

Scrubber_steve · Dec 20, 2018

Robin Haselden said:
I'm glad I found this. I too have been battling GHA in my display, but I have high phosphates. I've been running my H80 about 6" off the water at 100% for 18 hours on grow and can't seem to get ahead. I have had good growth on my chaeto, as you can see below. I will switch to red only and see if that helps.

How is your no3 ?

SashimiTurtle · Dec 20, 2018

Scrubber_steve said:
How is your no3 ?

I've been so slammed with work and holidays I havent tested those recently, but last test my nutrients were 12ppm NO3 and 0.15ppm PO4. I'll try and sit down and test tonight and get back to you.

Scrubber_steve · Dec 20, 2018

Robin Haselden said:
I've been so slammed with work and holidays I havent tested those recently, but last test my nutrients were 12ppm NO3 and 0.15ppm PO4. I'll try and sit down and test tonight and get back to you.

Looking at your fuge photo you could lower the kessil further, increasing intensity. Run it 24/7 to bring down the inorganics.

SashimiTurtle · Dec 20, 2018

Scrubber_steve said:
Looking at your fuge photo you could lower the kessil further, increasing intensity. Run it 24/7 to bring down the inorganics.

I just measured it before heading out and its sitting at 8" off the water. I did turn the knob to full red. I'll bump it down further when I get home. Maybe be able to get to about 5" or so off the water before its touching the sump, don't want to melt my expensive Trigger sump.

Scrubber_steve · Dec 20, 2018

Robin Haselden said:
I just measured it before heading out and its sitting at 8" off the water. I did turn the knob to full red. I'll bump it down further when I get home. Maybe be able to get to about 5" or so off the water before its touching the sump, don't want to melt my expensive Trigger sump.

you could bring it down slowly to the 'Bloom" spectrum rather than ***BANG*** to total RED, see how things progress, & then try the pure RED

The Bloom spectrum isn't bad

spiritwalker · Dec 20, 2018

I tried hitting an area with some boiling rodi out of a 60ml syringe while under water.. This might be a decent option for hard to reach areas.

You will see in the first pic the gha turned bright green. The tangs have been hammering on that spot since I did it.

The next pic show how clean that spot is now 18 hours later.

spiritwalker · Dec 20, 2018

Here are the results of my rock scrubbing with peroxide last night.

SashimiTurtle · Dec 20, 2018

Scrubber_steve said:
How is your no3 ?

Just got home and tested.

NO3 8ppm (Red Sea Pro)
PO4 0.13ppm (Hanna HI713 Low Range Phosphate)

Scrubber_steve · Dec 20, 2018

Robin Haselden said:
Just got home and tested.

NO3 8ppm (Red Sea Pro)
PO4 0.13ppm (Hanna HI713 Low Range Phosphate)

they could both come down, more so the po4. You know that if the no3 falls too low & the PO4 is still too high you need to dose no3 or po4 will not reduce.

glennf, who maintain fantastic mixed coral tanks recommends NO3. 0.5 to 3ppm & PO4. 0.02 to 0.08

spiritwalker · Dec 21, 2018

Well, it looks like the changes I've been making have had a positive impact. The gha seems very weak and even the lightest brushing cleans the rocks. I have removed and cleaned some.. others I had to do in the tank. I have been changing filter socks daily to catch the loose algae.

My CUC needs replenishment. Not sure i want to put turbos back in the tank. May look for more hearty options. Astrea snails and hermits still doing fine. One large turbo still alive and under supervision in the sump.

My rocks are looking pretty darn good and I hope I can maintain. I'll be doing a water change tomorrow and am seriously considering increasing flow with two maxspect gyre 280's. Will also be testing water params.

Here is an updated pic as of today.

cooltowncorals · Dec 21, 2018

Tank looks great! Don’t over do it on the clean up crew just slowly add things if they starve and die it can continue the problem.

Reefbuds · Dec 21, 2018

I tried a lot of things fix my GHA. Eventually I started dosing peroxide but everytime I did my Haddoni would shrink up its edges and I didn't like stressing it out like that. So I opted peroxide scrub for my rock. I got all my rock out and scrubbed it with a toothbrush dipped in peroxide every 20 seconds or so. I now have no more GHA on those rocks. Yay! Altho I now have dinos...

that Reef Guy · Dec 21, 2018

Toomnymods said:
Actually your wrong.. for 35% hydrogen peroxide you dose 1ml per 10 gallons of water.
Dosing 3% will not do anything to a gha infestation. I’ve tried it. I even doubled the dosage and did it twice a day.. gha just laughed at it. Leave the 3% for people just wanting to do a preventive maintance dose. The 3% will never kill GHA once it takes hold.

No you are wrong.

I have read a ton of articles on this matter and have talked to a ton of people.

1 ML per 10 per 3%

You are the only person I have ever heard of using 35 Percent Regardless of Dosage.

Yes, it won't kill it outright.

That is why I said after two weeks syphon it out.

It comes right off the rocks as it is in a very weakened state and barely holds on.

It is Super Easy to do.

You got super lucky if only a couple corals got stressed.

That is all I have to say.

Others will try it and risk all their Corals.

Not worth it.

Be Safe 3 Percent 1 ML.

spiritwalker · Dec 22, 2018

cooltowncorals said:
Tank looks great! Don’t over do it on the clean up crew just slowly add things if they starve and die it can continue the problem.

Grabbed some trochus snails and one of these reef bunnies..

cooltowncorals · Dec 22, 2018

Sea hares only eat hair algae and need like insane amounts so don’t be afraid to return him if you stop growing it or loan him to a friend who has GHA.