GHA - Time to Shake-N-Bake

[ChelseaBidwell]

So, it started out with a tiny little patch on one tiny little rock. A few weeks go by, and it is taking over. Our Turbo snails go ham, but it's just growing faster than their apetite. I have a Lawnmower Blenny in QT (I have been feeding him GHA from the DT; he devours it) - and if all goes well, will be transferred to the DT on 12/4.
I know he won't keep up with all of it, but he definitely has the apetite to impact it, at least until I discover other potential GHA-eating fish. That leaves me trying to tame it for another month or so. I've been using a toothbrush for the rocks, a tank scrubby pad thingy for the glass, and then use a net to get all the floating pieces I can out of the DT which then goes to the LMB. I have several SPS/LPS corals as well as a xenia. My LPS are NOT HAPPY. The first chamber of my sump is OVERRUN with GHA (which has destroyed my chaeto, might I add). I banished my Scarlet Hermit down there for eating my Hammer, but he can't handle it on his own. I remove/clean the tank and sump every 3 days or so, but it's persistent and always comes back with a vengeance. Any other ideas on controlling this mess for another month? I'll do anything at this point.

 

[MrWheelock]

"That leaves me trying to tackle the devil's pube hair for another month or so. / I banished my Scarlet Hermit down there for eating my Hammer, but he can't handle shaving the devil's pube hairs on his own."
Seriously dying right now! ;Hilarious ;Hilarious ;Hilarious

Have you tried a fresh ball of cheato, or ulva (sea lettuce)? Also what is the fuge lit with?

 

[ChelseaBidwell]

"That leaves me trying to tackle the devil's pube hair for another month or so. / I banished my Scarlet Hermit down there for eating my Hammer, but he can't handle shaving the devil's pube hairs on his own."
Seriously dying right now! ;Hilarious ;Hilarious ;Hilarious

Have you tried a fresh ball of cheato, or ulva (sea lettuce)? Also what is the fuge lit with?

Hahahahaha I have no other adjectives for it. It is the SPAWN OF SATAN! No, we haven't tried another ball yet. I've hesitated because I don't want to spend another $30 just for it to die again.
No to the sea lettuce also. Fuge is lit with a Kessil H80. I lowered the intensity about a week ago in hopes it would inhibit the GHA growth... Boy, was I wrong. It's still spreading like the plague.

 

[will25u]

This bring back awful memories of when GHA took over my entire tank.

My culprit was using grocery store filtered water that wasn’t so filtered. It got so bad that I had to use Reeflux.

 

[ChelseaBidwell]

This bring back awful memories of when GHA took over my entire tank.

My culprit was using grocery store filtered water that wasn’t so filtered. It got so bad that I had to use Reeflux.

It's THE WORST! We use our tap water filtered with the RODI. NO3 stays around 10 ppm (was feeding the live -now dead, devil's pube hair entagled chaeto). Anything else it could be? Our lighting is crap - new lights come in tomorrow. Now I am stuck between bringing the light of jesus into the tank for the corals and not using them because it would increase the GHA growth. Can raising Mg levels help with GHA? I know it does for some algae.

 

[X-37B]

Read up on vibrant aquarium cleaner. Many posts and it works over time and is bacteria not chemical based.

 

[ChelseaBidwell]

Read up on vibrant aquarium cleaner. Many posts and it works over time and is bacteria not chemical based.

I'll check it out. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[MrWheelock]

A super good clean of the rocks/sump and a new ball of cheato. My cheato was not growing for 9 months.... got a new ball lit by an h80 on grow full intensity and it has doubled in a few weeks. Your nitrates could measure low because the devils pubes are taking up the NO3. My NO3 is at like 64 and I started to get GHA thus my new ball of cheato. I have also started to dose vibrant for reef.

 

[ChelseaBidwell]

A super good clean of the rocks/sump and a new ball of cheato. My cheato was not growing for 9 months.... got a new ball lit by an h80 on grow full intensity and it has doubled in a few weeks. Your nitrates could measure low because the devils pubes are taking up the NO3. My NO3 is at like 64 and I started to get GHA thus my new ball of cheato. I have also started to dose vibrant for reef.

