Debating breaking down my tank- 6 years in and GHA has me ready to cry

LesPoissons

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 13, 2018
Messages
1,124
Reaction score
695
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hi guys,
1st reef tank, 220 gal, had it running 6years. This is my 2nd massive GHA outbreak in 6 years but this time ive tried it all. 1st time i did all the things and then tried vibrant and it blasted the gha in no time. This time ive been treating for months and its only getting worse. PLease help. Round 1 was pulling gha, increasing cuc, decreasing light nutrients etc. Tangs already in there, rabit fish etc. Theyve never eaten gha and dont seem to want to start. Urchins in there, crabs, snails etc. The slugs just die so I refuse to buy mroe. Maxpect gyre, 3 power heads, 4 overflows etc for flow. Ive been dosing vibrant and dr tims for 2-3 months now, the gha is only getting worse. Corals are dying. It stinks. Biweekly water changes. Fluconozle didnt work the 1st time, not planning on bothering with it again. Switched the lights to blues only to give the coral some benefit- gha still getting worse by the week. Current schedule is 1ml per gallon Vibrant 2x a week. 3x a week dr tims on altertntaing days.
Thoughts?
temp 77/78
alk 8.5-8ish
mag 1350
ca 430
phos 0 on hanna
nitrates 2 on nyos
ph 8.2
carbon on a reactor. just ordered bio pellets to try in a reactor. I dont even know why, I just feel like ive exhausted everything else.
Im so frustrated. It was fine the last 2 years or so after the last outbreak and then it blew up again. I cant keep phos up in the tank or nitrates naturally. It bottomed out when i got lazy with it and I got dinos. To counter the dinos i added neo phos and neo nitrate until i resolved the dino issue and then the GHA snowballed out of control.
 

Cory

More than 25 years reefing
View Badges
Joined
Oct 30, 2014
Messages
6,882
Reaction score
3,129
Location
Canada
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hair algae loves your tank. Id reccomend a diy waterfall ats with 660nm red leds. It will favor that location and outcompete the display tank. Id also reccomend removing your sand as that is a significant source of slow release phosphates. What kind of urchins you got?
 

zukihara

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 18, 2020
Messages
886
Reaction score
2,485
Location
Nashville
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Nobody, I mean nobody, listens when I suggest dosing phyto to outcompete nuisance algae, but it works and it is natural. Go to the algae barn site and read up on their phyto and what it can do.

I would suggest probably going with a cheaper option like Tommy's Phyto but give it a try regardless.

The concept is very simple. Starve that nuisance algae out by introducing phyto to outcompete it. Win Win all around.
 

N3mo

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 16, 2021
Messages
365
Reaction score
829
Location
South Africa
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I personally think too much is being done and dosed to try and solve a issue which could be sending things downhill.

I would suggest some serious balls of macro algae, you could even run a separate bucket with a big light that will pump water in and out. The bigger the bucket, the bigger the ball of chaeto, the better the nutrient export. Run this light for 16 hours.

I would also suggest an algae scrubber like suggested above that runs the light 24/7.

Adding pods will also help with nutrient control as they eat detritus and dirt to some degree.

You not going to win this battle overnight, it will take some time, However if you set up a system from sump that can outcompete the DT for nutrients( chaeto and scrubber), then you will get some sort of control. Then slowly start removing the GHA from tank manually. Eventually the GHA in DT will be at a point where the tangs can keep it under control and the external export will be doing all the nutrient uptake.
 

spfahnestock

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 27, 2020
Messages
224
Reaction score
310
Location
Ashtabula, Ohio
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Have you thought of trying Reef Flux? In three weeks it killed the GHA issue within my tank and it has been holding steady since.

 
OP
OP
L

LesPoissons

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 13, 2018
Messages
1,124
Reaction score
695
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Nobody, I mean nobody, listens when I suggest dosing phyto to outcompete nuisance algae, but it works and it is natural. Go to the algae barn site and read up on their phyto and what it can do.

I would suggest probably going with a cheaper option like Tommy's Phyto but give it a try regardless.

The concept is very simple. Starve that nuisance algae out by introducing phyto to outcompete it. Win Win all around.
I do dose phyto = ) I use ocean magic or mercer of montana = )
 
OP
OP
L

LesPoissons

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 13, 2018
Messages
1,124
Reaction score
695
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hair algae loves your tank. Id reccomend a diy waterfall ats with 660nm red leds. It will favor that location and outcompete the display tank. Id also reccomend removing your sand as that is a significant source of slow release phosphates. What kind of urchins you got?
short spine and pincushions
 

ZoWhat

7500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 23, 2014
Messages
9,897
Reaction score
17,531
Location
Cincinnati Ohio
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Nobody, I mean nobody, listens when I suggest dosing phyto to outcompete nuisance algae, but it works and it is natural. Go to the algae barn site and read up on their phyto and what it can do.

