Not making a dent in GHA

LgTas

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GHA is doing my head in and now I've got cyano making an appearance. I've been dosing 10ml of vibrant each week for 7 weeks now. It seems to stop it from growing for 4 days after each dose but the last two days it takes off again. I do weekly 15 gallon water changes with NSW. I do not run a skimmer (I'm starting to think I'm going to have to). I had a fuge but the Cheato just got over run with GHA and I removed it when I started vibrant. Cyano is now appearing on the rocks which I'm siphoning along with ripping out as much GHA when I do water changes. I have no GHA or cyano wherever my conch snails and sand sifter star can reach which unfortunately is only at or near ground level. I have filter socks that I change out every second day. I've increased flow since cyano appeared. I'm worried the rock I purchased from a fellow Reefer is full of phosphates.

Tank specs:
90 gal tank (60 display, 30 sump)
2 x SLW 20 Wave makers

Parameters (fairly stable)
P - 0.11 to 0.15
N - 4
Alk - 8
Cal - 450
Mg - 1320
PH - 8.2

Ive been throwing a bag of API phos zorb in the high flow area of the sump but no real difference to the figures. I don't have space for reactors etc. but could add a skimmer.

CUC is 5 trochus snails, short spine urchin, a few small hermits and two conch snails.

So my questions
Will a skimmer help with phosphate removal?
Should I continue with vibrant or go back to the fuge?
Can I add GFO in a bag or is this pointless?

Any other suggestions?
 

fragit

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I would stops using NSW from where your collecting it, and use RODI as a start. How long has your system been running? Lastly your N and P levels can be reading falsly low as the Algea is using much of it. Manual removal and your CUC is kind of small in numbers IMO. Good luck don’t give in! I’ve been battling GHA on and off since I started my tank.
 
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LgTas

LgTas

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I would stops using NSW from where your collecting it, and use RODI as a start. How long has your system been running? Lastly your N and P levels can be reading falsly low as the Algea is using much of it. Manual removal and your CUC is kind of small in numbers IMO. Good luck don’t give in! I’ve been battling GHA on and off since I started my tank.

Thanks for the reply. I use the same NSW in all three of my systems (15 gal, 25 gal, and 90 gal) and this one is the only one that is struggling with GHA.

I agree with the false nutrient readings and will be looking at either dosing carbon or adding GFO to bring phosphates down.

I've just ordered more CUC so hopefully that will help. This system is 6 months old.
 

NormanB

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Maybe in addition to the excellent suggestions above, increase the amount of vibrant you are dosing. Try dosing 2x per week as see what happens. Keep doing the weekly water changes with manual removal.

I was fighting byropsis in an 80g total volume system and ultimately went to 20ml 2x per week. This was up from 10ml 2x per week and along with manual removal during water changes every week (10g changed) in 2 months time the byropsis was defeated.

All the best with your battle.
 

fachatga

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I would add skimmer before more CUC if they can’t get to the algae. But if I did Maybe a few emerald crabs if they could get to it to keep it from coming back so fast when you remove it?
 

14 foot reef

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I would move to Fluconzole Pet mountain has the best pricing on it.
Before Fluconozole
IMG_2092.jpeg


After Fluconozole

 
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LgTas

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Maybe in addition to the excellent suggestions above, increase the amount of vibrant you are dosing. Try dosing 2x per week as see what happens. Keep doing the weekly water changes with manual removal.

I was fighting byropsis in an 80g total volume system and ultimately went to 20ml 2x per week. This was up from 10ml 2x per week and along with manual removal during water changes every week (10g changed) in 2 months time the byropsis was defeated.

All the best with your battle.

Thank you! I've been debating whether to increase the dosage. Vibrant is VERY expensive in Aus but if it ultimately knocks it back quicker then it'll be worth it.

Add chaeto or caleurpa or ulva, let it outcompete the gha then just manually remove the hair algae before it goes sexual
I was under the impression that vibrant killed chaeto and ulva but just read a UWC post which says you can keep the fuge online while dosing. Will be adding it back in.

I would add skimmer before more CUC if they can’t get to the algae. But if I did Maybe a few emerald crabs if they could get to it to keep it from coming back so fast when you remove it?
I'll probably buckle and get the skimmer in the next few weeks but I've got GFO and Trochus on their way to me so will see if that makes a difference first. Unfortunately Tasmania has strict biosecurity which limits which CUC we can ship in. Emeralds are not on the acceptable list.

