gha or something else?

[black huracan]

Ive been battling a persistent algae problem since November of last year, and nothing I do seems to get rid of it.

Heres what Ive tried so far:


1. Weekly water changes

2. Manual removal - scrubbing and brushing rocks

3. Nutrient reduction using NoPox to bring levels super low

4. Sea hare - but it just glides over the algae without eating it

5. Reduced light period to 6 hours per day

6. Complete 3-day blackout using thick black cloth

7. Dosed Flux RX three weeks ago for my tank’s actual water volume (90 gallons, though the system is 125.4 gallons total)


Despite all of this, the algae just keeps coming back. It doesn't seem to be dying off at all.

I’m out of ideas… any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I have attached the picture of this beast of a gha

 

[Mike Sydney]

Hermit Crabs

 

[Dan_P]

Ive been battling a persistent algae problem since November of last year, and nothing I do seems to get rid of it.

Heres what Ive tried so far:


1. Weekly water changes

2. Manual removal - scrubbing and brushing rocks

3. Nutrient reduction using NoPox to bring levels super low

4. Sea hare - but it just glides over the algae without eating it

5. Reduced light period to 6 hours per day

6. Complete 3-day blackout using thick black cloth

7. Dosed Flux RX three weeks ago for my tank’s actual water volume (90 gallons, though the system is 125.4 gallons total)


Despite all of this, the algae just keeps coming back. It doesn't seem to be dying off at all.

I’m out of ideas… any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I have attached the picture of this beast of a gha

Yes, looks like what is called green hair algae and its eradication may be frustratingly slow.

 

[chickendirt]

My tank was recently infested. Its gotten better but Its a long slow battle. Its also an opportunity to figure out what you're doing wrong. Thus far, for me at least, some of it was flow and the other not having enough critters to combat trapped uneaten food. Overpopulation, or a bio load that required tighter maintenance regime was also another issue.

I also never really vacummed the sand bed. It takes a while to get the mess and takes a while to get rid of it.

 

[Uncle99]

Looks like the result of unstable water chemistry.

I see no post of any parameters at all.

Put that in check first, stabilize them, remove the pest algae by hand.

Alk, Nitrate and Phosphate levels and fluxes most likely culprit.

If your doing a lot of water changes you may have tanked your nutrients, that can trigger pest type stuff.

A few snails having you redirect their attention to the most important area’s frequently, but without stability, it just comes back.

 

[black huracan]

Looks like the result of unstable water chemistry.

I see no post of any parameters at all.

Put that in check first, stabilize them, remove the pest algae by hand.

Alk, Nitrate and Phosphate levels and fluxes most likely culprit.

If your doing a lot of water changes you may have tanked your nutrients, that can trigger pest type stuff.

A few snails having you redirect their attention to the most important area’s frequently, but without stability, it just comes back.

alk 8.3
cal 400
mag 1450
phos 0.02
nitrate 1

 

[Uncle99]

Nitrate and phosphate are too low. Good stuff starves, bad stuff takes hold.

Should be nitrate 5 ish and phosphate say 0.1ppm

How long they been that way.

 

[black huracan]

Nitrate and phosphate are too low. Good stuff starves, bad stuff takes hold.

Should be nitrate 5 ish and phosphate say 0.1ppm

How long they been that way.

i always kept the tank this way until the gha took over and now its 0 nitrate 0 phosphorus

 

[Mike Sydney]

Yes, looks like what is called green hair algae and its eradication may be frustratingly slow.

Hermit crabs will eat it

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

How much do you feed and how often, how many fish do you have? What type of filtration system do you have?

 

[black huracan]

How much do you feed and how often, how many fish do you have? What type of filtration system do you have?

before the gha break out, i would thaw out the whole cube of hikari mysis and feed only half of it. Had 5 fishes. 2 clownfish, diamond goby, six line wrasse, cardinal bengali and watchmen goby inside 125.4 system . they were too small to make any dent in nitrate. 3 big turbo snail, 12 random hermit crabs. also 100 micron filter sock.

 

[black huracan]

just wanted to give you guys an update, gha is officially all gone. what a long battle.
what i did

1. completely stopped feeding mysis shrimp since i sold mandarin dragonet. only fed pellets from vitalis
2. did 40% water changes every week
3. refugium with super strong light at night
4. used aquaforest mud (lifesource)