GHA - Losing the battle

[brandon429]

AP

you gotta prepare for battle

there’s no way we get lucky and one surgery fixes gha forever

the conditions that grew it largely if not completely still exist

no matter what, the base game plan is you lift out rocks and repeat surgery, guidance, gardening like dandelions until you find the lucky fit that stops you having to mow via steel surgery

the point was to uncover matting that stops your live rock from being able to express waste, you did that part

the point was absolutely cloudless sand that doesn’t kick up mess when you’re lifting out rocks to guide them externally. You did that part

until streamlined changes are made from the lighting side, reduction in power and white spectrum, and until the rocks are thick with rejecting coralline - expect minor follow up work

snails may help, I give them a 4% chance of helping but the key is ultimately we disallow any space to be taken back, can’t wait to see how you force guide the system over time

this is the challenge selected for dry rock systems it gets better in time. In two years

 

[A_Poythress]

I got thru page 2 and saw many mention turbo snails. Did op ever get turbo snails?

Nope, have not added any cuc outside of what existed. shrimp did not make it so I just have the urchin.

 

[A_Poythress]

AP

you gotta prepare for battle

there’s no way we get lucky and one surgery fixes gha forever

the conditions that grew it largely if not completely still exist

no matter what, the base game plan is you lift out rocks and repeat surgery, guidance, gardening like dandelions until you find the lucky fit that stops you having to mow via steel surgery

the point was to uncover matting that stops your live rock from being able to express waste, you did that part

the point was absolutely cloudless sand that doesn’t kick up mess when you’re lifting out rocks to guide them externally. You did that part

until streamlined changes are made from the lighting side, reduction in power and white spectrum, and until the rocks are thick with rejecting coralline - expect minor follow up work

snails may help, I give them a 4% chance of helping but the key is ultimately we disallow any space to be taken back, can’t wait to see how you force guide the system over time

this is the challenge selected for dry rock systems it gets better in time. In two years

Yeah definitely starting to see algae return (no where near as fast as before). Luckily after cleaning the tank maintaining these small fluctuations is more manageable.

I am planning a 10g water change for tonight (it's a 25G system with ~20G of water volume so aiming for 50%). Then from tonight automatic water changes will be starting back up at ~1/2G every 1d 12h. This gets me 10G / month or 50%.

As of this moment I do not plan on adding in snails or hermits. Not too excited about adding unwanted pests for potentially no reward. I also do not want anything competing with my Goby in the sand bed. I know there are cuc that are completely fine with Goby's but I just do not see a great enough reward here at the moment.

Lighting was reduced by 20% total and I had a 2 week ramp period where I initially reduced by 40% for adjustment. I do think I have an issue with UV from windows in the room, but unfortunately there is nothing that can be done about this. Probably something I will have to fight until the tank matures and can handle this.

 

[brandon429]

lifting out the rocks won't take all of ten mins to easily knife detail the algae right off it's anchor point too, then when you apply peroxide on that cleaned part, after the rasping, rinse off and set back= fast and easy reef dentistry

it's important to know this doesn't last forever, it lasts until coralline or coral flesh covers the rock which is the state of my current nano. it was for me: reef dentistry from 2006-2009 ish, then it was all brain coral mass covering the rocks by then + coralline half an inch thick, and no more rock lifting out since 2009 other than to clean the bed. plan for long game= never owns an invaded reef tank ever again

 

[srobertb]

Yeah definitely starting to see algae return (no where near as fast as before). Luckily after cleaning the tank maintaining these small fluctuations is more manageable.

I am planning a 10g water change for tonight (it's a 25G system with ~20G of water volume so aiming for 50%). Then from tonight automatic water changes will be starting back up at ~1/2G every 1d 12h. This gets me 10G / month or 50%.

As of this moment I do not plan on adding in snails or hermits. Not too excited about adding unwanted pests for potentially no reward. I also do not want anything competing with my Goby in the sand bed. I know there are cuc that are completely fine with Goby's but I just do not see a great enough reward here at the moment.

Lighting was reduced by 20% total and I had a 2 week ramp period where I initially reduced by 40% for adjustment. I do think I have an issue with UV from windows in the room, but unfortunately there is nothing that can be done about this. Probably something I will have to fight until the tank matures and can handle this.

I can’t see a path forward for you that doesn’t include adding snails. “ I can’t keep my lawn from over growing.” You’re trying to address every issue but buying a lawn mower here. I’m not saying that’s the solution, but it’s going to be part of it.

You have a sand sifting blenny in a 20g tank? I hope it eats prepared foods too.

This whole thread is wild. Including the “raise nitrates and phosphates post.”