I would move to Fluconzole Pet mountain has the best pricing on it.
Before Fluconozole
IMG_2092.jpeg


After Fluconozole


I was under the impression Fluconozole was for bryopsis only? Did you do a single dose or multiple doses? The pics speak for themselves so I'm very interested to know more.
 

14 foot reef

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Thank you! I've been debating whether to increase the dosage. Vibrant is VERY expensive in Aus but if it ultimately knocks it back quicker then it'll be worth it.


I was under the impression that vibrant killed chaeto and ulva but just read a UWC post which says you can keep the fuge online while dosing. Will be adding it back in.


I'll probably buckle and get the skimmer in the next few weeks but I've got GFO and Trochus on their way to me so will see if that makes a difference first. Unfortunately Tasmania has strict biosecurity which limits which CUC we can ship in. Emeralds are not on the acceptable list.


I was under the impression Fluconozole was for bryopsis only? Did you do a single dose or multiple doses? The pics speak for themselves so I'm very interested to know more.
This was a single dose, Pet mountain was in a back order situation for as much as I needed, so I was forced to wait it out. I'm glad I did as I did not need a second dose.
 

Dan_P

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GHA is doing my head in and now I've got cyano making an appearance. I've been dosing 10ml of vibrant each week for 7 weeks now. It seems to stop it from growing for 4 days after each dose but the last two days it takes off again. I do weekly 15 gallon water changes with NSW. I do not run a skimmer (I'm starting to think I'm going to have to). I had a fuge but the Cheato just got over run with GHA and I removed it when I started vibrant. Cyano is now appearing on the rocks which I'm siphoning along with ripping out as much GHA when I do water changes. I have no GHA or cyano wherever my conch snails and sand sifter star can reach which unfortunately is only at or near ground level. I have filter socks that I change out every second day. I've increased flow since cyano appeared. I'm worried the rock I purchased from a fellow Reefer is full of phosphates.

Tank specs:
90 gal tank (60 display, 30 sump)
2 x SLW 20 Wave makers

Parameters (fairly stable)
P - 0.11 to 0.15
N - 4
Alk - 8
Cal - 450
Mg - 1320
PH - 8.2

Ive been throwing a bag of API phos zorb in the high flow area of the sump but no real difference to the figures. I don't have space for reactors etc. but could add a skimmer.

CUC is 5 trochus snails, short spine urchin, a few small hermits and two conch snails.

So my questions
Will a skimmer help with phosphate removal?
Should I continue with vibrant or go back to the fuge?
Can I add GFO in a bag or is this pointless?

Any other suggestions?
The appearance of cyanobacteria could be a sign that the algae is stressed or dying.
 

CoralB

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When I had similar issues what worked for me was shut lights off for three days , run UV , cut back on feeding , and added bacteria daily . I also added Mexican turbo snails .i kept the skimmer going but let it flow back into the tank , Took two weeks to get a hold on it and about a month or so to clear up .
 

kalel454

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GHA is doing my head in and now I've got cyano making an appearance. I've been dosing 10ml of vibrant each week for 7 weeks now. It seems to stop it from growing for 4 days after each dose but the last two days it takes off again. I do weekly 15 gallon water changes with NSW. I do not run a skimmer (I'm starting to think I'm going to have to). I had a fuge but the Cheato just got over run with GHA and I removed it when I started vibrant. Cyano is now appearing on the rocks which I'm siphoning along with ripping out as much GHA when I do water changes. I have no GHA or cyano wherever my conch snails and sand sifter star can reach which unfortunately is only at or near ground level. I have filter socks that I change out every second day. I've increased flow since cyano appeared. I'm worried the rock I purchased from a fellow Reefer is full of phosphates.

Tank specs:
90 gal tank (60 display, 30 sump)
2 x SLW 20 Wave makers

Parameters (fairly stable)
P - 0.11 to 0.15
N - 4
Alk - 8
Cal - 450
Mg - 1320
PH - 8.2

Ive been throwing a bag of API phos zorb in the high flow area of the sump but no real difference to the figures. I don't have space for reactors etc. but could add a skimmer.

CUC is 5 trochus snails, short spine urchin, a few small hermits and two conch snails.

So my questions
Will a skimmer help with phosphate removal?
Should I continue with vibrant or go back to the fuge?
Can I add GFO in a bag or is this pointless?

Any other suggestions?
dose with vodka look it up i did it 4 years ago and never seen it again.
 

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