GHA battle, thinking about reef flux

[Wuzzo]

Hey all, I've currently got a 29 biocube, stocklist:
-pink spotted watchman
-dalmatian molly
-cleaner shrimp
-pink pincoushin urchin
-5x blue leg hermits
-5x trochus snail
-mexican turbo snail

I've been consistently testing my nitrates and phosphates which consistently come in at 0, as well as manually removing gha 2 or so times a week, and it grows back thick and crazy long super quickly. What's shocking me is that my cuc even when it's cut back seems not to touch it at all, especially the urchins. I've tried 3 different ones and none of them have seemed to even touch any algae like the one I had a couple years ago did. It's definitely not bryopsis, and I assume the gha is just taking up nutrients quicker than it can be tested for. What is the strategy for this? I currently have reef flux on me but I've also been thinking about getting an ICP to see further or set up some sort of chaeto fuge in the back along with manual removal.

 

[Subsea]

Considering zero nitrates & zero phosphates, I would be prone to say Dinoflagellets. The fact that your clean up crew does not touch the algae further implicates Dinoflagellets. A full tank shot with white light would help with identification.

GHA is a general term for many filamentous algae, which includes Bryopsis. Flux is a fungicide that also works as an algecide. Your system, you decide.

PS: Did you decide against adding 6 mollies to the tank.

 

[Wuzzo]

Yeah, I ended up trying to acclimate 3 from fresh to salt and one made it, non survivors had been removed. I have an old AI hydra where I can’t seem to just set it to all white, but it person it’s definitely more a greenish color. The Molly picks at it but not enough to do anything

 

[Subsea]

This is what I have as my nuisance algae and Black Mollies eat it like spaghetti.​

Reef Cleaners

A good guide to identify most of the nuisance algae that plagues the hobby. Complete with pictures and suggested treatments

www.reefcleaners.org

Green Hair Algae​

Green Hair Algae or "GHA" is really a broad term that covers hundreds of species of green simple filamentous algae. These species tend to be simple, fine in texture, and have few distinguishable features. True species level identification requires a microscope.

Distinguishing it from look-a-likes: GHA is not coarse or wiry, it should break apart easily when pulled, and should lose form quickly when removed from water. If you can make out a root structure, or a stiff branching structure it is probably not GHA.

Manual Removal: Green hair algae can be pulled out easily, and tooth brushed or scrubbed off the rock work. This is easier to do if the rock is outside of the tank. If it is growing from the sand sift it out with a net.


6G AIO set up with mollies & peppermint shrimp. It’s fun to watch shrimp challenge mollies for flake food.

 

[Wuzzo]

Yeah for sure GHA, after flux what would the move be so it doesn't return? I'm thinking of doing a makeshift chaeto setup in the empty back chamber

 

[dvgyfresh]

Yeah for sure GHA, after flux what would the move be so it doesn't return? I'm thinking of doing a makeshift chaeto setup in the empty back chamber

Refugium plus huge water change , if you kill the algae with reef flux and don’t change anything it will just alll come back