Continual battle with GHA
- Thread starter jakeb
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jakeb
Active Member
Here are some close up photos (I turned the lights to 100% white for the photo). Am I right in thinking it is GHA?
Sure looks like GHA to me. Exactly how mine appears. Also have had a problem with my invertebrates dying too. I'd say about 80% of whatever I add dies in 1-3 weeks. I know I have Ostreopsis dinos though, so that's an obvious problem and toxic for inverts. I don't see any dinos in your tank though, so that's even stranger that yours perish.
jakeb
Active Member
I'm still cleaning the rocks every 2 or 3 weeks, and I'm waiting for an order of phyto and magnesium. My wife has told me it's growing back slower, but that might be to stop me moaning about it.
ATS's don't seemed to be used much in the UK. I've been reading up on making them, and I've found a decent guide on a UK forum. I just don't have the time to commit to making one at the minute - hopefully that will change in a month or two.
Until I have time to make one, a media reactor with rowaphos will have to do.
ATS's don't seemed to be used much in the UK. I've been reading up on making them, and I've found a decent guide on a UK forum. I just don't have the time to commit to making one at the minute - hopefully that will change in a month or two.
Until I have time to make one, a media reactor with rowaphos will have to do.
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jakeb
Active Member
And I've had a look at your ATS on one of your posts. It looks really good!
jakeb
Active Member
I'm sorry to hear you're having
What nutrient export are you using?
Filter floss and a skimmer.I'm sorry to hear you're having
jakeb
Active Member
I've just had a look at your build thread. You still have a nice looking tank, even with the algae issues. But maybe I am used to looking at tanks with algae problems.
jakeb
Active Member
It's been a few months since my last message and despite trying various things, I'm more less in the same situation.I believe it is GHA as I haven't noticed any branching, but it's very possible that I have misidentified it. I will upload a close up photo when the lights come on tomorrow.
It seems like I have had a similar experience losing inverts as @djf91 and @Chrisv. (although I haven't dosed vibrant). I've tried to tell the difference between lyngbya and GHA in the past, but haven't been able to. Is there an easy way to tell the difference between the two?
Thank you all for the help with this, if anyone has any more ideas, please let me know
If magnesium and phyto helps, great. If it doesn't, I will look at using FluxRX and/or hydrogen peroxide again. And look at a DIY ATS and/or UV.
- Keep cleaning rocks with a toothbrush and siphon. Keep removing smaller rocks to clean, but start using hydrogen peroxide (avoiding corals).
- Raise magnesium to 1500
- Dose live phyto
- Cleaning rock with a toothbrush and siphon (roughly once a month) - it helps, but algae come back quickly.
- Hydrogen peroxide on rocks. I ran a few tests on different rocks and had the following results. It was a bit pointless to be honest, as I can't remove 80% of my rock work.
- Removed algae and peroxide on rock for 5 minutes - algae was slower to come back, but only by around a week
- Peroxide on algae for 10 minutes (no algae removal) - very similar to algae removal
- Removed algae (no peroxide) - very similar to peroxide
- Left rock alone
- Raised magnesium to 1500 - no impact
- Dosing live phyto - no impact
- Added algae scrubber - has been running for 1.5 months now - growing algae but no difference in display tank (probably needs longer)
All fish and corals are all healthy, so I don't think it is a water quality issue.I'm a bit stuck now, I'm really not sure what I can try next...
Lavey29
10K Club member
Manual cleaning once a month isn't going to cut it no pun intended. I was pulling clumps out daily. Did you add some turbos and tuxedo urchins?It's been a few months since my last message and despite trying various things, I'm more less in the same situation.
I bought another sea hare two weeks ago, and it died today
- Cleaning rock with a toothbrush and siphon (roughly once a month) - it helps, but algae come back quickly.
- Hydrogen peroxide on rocks. I ran a few tests on different rocks and had the following results. It was a bit pointless to be honest, as I can't remove 80% of my rock work.
- Removed algae and peroxide on rock for 5 minutes - algae was slower to come back, but only by around a week
- Peroxide on algae for 10 minutes (no algae removal) - very similar to algae removal
- Removed algae (no peroxide) - very similar to peroxide
- Left rock alone
- Raised magnesium to 1500 - no impact
- Dosing live phyto - no impact
- Added algae scrubber - has been running for 1.5 months now - growing algae but no difference in display tank (probably needs longer)
I'm a bit stuck now, I'm really not sure what I can try next...
jakeb
Active Member
I have a tuxedo urchin that picks at some of it, but not loads. It seems more interested in trying to find some coralline (which doesn't really bother me). Any snails and inverts eat the algae well for a few weeks, and then start slowing down to the point they stop moving and die.
It seems like a water quality issue, but fish and corals are fine, and past ICP tests are fine.
I wish I had the time to clean it more It takes hours to properly clean, and with work and a young family it's a struggle to get a solid few hours to clean it.
It seems like a water quality issue, but fish and corals are fine, and past ICP tests are fine.
I wish I had the time to clean it more
It takes hours to properly clean, and with work and a young family it's a struggle to get a solid few hours to clean it.
Lavey29
10K Club member
I used to hand place my urchins in the middle of the jungle and force them to eat their way out.I have a tuxedo urchin that picks at some of it, but not loads. It seems more interested in trying to find some coralline (which doesn't really bother me). Any snails and inverts eat the algae well for a few weeks, and then start slowing down to the point they stop moving and die.
It seems like a water quality issue, but fish and corals are fine, and past ICP tests are fine.
I wish I had the time to clean it more
jakeb
Active Member
Haha, I like it! I'd find it difficult to put mine in a place without algae!
It is an odd animal though. It will crawl over tonnes of algae, to go eat identical looking algae on the over side of the tank.
Lavey29
10K Club member
I used 3 urchins and 2 turbos as my primary cleaners but had trochus and cerith too. You need to try and do 5 or 10 minutes of manual pull out daily. Just grab out the big easy to reach clumps.Haha, I like it! I'd find it difficult to put mine in a place without algae!
Once again it looks like another hobbyist being led down the CUC rabbit hole. Please stop killing these creatures. You are your own best CUC! All you need is a toothbrush, turkey baster, conviction, and most impotantly a power filter. And when I say conviction I don't mean once a month. I mean 2-3 times a week!
jakeb
Active Member
Don't worry, other than my recent failure at keeping a sea hare, I haven't bought any new CUC since March (I think - I only started keeping notes on dates of new additions in March).
I have previously cleaned it weekly (for several months), with no more success. Unfortunately I am not able to spend 2 or 3 hours cleaning rock multiple times a week, do my part looking after two young children and have a busy job - I know what two of these three I will choose.
I usually siphon it in to my filter socks and clean it afterwards. I hadn't heard of power filters before, but I can see how they would help. I'll have a bit of a read tonight. Thanks
I might have do another proper clean and then try to spend a small amount of time each day removing algae instead.
Seems like an interesting article. I'll have a read tonight.
fishface NJ
5000 Club Member
Excuse my ignorance but what is a power filter? Are you referring to a HOB filter?
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