New fish for controlling GHA

[PaddSter]

Hi all

I was hoping you would be able to give the best advice. What would be the best choice for fish to control my GHA?

A little bit of background:
2 months ago I have transferred my nano 10g tank into new RSR250, so big upgrade:

I have 2x AI 26HD Hydra lights
2 powerheads 20000 l/h (wide head) and 4000 (narrow head)
BUBBLE MAGUS 450 skimmer
Media reactor with pump for 3500l/h
Return pump 4000l /h (running maybe on 70-80%)

I have transferred all live rock so in total I have around 35kg live rock (15kg transferred from the nano tank)

Also around 5kg live rock in sump.

I am dosing few elements (added to my auto top up system so dosing gradually to main system)

From corals I have mixed reef tank.
I have some SPS and few LPS like Duncan, 2 torch corals, goniopora stakesi, some leathers, softies and zoas.
Everything growing nicely under these lights especially with my recently increased feedings.

For the last 2 weeks I've been feeding daily with Reefroids and some mysis, spinach, red plankton, Cyclops.

As you probably realised by the title I have quiet a big growth of GHA in the tank, althou my goniopora stakesi is doing much better! Thanks to one of the kindest @Magellan that helped me a lot.

He gave me plenty advises on how to ensure my goniopora likes it's new home. And to be fair it's transformed from golf ball being closed day and night into gorgeous (not fully yet) open goniopora



Now everything seems to be enjoying the conditions very much but this week I have started reducing feedings to every second day due to many GHA.

I do perform water change 5% every 2 days and once a month extra 10% while siphoning sand in display tank.

Now from CUC point of view I have 2 sand sifting conch (That most of the time eating stuff from rocks rather than sand) and 1 tiger conch which preffere it on the walls or sand.
I have 2 nasarrius snails, around 7 Ceriths, 5 Nerites, 5 Astraea snails.
Apart from that I bought 1 emerald crab but I think I wasn't careful enough while acclimatising and it just died. Even thou he spent 1h in slow drip. Or maybe he was just stressed out.

I bought bi colour blenny but little bugger was nipping on my leather corals and physically damaging it and couple of my SPS so he went back to LFS.
I need something to help in fight with GHA.

I considered yellow tang, lemon peel or foxface (not sure about foxface as these need a bit more than 55g?)

I am a bit torn apart as after I got 2 blue reef chromis (slightly larger than my clown fish) my clowns became very aggressive and protective of the torch they were in.
It got nasty to the point the the male killed the female one. (I know it's weird as it's usually the other way around) so now I am sure if I go for any new fish I want to introduce it to the tank while it's smaller than the clown and grow slowly to it's size.

Apart from 1 clownfish, 5 green chromis, 2 blue reef chromis I also have 1 clown yellow gobby, 2 cleaner shrimps and 1 red starfish.

Apart from that fish ill also grab another 2-3 emerald crabs soon ish as they are good guys


Soooooo... reefers, what's your opinions?

Yellow tang,
Kole tang,
Lemon peel
or Fox face ( is there even a chance he will be feeling okay in 55g?)

Thank you in advance for reading and any positive feedback.

Padster.

 

[lapin]

Its going to be a hit or miss with any fish to eat GHA. I have a lawnmower that only eats bryopsis. Wont touch hair. My tangs are eating bubble algae. Ya never know what your going to get in that box of ch.........

 

[bam123]

get a foxface. Trade him in if he gets to big. They are great with algae.

 

[PaddSter]

get a foxface. Trade him in if he gets to big. They are great with algae.

That was my intention. Although I am a bit scared that if I have him for couple of years I may not be able to just give him away.. and will end up with upgrading tank again instead

 

[Indytraveler83]

Can I make an unusual suggestion? Mollies. They aren't your typical "reef" fish, but my two black mollies have grown big and fat on algae.

Also, the slow drip on the crab may have been the problem. They are very ammonia sensitive, but far less sensitive to changes in water paremeters. The instructions that reefcleaners gives with crabs is to temp acclimate and them put them in, as the ammonia in the bag, once exposed to air becomes toxic.

And as far as crabs, smallish hermits are very good as CuC as well.

