Let me get that GHA knowledge!

Keko21

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Hey All, hoping you can help educate me on GHA! I’ve done a bunch of research on the forum and I see a lot of conflicting info, so hoping to get some fresh takes here.

My Reefer 350 (90gal system/73gal DT) is 3 months old. I’ve already gone through my ugly diatom stage and now starting to get green algae along with some lovely GHA growth.

1. Wondering if GHA is just part 2 of the uglies and I should let it do its thing? I know im going to go through uglies for at least a year ut need help sorting whats normal and what needs management.

2. Best ways to manage? I turned my whites down to 5% blues are at 50% (Red Sea 90s). Thinking of picking up a one spot foxface this week as its on my stocking list anyway and hoping it will eat some of this stuff.

Tank parameters as of today (red sea test kit)
Temp: 76.2*F
pH: 8.3
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 10ppm
Ammonia: 0ppm
Phosphate: .04ppm
KH: 7
Calcium: 460
Magnesium- no test kit

I have my fuge going with chaeto on a reverse cycle which is growing like a champ as well as GHA and im pretty sure lyngbya (looks like black GHA).

CUC: nassarius, ceriths, dwarf ceriths, astraes, hermits, 3 shrimp, and a ton of copepods. Also dosing ocean magic daily.

lemme know your thoughts! Thanks!

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76C1953C-C129-462D-8F5D-040DABB988B3.jpeg
 

sixty_reefer

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Hey All, hoping you can help educate me on GHA! I’ve done a bunch of research on the forum and I see a lot of conflicting info, so hoping to get some fresh takes here.

My Reefer 350 (90gal system/73gal DT) is 3 months old. I’ve already gone through my ugly diatom stage and now starting to get green algae along with some lovely GHA growth.

1. Wondering if GHA is just part 2 of the uglies and I should let it do its thing? I know im going to go through uglies for at least a year ut need help sorting whats normal and what needs management.

A lot of folks will tell you that all bad looking pests are part of the ugly stage without understanding what the ugly stage is. What folks refer as ugly stage I would refer it as a phase in which a system bacterial biome is not mature enough to deal with the excess nutrients, this allows for nuisances such as nuisance algae, Cyanobacteria and other known unwanted species to thrive. I personally believe that understanding nutrient management from early avoids all this known issues.


2. Best ways to manage? I turned my whites down to 5% blues are at 50% (Red Sea 90s). Thinking of picking up a one spot foxface this week as its on my stocking list anyway and hoping it will eat some of this stuff.

In my opinion I’d say that the best way to aid your bacteria biome to grow faster and avoid for other unwanted species to take control is to feed the bacteria itself with organic carbon sources, reef actif from tropic marine would be a good starting point as it’s a natural source of organic carbon that many nuisances can’t utilise.
In addition wile bacteria is growing it will be fairly important to keep the nitrates and phosphates detectable and if any starts to deplete additional nutrients will be required to be added.


Tank parameters as of today (red sea test kit)
Temp: 76.2*F
pH: 8.3
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 10ppm
Ammonia: 0ppm
Phosphate: .04ppm
KH: 7
Calcium: 460
Magnesium- no test kit

I have my fuge going with chaeto on a reverse cycle which is growing like a champ as well as GHA and im pretty sure lyngbya (looks like black GHA).

CUC: nassarius, ceriths, dwarf ceriths, astraes, hermits, 3 shrimp, and a ton of copepods. Also dosing ocean magic daily.

lemme know your thoughts! Thanks!

8F374A1B-F41B-402E-947F-EEEEDDB2D740.jpeg

FAC6DBB6-4DE6-4ACF-B596-DDF45FBCB9A4.jpeg
76C1953C-C129-462D-8F5D-040DABB988B3.jpeg
 
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Keko21

Keko21

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34D2641A-DFC3-4FFE-8252-7EBF62A2DCA6.jpeg

Problem solved! Seriously all GHA is gone in less than 48 hours. This is Spike and he’s a GHA eating machine. I offered him nori and he didn’t even want it and preferred to go right for the natural stuff on the rocks. What a rock star!
 

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