I would suggest probably going with a cheaper option like Tommy's Phyto but give it a try regardless.

The concept is very simple. Starve that nuisance algae out by introducing phyto to outcompete it. Win Win all around.
Dude... I couldn't agree with you more.

I feel like you and I should have megaphones screaming the phyto-gospel to everyone

I'm like 16yrs into Reefing and have fought GHA up until 2 years ago when I discovered brewing my own Tetraselmis Phytoplankton and dosing 32ozs of it LIVE every night in my 180g DT definitely outcompetes all nuisance algae

It took about 6-8wks for the phyto to outcompete the GHA.... but eventually the phyto did defeat GHA 100%

Problem is not many ppl know this phyto dosing skillset

And most ppl don't want to do the work it takes to set up a brewing (cultivation) station for phyto.

My brewing station:
20201103_104616.jpg


Dosing live phyto should be a required husbandry skill... but its not



.
 
Last edited:

Cory

More than 25 years reefing
View Badges
Joined
Oct 30, 2014
Messages
6,882
Reaction score
3,129
Location
Canada
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Dude... I couldn't agree with you more.

I feel like you and I should have megaphones screaming the phyto-gospel to everyone

I'm like 16yrs into Reefing and have fought GHA up until 2 years ago when I discovered brewing my own Tetraselmis Phytoplankton and dosing 32ozs of it LIVE every night in my 180g DT definitely outcompetes all nuisance algae

It took about 6-8wks for the phyto to outcompete the GHA.... but eventually the phyto did defeat GHA 100%

Problem is not many ppl know this phyto dosing skillset

And most ppl don't want to do the work it takes to set up a brewing (cultivation) station for phyto.

My brewing station:
20201103_104616.jpg


Dosing live phyto should be a required husbandry skill... but its not



.
Actually your postings got me thinking of growing and dosing it. While i dont have a hair algae problem, its definitely a battle constantly. Ill pick some up Monday and start brewing and join the loudspeaker if it works good haha.
 

Cory

More than 25 years reefing
View Badges
Joined
Oct 30, 2014
Messages
6,882
Reaction score
3,129
Location
Canada
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
What is going on here is hair algae is the main efficient organism consuming po4 and no3 in your tank. You need something else to outcompete it, eat it, or grow it in an ats so it kills itself in the display tank being greedy in the ats.
 

zukihara

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 18, 2020
Messages
886
Reaction score
2,485
Location
Nashville
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I do dose phyto = ) I use ocean magic or mercer of montana = )
Given the size of your tank you would be spending oodles of cash to dose an effective amount of ocean majik in my opinion. Are you positive that you are dosing enough?
 
OP
OP
L

LesPoissons

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 13, 2018
Messages
1,124
Reaction score
695
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I’m not sure that there is an exact correct amount? I dose about 60 mls a night. I do buy a lot and then in between I try to grow my own which is easy and successful but I always seem to kill the culture after a couple weeks and then I have to start over. I do love this forum because people are so helpful and supportive and it gives me hope. So today I went ahead and ordered some red lights to restart a DIY algae scrubber in my sump. I tried that route the first time and I ended up growing a ridiculous amount of algae In the sump, But it had zero effect on the algae in the display tank. Ill try it again and see if i get better results. In preparation I added a powder blue tang, a sailfin, another urchin, more crabs and snails etc just because.
 

davidcalgary29

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 24, 2020
Messages
2,722
Reaction score
3,381
Location
Peace River, Alberta
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Nobody, I mean nobody, listens when I suggest dosing phyto to outcompete nuisance algae, but it works and it is natural. Go to the algae barn site and read up on their phyto and what it can do.

I would suggest probably going with a cheaper option like Tommy's Phyto but give it a try regardless.

