GHA - Thinking of trying a combo

[DesertFishkeeper]

I'm sorry but I don't see anything in that tank that I would be concerned about. I have a tank with a GHA problem and I wish it looked like your tank. Heck I wish all my tanks looked that good. Mine problem tank is too small for herbivore fish so I decided to try Flux rx. It took a toll on the gha then came cyano so in with the chemi clean and then off I went.

First off, thank you for the compliments on the tank. 2nd I’m in the same boat with the herbivores outgrowing it. Thankfully I have a good lfs and I can trade them out so they can go to bigger tanks. The owner does insane builds for million and billionaires so he always has homes for fish that out grow their tanks. Everything is healthy and growing I just want the shag carpet gone.

 

[DesertFishkeeper]

It has been shown time and time again you can have high nutrients and still no algae problems.

But.. debris can clog rock pours and get caught in algae feeding it more..

All those tangs and foxface are fertilizing your grass ;) Especially since they aren’t even hungry enough to eat it.

Maybe manual removal, regularly turkey basting, and more cuc?

 

[Tamberav]

Maybe manual removal, regularly turkey basting, and more cuc?

Maybe, is it super tough to remove? Like turf algae?

It is hard to see what it is in the photo.

I have a new tank and it is in the maximal uglies right now (all dry rock start and just a few months in so I was asking for it!).

No LFS here to buy CUC from... derp.. closest is a 2 hour drive... shipping is rough on CUC too. Ya, I didn't think this out too well starting a new tank before winter, did I? lol

Finally added a pincushion urchin last night and it has already mowed a spot bare.

If nothing will touch yours, I would take a closer look to see if it is a really tough turf or bryopsis. Some algaes need more aggressive removal than a CUC can offer. Still surprised your rabbitfish is so lazy...

If it is bryopsis, than reef flux may be warranted, it is very difficult to eradicate but reef flux specifically does a good job on it. It doesn't work so well for GHA though. I would trust it more than algaefix if I had to choose.

The fact that is it growing like little clumps or bushes wants me to say it is some sort of turf algae and not "normal" GHA.

 

[sushiboss]

Manual removal. I let my tanks get long strands that I can easily remove with the tips of my fingers and just remove it once a week.

If your persistent it will eventually go away on its own if you have a clean up crew.

In my prostar 150g I had it really really bad. 3 weeks manual removal and invested in a different clean up crew with mostly blue leg hermits and a few turbos nothing crazy and I beat it back almost completely.

There’s a couple spots where it grows but it’s so tucked away you can’t even notice it

This is my tank and 2 months ago there was so much hair algae you couldn’t even see my clams.

Patience and persistence was the key.

 

[DesertFishkeeper]

Maybe, is it super tough to remove? Like turf algae?

It is hard to see what it is in the photo.

I have a new tank and it is in the maximal uglies right now (all dry rock start and just a few months in so I was asking for it!).

No LFS here to buy CUC from... derp.. closest is a 2 hour drive... shipping is rough on CUC too. Ya, I didn't think this out too well starting a new tank before winter, did I? lol

Finally added a pincushion urchin last night and it has already mowed a spot bare.

If nothing will touch yours, I would take a closer look to see if it is a really tough turf or bryopsis. Some algaes need more aggressive removal than a CUC can offer. Still surprised your rabbitfish is so lazy...

If it is bryopsis, than reef flux may be warranted, it is very difficult to eradicate but reef flux specifically does a good job on it. It doesn't work so well for GHA though. I would trust it more than algaefix if I had to choose.

The fact that is it growing like little clumps or bushes wants me to say it is some sort of turf algae and not "normal" GHA.