You obviously have a nutrient issue. You’re not going to get an accurate test because that hair algae is going to take up nutrients fast.

“Remove the sand!” What?

You need to determine what’s feeding the algae and limit it. It isn’t magical. It does not spring forth from the liverock.

I’d test my ATO water and mixed SW for water changes. If they are stored, test them in their storage containers. Yes I see you are fastidious. No that doesn’t mean something could be missed.

Continue to do manual removal. I like to use a toothbrush.

Rolling Stones grow no moss. Add more flow.

See if you can’t find something to outcompete it. Use a Hang-on-back/Hang-on-side refugium. Get some BRIGHT refugium lights (at least 75% of the total wattage of your display lights) and some Chaeto. Keep attacking the hair algae with a toothbrush and let the chaeto grow.

Get a clean up crew! You’re trying to stop your beard from growing by changing your diet because you don’t want to buy a razor.

 

[Reef-_-Noob]

I have a GHA problem.

I added turbo snails and they ate the long pieces. They also have really nice shells

 

[brandon429]

that mass was translocated into 400 waste pellets added into the sandbed though...unless you're bare/ no sand

by doing external removal first, there's no mass in the system to be waste pellets. if snails are loaded into the system they can just eat fish food/waste. they'll still make pellet waste though, that mass builds over time if the sand is catching it all. in a bare bottom set up it won't be as bad: that waste can be removed during easy water changes.

to emerge as cyano soon in 99% of cases. it's best to use them as growback prevention, vs removal, but if they worked initially that's a lucky stroke we can still rip clean cyano jobs too when needed

 

[Reef-_-Noob]

Yea rip clean is a good option and turbo snails will prevent grow back

 

[A_Poythress]

I can’t see a path forward for you that doesn’t include adding snails. “ I can’t keep my lawn from over growing.” You’re trying to address every issue but buying a lawn mower here. I’m not saying that’s the solution, but it’s going to be part of it.

You have a sand sifting blenny in a 20g tank? I hope it eats prepared foods too.

This whole thread is wild. Including the “raise nitrates and phosphates post.”

You obviously have a nutrient issue. You’re not going to get an accurate test because that hair algae is going to take up nutrients fast.

“Remove the sand!” What?

You need to determine what’s feeding the algae and limit it. It isn’t magical. It does not spring forth from the liverock.

I’d test my ATO water and mixed SW for water changes. If they are stored, test them in their storage containers. Yes I see you are fastidious. No that doesn’t mean something could be missed.

Continue to do manual removal. I like to use a toothbrush.

Rolling Stones grow no moss. Add more flow.

See if you can’t find something to outcompete it. Use a Hang-on-back/Hang-on-side refugium. Get some BRIGHT refugium lights (at least 75% of the total wattage of your display lights) and some Chaeto. Keep attacking the hair algae with a toothbrush and let the chaeto grow.

Get a clean up crew! You’re trying to stop your beard from growing by changing your diet because you don’t want to buy a razor.

I believe myself and Brandon have made it clear that rip cleaning is not the "cure" to anything. It simply has given me a chance to take a long look at what is happening. Rather than letting the absurd amount of waste that has built up in this tank just sit while I blindly throw chemicals and cuc in to the mix hoping I figure out what is going wrong, I can start with a more clean slate.

Post this clean I am closely monitoring what I am feeding and how often I am feeding. Are the fish eating everything I am feeding versus what is going down the overflow or mounding up in a low flow area of the tank. Am I changing my filter pads as often as I should? Are my lights too intense? Is the salt I am putting in during water changes really as clean as I "think" it is? All of these things are now being closely monitored and improvements are being made. If I have successfully improved 2 out of 5 areas and still see major problems then I have learned the cause is still in play and needs to be addressed.

This has given me the opportunity to learn about my own habits. I am seeing the areas that are potentially causing the most problems.

Worst case scenario, my tank looks incredible right now and I actually enjoy cleaning and taking care of it. To continue with your lawn scenario, I am much more inclined to cut my grass every week when the yard is already in a nice state. However, tell me to take care of a lawn that has over half of an acre of growth coming up to my knees, with rotten trees and bushes that need to be ripped out... I wouldn't want to even think about taking care of it.

I would say if you do not approve of the method that is fine, but there is clear evidence built up around this method. To say it is in general absurd is absurd in and of itself. Maybe it is not for you and that is ok. But we shouldn't throw around the notion that what is working in this scenario is the wrong step to take.

 

[Mmonk005]

I have a 42 gallon tank that is being consumed with GHA. How many turbo snails should I get? Should I turn my skimmer off as well? I have quite a few corals, a nem, a pistol shrimp, and some fish.