Localized GHA

[Adam1985]

Hi all,

Wanted to bounce some ideas off of you. I have developed a pretty bad patch of GHA in a pretty small area around the bases of some of my SPS. It’s right at the highest PAR area of the tank, which I’m sure isn’t helping.

I have 30-40 astrea sp. and turbo snails, a green pistol shrimp, two candy cane shrimp, and a cleaner shrimp. Plus my tang gang. And most recently I added a starry blenny which seems to be totally ignoring the algae for which I bought him to consume. He/she is, however, chilling on and nibbling most of my sps. Go figure for an herbivore.

Anyway the rest of the live rock is spotless as far as filamentous algae goes. Glass gets some film algae and bacterial coating (I dose vinegar) but is nothing unmanageable; I magnet clean every two or three days. Use a razor blade on the glass a few times a month to eliminate coralline and stubborn green film.

The area is pretty dense with coral bases as frags have grown out from it. Do you think it could be a space thing? Like the tangs/snails/blenny aren’t eating it because the space there is too tight for them to comfortably fit?

I’ve got to manage it soon as it’s starting to irritate my corals and might have been responsible for one frag’s demise.

Thanks for your thoughts! Parameters below.

Adam

My routine

pH 8.3-8.5 CaperPlus
T 26.5°C Hanna salinity meter and other probes
Salinity 36 ppt Hanna
KH 10.6 Hanna
Ca 508 Hanna
NO3 1.0 Hanna (cross checked with Salifert)
PO4 0.092 Hanna

Some extra done today due to said sudden frag demise

Mg 1350 Salifert
K 430 Salifert
NH3 0-0.15 (Salifert - always struggle with this color, it is either zero or <0.15)
NO2 0 Salifert
Si 0 Salifert
Iodide 0.03 Salifert
Cu - 0 Salifert (never used copper, but tested just because I have the kit and have heard horror stories of something copper ending up in the tank and oxidizing/leaching slowly)

 

[Adam1985]

Hi all,

Wanted to bounce some ideas off of you. I have developed a pretty bad patch of GHA in a pretty small area around the bases of some of my SPS. It’s right at the highest PAR area of the tank, which I’m sure isn’t helping.

I have 30-40 astrea sp. and turbo snails, a green pistol shrimp, two candy cane shrimp, and a cleaner shrimp. Plus my tang gang. And most recently I added a starry blenny which seems to be totally ignoring the algae for which I bought him to consume. He/she is, however, chilling on and nibbling most of my sps. Go figure for an herbivore.

Anyway the rest of the live rock is spotless as far as filamentous algae goes. Glass gets some film algae and bacterial coating (I dose vinegar) but is nothing unmanageable; I magnet clean every two or three days. Use a razor blade on the glass a few times a month to eliminate coralline and stubborn green film.

The area is pretty dense with coral bases as frags have grown out from it. Do you think it could be a space thing? Like the tangs/snails/blenny aren’t eating it because the space there is too tight for them to comfortably fit?

I’ve got to manage it soon as it’s starting to irritate my corals and might have been responsible for one frag’s demise.

Thanks for your thoughts! Parameters below.

Adam

My routine

pH 8.3-8.5 CaperPlus
T 26.5°C Hanna salinity meter and other probes
Salinity 36 ppt Hanna
KH 10.6 Hanna
Ca 508 Hanna
NO3 1.0 Hanna (cross checked with Salifert)
PO4 0.092 Hanna

Some extra done today due to said sudden frag demise

Mg 1350 Salifert
K 430 Salifert
NH3 0-0.15 (Salifert - always struggle with this color, it is either zero or <0.15)
NO2 0 Salifert
Si 0 Salifert
Iodide 0.03 Salifert
Cu - 0 Salifert (never used copper, but tested just because I have the kit and have heard horror stories of something copper ending up in the tank and oxidizing/leaching slowly)

Tank is 2’x2’x2’ cube with estimated water volume 202L/53g. 30-40lbs live rock but very open aquascape. As much flow as I can have while not making a sandstorm, but considering how to increase flow further. RSK-300 skimmer with non recirculating CO2 scrubber (recirculating drove pH to 8.6 so stopped doing that), external macro algae reactor, 36 W UV which is currently off, activated carbon in both a small forced flow canister and in a bag near the main return pump intake, chiller, heater, Kessil AP9X/4x24” T5 combo 25 cm above the water.

Happy to share any details you might want or need.