So I’m trying a combo before I do the flux. Today I got in there and pulled about half my rock and hit it with peroxide. Now that it’s been hit with peroxide they munch on it (I’ve seen before). The stuff I couldn’t pull I hit a good chunk of it with a tooth brush. This weekend I’m going to go spend a couple hundred on cuc. I couldn’t imagine starting a reef without an lfs. I do HVAC for a living and I do the owners house on the side and I can call him whenever. I just hate bugging him too much about my tank just like he doesn’t call me all the time like “hey what do you think that sound is in my house could it be the AC”. So I’ll go to him for advise and he’ll throw me a few ideas but I don’t ask him to solve it for me, that’s kind of the most fun part of this hobby for me.

 

[DesertFishkeeper]

Maybe, is it super tough to remove? Like turf algae?

It is hard to see what it is in the photo.

I have a new tank and it is in the maximal uglies right now (all dry rock start and just a few months in so I was asking for it!).

No LFS here to buy CUC from... derp.. closest is a 2 hour drive... shipping is rough on CUC too. Ya, I didn't think this out too well starting a new tank before winter, did I? lol

Finally added a pincushion urchin last night and it has already mowed a spot bare.

If nothing will touch yours, I would take a closer look to see if it is a really tough turf or bryopsis. Some algaes need more aggressive removal than a CUC can offer. Still surprised your rabbitfish is so lazy...

If it is bryopsis, than reef flux may be warranted, it is very difficult to eradicate but reef flux specifically does a good job on it. It doesn't work so well for GHA though. I would trust it more than algaefix if I had to choose.

The fact that is it growing like little clumps or bushes wants me to say it is some sort of turf algae and not "normal" GHA.

I forgot to answer one thing, it’s easy to remove when it’s long but getting it off the rock is nearly impossible unless I’m scrubbing the crap out of it with a toothbrush.

 

[blecki]

I forgot to answer one thing, it’s easy to remove when it’s long but getting it off the rock is nearly impossible unless I’m scrubbing the crap out of it with a toothbrush.

Seriously - that's when peroxide is the answer. Give it a try in one small spot. You'll be amazed how effective it is.

 

[Tamberav]

So I’m trying a combo before I do the flux. Today I got in there and pulled about half my rock and hit it with peroxide. Now that it’s been hit with peroxide they munch on it (I’ve seen before). The stuff I couldn’t pull I hit a good chunk of it with a tooth brush. This weekend I’m going to go spend a couple hundred on cuc. I couldn’t imagine starting a reef without an lfs. I do HVAC for a living and I do the owners house on the side and I can call him whenever. I just hate bugging him too much about my tank just like he doesn’t call me all the time like “hey what do you think that sound is in my house could it be the AC”. So I’ll go to him for advise and he’ll throw me a few ideas but I don’t ask him to solve it for me, that’s kind of the most fun part of this hobby for me.

Peroxide definitely is how I beat Bryopsis

No I mean seriously, that is an acro just above a bucket of peroxide water that the rock is sitting in…

It certainly did the job! The acro was fine, just slimed up.

I think you definitely have some sort of turf algae and not normal gha. This is why you’re having such a hard time. Regular gha just ain’t clumpy balls like yours and your fish would probably slaughter regular gha. Even my sand sifting goby slurps it down like spaghetti.

 

[Tamberav]

Your algae like uniform, almost oval clumps and not typical gha.

I would personally continue peroxide treatment and see how it goes before trying harsher chemicals.

 

[DesertFishkeeper]

Your algae like uniform, almost oval clumps and not typical gha.

I would personally continue peroxide treatment and see how it goes before trying harsher chemicals.

I did the peroxide and added some hermits and a large purple urchin. Also strange enough I turned off my UV (still running ozone) and now it’s just receding even where I couldn’t get to it with the peroxide. Every day there’s less it’s almost cleared.

 

[Tamberav]

I did the peroxide and added some hermits and a large purple urchin. Also strange enough I turned off my UV (still running ozone) and now it’s just receding even where I couldn’t get to it with the peroxide. Every day there’s less it’s almost cleared.

Very strange, maybe just a coincidence. I am glad it is coming under control finally.