Well the NO3 has never been above 40, but here lately we've been seeing 10-20ppm. Do you think sifting the sand would be a good idea? Tank is right at 6 months old. We do have a Pistol Shrimp/Goby pair and they go to town. Also have 2 Nassarius, 1 Fighter Conch, and 2 Ceriths. Tank is 75g.

 

[MrWheelock]

Well the NO3 has never been above 40, but here lately we've been seeing 10-20ppm. Do you think sifting the sand would be a good idea? Tank is right at 6 months old. We do have a Pistol Shrimp/Goby pair and they go to town. Also have 2 Nassarius, 1 Fighter Conch, and 2 Ceriths. Tank is 75g.

Same size as mine. Honestly there are lots of back and forths on sifting the sand. Yours being a newer tank I would suggest vacuuming the sand during WC religiously if you decide to do that. Honestly I wouldnt fret too much about the algae. I had a outbreak, but got a starry blenny and a 2 barred rabbit fish. Just kept pulling it off the rocks for a few weeks and got ulva to add to my cheato at the time which helped out compete the gha.

 

[will25u]

I'll check it out. Thanks for the suggestion!

I also heard good things about Vibrant. It didn’t work for me, at all. In fact, it killed my zoa garden. My tank could have had way too much of a GHA outbreak for it, possibly. But plenty of people have found success with it.

 

[Hair Algae Wizard]

I had the same issue during my tank cycle. GHA everywhere. I brushed every rock with a toothbrush, which helped. It didn't fully go away until I got my fuge up and running, along with a VERY large CuC. It took a few weeks.

I hope it clears up soon for you! Try the tooth brush. For me, it was cathartic to scrub that crap off the rocks, as I felt like I had some control.

 

[tripdad]

When you have the rocks out scrubbing them, dip or spray them with hydrogen peroxide, let stand for 5 minutes and rinse twice with salt water form your water change or new. You can't dip any corals in it as it will hurt them but bare rock is fine. Good luck, it really is a pain.

 

[actik]

I am by no means an expert, but I dose the whole tank with 3% peroxide 1ml per 10 gallons. I have snails, cleaner shrimore 2 clowns. Xenia an lps nothing has gotten harmed so far but it really helps break down my gha

 

[ChelseaBidwell]

Well as of now, I am breaking down all the equipment piece by piece and soaking it in clorox/water for about 15 mins (less scrubbing required), and thoroughly rinsing with RODI water. Next will be draining the sump, scrubbing every crevice, then refilling. Afterwards, I am going to take a couple of pieces of rock out at a time and use my handy dandy toothbrush and remove the spawns of satan. One green, slimy hair at a time. I might siphon the sand a little, I haven't decided yet. And then of course the glass. Hopefully, this will stunt it a little. Ughhhhhh. I'm just tired of staring at Grinch's booger covered nose hairs. It's taking the attention away from my new corals and I am just sick of seeing it. Lol

 

[ChelseaBidwell]

I am by no means an expert, but I dose the whole tank with 3% peroxide 1ml per 10 gallons. I have snails, cleaner shrimore 2 clowns. Xenia an lps nothing has gotten harmed so far but it really helps break down my gha

I read that, but I'm not confident enough with my mathematic skills today. Where's the chinese kid from Family Guy when you need him?!

 

[ChelseaBidwell]

When you have the rocks out scrubbing them, dip or spray them with hydrogen peroxide, let stand for 5 minutes and rinse twice with salt water form your water change or new. You can't dip any corals in it as it will hurt them but bare rock is fine. Good luck, it really is a pain.

I'll read more into it before taking them out. I watched a couple videos of people doing this.

 

[actik]

I read that, but I'm not confident enough with my mathematic skills today. Where's the chinese kid from Family Guy when you need him?!

Lol, I would do the math for you I just worry your tank won't accept it like mine. I hear they are all different

 

[ChelseaBidwell]

Lol, I would do the math for you I just worry your tank won't accept it like mine. I hear they are all different

I can do it, my brain just isn't with it today. I guess keeping up with this crap has worn me out! Lol and yea. I'd wanna do more research on it before doing something like that. We've done really well so far and don't wanna chance anything since we just added new corals and an AZ Sunset BTA.

 

[ChelseaBidwell]

I'm pooped.... good news though, the skimmer is done. ;Shifty ;Hilarious