The concept is very simple. Starve that nuisance algae out by introducing phyto to outcompete it. Win Win all around.
I did!
April 1: the jungles of Guilin
April 24: Bald Knob, Arkansas

and I stopped dosing vibrant
 

Attachments

  • 49B35C09-ED1A-4428-8828-34307040C259.jpeg
    49B35C09-ED1A-4428-8828-34307040C259.jpeg
    196.1 KB · Views: 114
  • 6B7DA317-E12C-4C2F-8A9B-5F5691330E54.jpeg
    6B7DA317-E12C-4C2F-8A9B-5F5691330E54.jpeg
    173.3 KB · Views: 119

zukihara

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 18, 2020
Messages
886
Reaction score
2,485
Location
Nashville
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I’m not sure that there is an exact correct amount? I dose about 60 mls a night. I do buy a lot and then in between I try to grow my own which is easy and successful but I always seem to kill the culture after a couple weeks and then I have to start over. I do love this forum because people are so helpful and supportive and it gives me hope. So today I went ahead and ordered some red lights to restart a DIY algae scrubber in my sump. I tried that route the first time and I ended up growing a ridiculous amount of algae In the sump, But it had zero effect on the algae in the display tank. Ill try it again and see if i get better results. In preparation I added a powder blue tang, a sailfin, another urchin, more crabs and snails etc just because.
I do not think 60ml a day is enough, at least not enough to beat back a bad breakout in a 220. Ocean Majik bottle says 55ml a day just for the acclimation phase when adding phyto for the first time. I would at least double that for 2 weeks if your tank is already used to phyto.

Sorry for continuing to preach this, but I really want to see you and your tank be happy, and from a natural source.

I also read your post again regarding CUC. This is what Reefcleaners recommends and it may seem like a lot, but it isn't. If you have less then that may not be enough to tackle this outbreak. 420ish snails!

212 Dwarf Ceriths -these smaller Cerith snails range in size from a half and inch to almost 1'', but are slender. Their tiny size allows them to reach the nooks and crannies other cleaners can't reach which is necessary for permanent removal of algae sources. These snails will consume diatoms, cyano, film algae, detritus, and hair algae in the substrate as well as on rocks and to some extent the glass in your aquarium. Because of their versatility and hardiness, they are our favorite species of cleaner.

63 Nassarius - scavengers that will come out whenever they smell food, or when you are feeding the fish. They will stir sand, but can also be kept in bare bottom tanks. In a bare bottom tank they tend to hang out at the base of rock work or near the back of the tank where there is less light, and will emerge from there to scavenge when leftover food is available. By reducing the amount of decaying waste in the aquarium you will help maintain your nitrate levels, and reduce the buildup of detritus.

81 Florida Ceriths - these snails will consume diatoms, detritus, cyano, film and hair algae. They reside in the substrate especially, but will also clean the rocks and glass of your aquarium. In bare bottom aquariums they will spend most of their time on the rocks, or on the bottom glass. This species is most active at night.

63 Astraea Snails - These snails will consume film, some cyano species, and some of the finer hair algae on the glass and rocks in your aquarium. They have trouble righting themselves when introduced to the aquarium
 

zalick

A cup of water and a dash of salt
View Badges
Joined
May 29, 2014
Messages
1,572
Reaction score
1,853
Location
Portland
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Have you tried dosing peroxide 1ml/10g and squirting it directly on the algae with pumps off?

the algae will literally bubble and melt away before your eyes.
 

G Santana

Hospitality Elf
View Badges
Joined
May 20, 2020
Messages
8,352
Reaction score
45,556
Location
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/this-little-pigg
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Dude... I couldn't agree with you more.

I feel like you and I should have megaphones screaming the phyto-gospel to everyone

I'm like 16yrs into Reefing and have fought GHA up until 2 years ago when I discovered brewing my own Tetraselmis Phytoplankton and dosing 32ozs of it LIVE every night in my 180g DT definitely outcompetes all nuisance algae

It took about 6-8wks for the phyto to outcompete the GHA.... but eventually the phyto did defeat GHA 100%

Problem is not many ppl know this phyto dosing skillset

And most ppl don't want to do the work it takes to set up a brewing (cultivation) station for phyto.

My brewing station:
20201103_104616.jpg


Dosing live phyto should be a required husbandry skill... but its not



.
Question, would this work in a new tank with out corals in it?
Although I'm winning the battle against in GHA there are a few spots that are hanging tight.
 

davidcalgary29

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 24, 2020
Messages
2,722
Reaction score
3,381
Location
Peace River, Alberta
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Question, would this work in a new tank with out corals in it?
Although I'm winning the battle against in GHA there are a few spots that are hanging tight.
My CUC in my RSM 250 consists of one trochus snail, one tuxedo urchin, and two hermit crabs, because everyone else is still in quarantine.My build (above) isn't that pretty, but phyto has greatly reduced my GHA problem.
 

Mastering the art of locking and unlocking water pathways: What type of valves do you have on your aquarium plumbing?

  • Ball valves.

    Votes: 41 48.8%
  • Gate valves.

    Votes: 44 52.4%
  • Check valves.

    Votes: 19 22.6%
  • None.

    Votes: 22 26.2%
  • Other.

    Votes: 9 10.7%
Back
Top