Losing the GHA Battle

[AndyinAtlanta]

Not willing to give up, but it's been about a six month battle. I do believe my inexperience is costing me, or cost me so much early on that my battle with GHA is too much of a mountain.

First, the tank:

• Fluval Flex 32.5
• 2 inTank media baskets. Been using filter floss and Chemipure Elite
• Middle chamber has a Tunze protein skimmer (and AIO connections)
• Important to note : I don't have anymore room to add anything else to the tank without first removing something (in case that's suggested)
• Feed once a day 1/4 of a frozen tablet
• Four hermit crabs [who don't seem to take about algae]
• Roughly a dozen snails. Only about 5 adult snails, the rest of baby snails (born in the tank)

What I've done so far to try to beat GHA

• Weekly water changes with manual algae removal. This has been challenging because most of the GHA is well adhered to the rocks
• Clean sand bed weekly
• I tried both NoPox and Vibrant but neither had any effects
• Lights are currently mostly just blue/purple, no white or reds
• Two fluconazole treatments. Both generated minimal results
• I've treated all but two of my rocks with hydrogen peroxide [out of the tank]. Results were great

Here's where I think I'm struggling

• I have three fish. The two clownfish will eat anything so I can manage the amount of food I give them. My lone cardinal fish will only eat frozen food. I think I'm still overfeeding.
• There are two rocks covered in algae. My thinking is no matter how much I clean up the rest of the algae, because those two rocks are covered the algae just continues to spread. Both of those rocks can't be removed without taking apart the tank. This is really a last resort in my book.

Just looking for some general advice, or maybe something I'm missing. Someone once suggested an algae scrubber, but there's simply no room for it. Not to sound overly pessimistic, but I'm pretty much dedicating 100% of my time either fighting algae or feeing my fish. I miss the days of just being able to view the tank.

 

[lapin]

You could try raising the magnesium level
There are articles about how

 

[Smokeshow]

I did a full 3 day blackout when gha was getting bad in my tank. Then added a few hermits, turbo snails and later an emerald crab. Haven't had any gha since

 

[Garf]

You got any corals that are dependant upon light?

 

[reeferKen]

no room for a scrubber but a canister scrubber on the floor is an idea until the tank gets back in balance

 

[Jekyl]

Long spine urchin went through my algae with a machete

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

Look up rip clean. @brandon429. This worked for my 110.

 

[AndyinAtlanta]

You got any corals that are dependant upon light?

No SPS corals. Mostly polyps and torches/hammers. None seem to mind my current light settings (been "darker" for a few months now). Growth has slowed but I'm okay with that right now.

 

[AndyinAtlanta]

I did a full 3 day blackout when gha was getting bad in my tank. Then added a few hermits, turbo snails and later an emerald crab. Haven't had any gha since

I've been told a few times I might need to seriously increase my clean up crew.

 

[AndyinAtlanta]

Long spine urchin went through my algae with a machete

I've been considering this approach but was weary due to the size of my tank (only 32 gallons).

 

[brandon429]

Algae Identification

Any opinions on what type of algae this is growing on my rocks and sand bed?

www.reef2reef.com

those tanks are your size, rip clean is perfect for all nanos

if you want the clean up crew, the trick is to add them in the totally clean condition, not the invaded one which is already too much clouding waste in the sand and rocks.


the snails will quadruple the waste loading as they convert plants into pellets, we're the best clean up crew for nanos, animals are good at growback prevention help.

 

[TriggersAmuck]

The Purple Pincushion Urchin is also an effective clean up crew addition which is also fascinating and a very pretty color.

 

[Wen]

Believe it or not, but pods took care of my gha problem.
Start dosing a variety of pods weekly and feed the pods phytoplankton daily to keep them multiplying.
Continue good weekly maintenance routine and your tank will balance out. Gha growth will slow, then get thin, then gone!
Patience, which you have, and pods will turn it around.
It worked for me. (Algae barn has an article about this.)

 

[fishhead1973]

Not willing to give up, but it's been about a six month battle. I do believe my inexperience is costing me, or cost me so much early on that my battle with GHA is too much of a mountain.

First, the tank:

• Fluval Flex 32.5
• 2 inTank media baskets. Been using filter floss and Chemipure Elite
• Middle chamber has a Tunze protein skimmer (and AIO connections)
• Important to note : I don't have anymore room to add anything else to the tank without first removing something (in case that's suggested)
• Feed once a day 1/4 of a frozen tablet
• Four hermit crabs [who don't seem to take about algae]
• Roughly a dozen snails. Only about 5 adult snails, the rest of baby snails (born in the tank)

What I've done so far to try to beat GHA

• Weekly water changes with manual algae removal. This has been challenging because most of the GHA is well adhered to the rocks
• Clean sand bed weekly
• I tried both NoPox and Vibrant but neither had any effects
• Lights are currently mostly just blue/purple, no white or reds
• Two fluconazole treatments. Both generated minimal results
• I've treated all but two of my rocks with hydrogen peroxide [out of the tank]. Results were great

Here's where I think I'm struggling

• I have three fish. The two clownfish will eat anything so I can manage the amount of food I give them. My lone cardinal fish will only eat frozen food. I think I'm still overfeeding.
• There are two rocks covered in algae. My thinking is no matter how much I clean up the rest of the algae, because those two rocks are covered the algae just continues to spread. Both of those rocks can't be removed without taking apart the tank. This is really a last resort in my book.

Just looking for some general advice, or maybe something I'm missing. Someone once suggested an algae scrubber, but there's simply no room for it. Not to sound overly pessimistic, but I'm pretty much dedicating 100% of my time either fighting algae or feeing my fish. I miss the days of just being able to view the tank.

Go to the natural approach cheato reactor everything will get more balanced in a couple weeks

Not willing to give up, but it's been about a six month battle. I do believe my inexperience is costing me, or cost me so much early on that my battle with GHA is too much of a mountain.

First, the tank:

• Fluval Flex 32.5
• 2 inTank media baskets. Been using filter floss and Chemipure Elite
• Middle chamber has a Tunze protein skimmer (and AIO connections)
• Important to note : I don't have anymore room to add anything else to the tank without first removing something (in case that's suggested)
• Feed once a day 1/4 of a frozen tablet
• Four hermit crabs [who don't seem to take about algae]
• Roughly a dozen snails. Only about 5 adult snails, the rest of baby snails (born in the tank)

What I've done so far to try to beat GHA

• Weekly water changes with manual algae removal. This has been challenging because most of the GHA is well adhered to the rocks
• Clean sand bed weekly
• I tried both NoPox and Vibrant but neither had any effects
• Lights are currently mostly just blue/purple, no white or reds
• Two fluconazole treatments. Both generated minimal results
• I've treated all but two of my rocks with hydrogen peroxide [out of the tank]. Results were great

Here's where I think I'm struggling

• I have three fish. The two clownfish will eat anything so I can manage the amount of food I give them. My lone cardinal fish will only eat frozen food. I think I'm still overfeeding.
• There are two rocks covered in algae. My thinking is no matter how much I clean up the rest of the algae, because those two rocks are covered the algae just continues to spread. Both of those rocks can't be removed without taking apart the tank. This is really a last resort in my book.

Just looking for some general advice, or maybe something I'm missing. Someone once suggested an algae scrubber, but there's simply no room for it. Not to sound overly pessimistic, but I'm pretty much dedicating 100% of my time either fighting algae or feeing my fish. I miss the days of just being able to view the tank.

cheato reactor to balance the tank. In a couple of weeks that hair algae will turn white. That what worked for me no more expensive gfo