****Brand new MACROALGAE forum!****

[Marc G-L]

Here's your first question. In my struggles to control GHA in my 125 gal, 95 gal DT, the rest is fuge with two the four chambers housing lights, pods, and amphipods Ulva and as of yesterday a large clump of Caeto. Yes, my my N was last checked @ 15 and P at 0.15 .

I have lost 9 of the 10 macro algae sampler placed in the DT to GHA encrustation. Only calcified cactus halmeda continues to survive but I have to take a toothbrush to it periodically to alleviate it fromGHA coverage.

3 weeks ago I bought a large piece of Atomic Broccoli. I can't say its grown much ( it looks absolutely gorgeous!) However, not a strand of GHA visible anywhere on it.
So, finally my question...Do some forms of Macroalgae resist GHA coverage?

 

[SantaMonica Verified Sponsor]

Different algae absorb nutrients at different rates, and grow with different techniques, to out-compete others in certain environments. GHA's technique is to stay very thin (like an antenna) with lots of surface area to be able to get nutrients when the nutrients are at a lower level. So GHA has the advantage.

At higher nutrient levels, Ulva and Chaeto can grow by shading-out other algae. But as the nutrients come down, GHA gets the advantage again. This is why it's common for chaeto reactors to "disintegrate" and turn into GHA after they have been running a while.

So to keep Ulva, Chaeto or other stiffer and darker algae growing, you'll probably need to continuously dose nutrients.

Related:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/algae-removal-sequence.1174179/