 

[PaddSter]

Can I make an unusual suggestion? Mollies. They aren't your typical "reef" fish, but my two black mollies have grown big and fat on algae
(...)
And as far as crabs, smallish hermits are very good as CuC as well.

I wouldnt ever thought of mollies lol! Cool idea! May test it!
Also I am not big fan of hermit crabs.
Had 3 in my nano. Wouldn't touch algae had to keep feeding them daily with quiet a few pallets at least twice a day. Once I stastarted to restrict the feedings they started killing my snails. Not for food or shells. I saw 2 ambushing snail killing him and then chasing after another one straight away... horrible things. They were just red leg hermit crabs..

U always thought they were cute.. but after what I've experienced.. never again will I allow that evil thing in my tank lol

I started restricting their daily feasts as the Cyano was about to grow out of the tank...

 

[Indytraveler83]

I wouldnt ever thought of mollies lol! Cool idea! May test it!
Also I am not big fan of hermit crabs.
Had 3 in my nano. Wouldn't touch algae had to keep feeding them daily with quiet a few pallets at least twice a day. Once I stastarted to restrict the feedings they started killing my snails. Not for food or shells. I saw 2 ambushing snail killing him and then chasing after another one straight away... horrible things. They were just red leg hermit crabs..

U always thought they were cute.. but after what I've experienced.. never again will I allow that evil thing in my tank lol

I started restricting their daily feasts as the Cyano was about to grow out of the tank...

For the record I've had much better luck with blue leg hermits, but I'm not sure if there is a true difference or not.

 

[Magellan]

Its going to be a hit or miss with any fish to eat GHA. I have a lawnmower that only eats bryopsis. Wont touch hair. My tangs are eating bubble algae. Ya never know what your going to get in that box of ch.........

My lawnmower mostly just ate film algae off the glass, he apparently thought he was a snail!

@PaddSter thanks for the shoutout! Glad I could help.

in regards to the algae outbreak: that’s what happened in my tank as well after I started feeding so regularly, it’s kinda to be expected once you make such a large nutrient import change. i added biomedia and phosguard and it went away after a while as my tank adjusted.

A tuxedo urchin or 2 wouldn’t hurt either, but I think you’re right on track as far as fish (baby fox face)

 

[Magellan]

For the record I've had much better luck with blue leg hermits, but I'm not sure if there is a true difference or not.

Same here, my blue legs leave my snails alone and seem to be very useful

 

[PaddSter]

Right.. so the plan is to get 2 blue leg hermits, 1 emerald crab and baby foxface.

See how they get on and over couple of weeks review. May get one or 2 more emerald. And MAYBE, just maybe couple of blue legs hermit.
But I'll keep my eyes open.. 1 false move and all going to end up in paella <lol>

 

[najer]

A tuxedo urchin or 2 wouldn’t hurt either, but I think you’re right on track as far as fish (baby fox face)

This, I would add a couple of tuxedos, I have 6 or 7 in my big tank.
Waiting for breakfast, I got my ff less than a year ago as a see through baby, they grow fast!

 

[Pbh-reef]

For fish I’d suggest a rainford goby (Ora breeds them) or a links goby (also bred by Ora).

 

[WiscoFishNut]

For fish I’d suggest a rainford goby (Ora breeds them) or a links goby (also bred by Ora).

Have a question on these two fish - per liveaquaria its recommended that there's sand in the tank for them, but is it absolutely a hard requirement? My 60g is bare bottom, but I'd really like to get either of these guys if its suitable..

 

[Daddy-o]

Sea Hare?

 

[splitting_lanes]

When I transferred my reef from my biocube to my RSR 170, I had GHA come in at about 6-7 weeks, people told me it was the ‘new tank uglies’ phase. They were right. My GHA is no longer growing on the glass — I have none on the back even though I never clean the back glass.

i say hang tight, have patience and keep an eye on your NO3 and PO4. Do clean off what you can, but don’t make big chemistry or critter changes to try and fix it.

 

[SPR1968]

I think it’s hit and miss with GHA, and especially when it gets long not much will eat it, while it’s shorter a ‘tang gang’ including yellow and also maybe a magnificent Foxface eat algae all day long

You might need to address the cause of the GHA though, which is generally high phosphate levels. Tests may show low or zero phosphate as it’s being taken up as a food source by the algae

So I would review what you have in place for phosphate removal and maybe consider rhowaphos for example A good target is around 0.03ppm and you will avoid many issues like GHA and if you use rhowaphos you will starve the GHA of it’s food source

 

[Pbh-reef]

The rainford goby I think would have a lot of trouble without sand, links I’ve never kept but I’d assume it would be similar. Sorry

 

[PaddSter]

I think it’s hit and miss with GHA, and especially when it gets long not much will eat it, while it’s shorter a ‘tang gang’ including yellow and also maybe a magnificent Foxface eat algae all day long

You might need to address the cause of the GHA though, which is generally high phosphate levels. Tests may show low or zero phosphate as it’s being taken up as a food source by the algae

So I would review what you have in place for phosphate removal and maybe consider rhowaphos for example A good target is around 0.03ppm and you will avoid many issues like GHA and if you use rhowaphos you will starve the GHA of it’s food source

I'm using rowaphos and changing it every month. I assume the GHA started it's very existence while I got my goniopora stokesI.
It was retracted after travel from LFS and I have been feeding it every day, hence loads of nutrient in water and phosphate.
I am at 3x a week now so hopefully it will gradually get rid of it. To be fair goniopora looks much better, healthier and extended compared to it's state 2-3 weeks ago so at least I know it worked.

I got some emerald crabs which hopefully will help in keeping it clean along with many snails including 3 coaches which surprisingly seems to be munching on it as well.. So I will we review in couple of weeks and see if there is difference. If not I will take next steps.

Over a year in reefing thought me that acting slowly and monitoring is best if there isn't immediate danger for fish or corals.
And on this occasion, my corals loving it ATM and these goniopora feedings helped out all my corals as they seemed to be all happy and their polyps extended more than I've ever seen. Plus quiet a lot of growth in my SPS and softies.

If the outburst (controlled) of GHA is the price - I am willing to pay it.

So yeah.. really just going to sit down, watch the gorgeous piece of sea life and enjoy it.

Plus I'm doing only 5% water change every 2/3 days and 10% once a month or so, depends on the overall cleanliness of the tank.

 

[SPR1968]

I'm using rowaphos and changing it every month. I assume the GHA started it's very existence while I got my goniopora stokesI.
It was retracted after travel from LFS and I have been feeding it every day, hence loads of nutrient in water and phosphate.
I am at 3x a week now so hopefully it will gradually get rid of it. To be fair goniopora looks much better, healthier and extended compared to it's state 2-3 weeks ago so at least I know it worked.

I got some emerald crabs which hopefully will help in keeping it clean along with many snails including 3 coaches which surprisingly seems to be munching on it as well.. So I will we review in couple of weeks and see if there is difference. If not I will take next steps.

Over a year in reefing thought me that acting slowly and monitoring is best if there isn't immediate danger for fish or corals.
And on this occasion, my corals loving it ATM and these goniopora feedings helped out all my corals as they seemed to be all happy and their polyps extended more than I've ever seen. Plus quiet a lot of growth in my SPS and softies.

If the outburst (controlled) of GHA is the price - I am willing to pay it.

So yeah.. really just going to sit down, watch the gorgeous piece of sea life and enjoy it.

Plus I'm doing only 5% water change every 2/3 days and 10% once a month or so, depends on the overall cleanliness of the tank.

The once a month change of rhowaphos is possibly not be enough. Once it becomes spent it won’t absorb anymore and phosphate will start to build again and be absorbed into the rockwork As phosphate in the water reduces it will then leach back out into the water column.

As an example, I have a Red Sea S650 with a massive bioload and change the rhowaphos every 3 weeks at 500g a time.

I also have a brand new system, that whilst using 1kg of rhowaphos (yes it’s big!) was reading 0.08 after just 2 weeks so needed changing.

If you don’t change it out as needed, it won’t work

And Goniopora love lots of flow as well if that helps any. I have different ones and the ones in medium to high flow are twice the size of ones in low flow

 

[PaddSter]

I will keep that in mind!