Red Ogo starved out

[Eldritch_blast]

Hello!
I’ve got a new system that I have had running for 4 months or so. Have taken a pretty slow approach, cycled for 5 weeks, added a couple fish, monitored parameters, added a few more fish and cuc as they started getting foods. Have had lights on for about 4-5 weeks now. Had them dialed down a bit and am rubbing them close to intended power now, Still have some par measuring to do.

I set up my refugium once I had a third fish, and went with Red Ogo from Aglae Barn. This seemed to be doing great, doubling in size in 3 weeks. During water changes I would fish out any pieces that seemed to be firing off, wasn’t ever much.


Anyways, over past 10 days or so my ugly stage seems to be ramping up. I’ve had some GHA start showing up along my sand bed. Will actually be removing it tomorrow during water change as it’s long enough to pull with fingers now.

I just wanted to confirm, that my red Ogo pretty much disappearing abruptly is due to starvation from the GHA, that likely started before the GHA was even very evident.

what’s best route from here to assure I try to keep best handle?

Should I adjust flow or get something that will start turning my sandbed over? I’ve got just hermits, nasarrius, astrea, and Trochus as members of cuc so far.
First pic is date added, then at peak growth about a month in, then today, it’s gone pretty much. I think I started noticing it thinning out about 2 weeks ago.

Thanks to anyone for input!

 

[LeftyReefer]

Or did your Red Ogo die off... which then fueled the GHA?

 

[Eldritch_blast]

This is what I was worried of!
Why would the Ogo die off though, it seemed to do well, enough.
My skimmer seemed to finally break in all of a sudden maybe the extra nutrient export done by that starved it then?

 

[LeftyReefer]

I wish I could tell you. I tried growing it, but mine died off too.
After which I had GHA and a few other algae's fire off in my display.

but now that you mention it, I had my skimmer running 24/7 at the time too, and pretty low nutrients at the time. maybe I starved mine too.

I bought it to try to grow some for tang food as my tang loved the stuff. I wasn't trying to grow it for nutrient export as mine were already low to begin with. Maybe it needs higher nutrients to be happy.

 

[OfficeReefer]

I do not know either but I will certainly let you know. I too have some red ogo in my sump of my Reefer 250. It's a new build and is about 6 weeks now. In the past two weeks since adding it, stopping dosing of NoPOx with just three small chromis in a 69gal total is achieving a similar result. I added about a large golf ball two weeks ago and I have a mop head to remove. The lighting on it is an Apex Gro however and I've got the guaranteed nutrients to drive it.

If I return to dosing though, I do know this may bring the nitrates too low and cause die off and that this could also be affected by the UV I'm also adding this weekend. We shall see what happens!

 

[Eldritch_blast]

I do not know either but I will certainly let you know. I too have some red ogo in my sump of my Reefer 250. It's a new build and is about 6 weeks now. In the past two weeks since adding it, stopping dosing of NoPOx with just three small chromis in a 69gal total is achieving a similar result. I added about a large golf ball two weeks ago and I have a mop head to remove. The lighting on it is an Apex Gro however and I've got the guaranteed nutrients to drive it.

If I return to dosing though, I do know this may bring the nitrates too low and cause die off and that this could also be affected by the UV I'm also adding this weekend. We shall see what happens!

My tank just had its first birthday. After my bio load kind of evened out and parameters all stabilized I haven’t had a single issue running chaeto in my fuge. It thrives, doesn’t grow too fast and tons of pods love to call it home.
Be careful with doing too much in the first year, it’s very tempting because there’s so much info out there to help you along. I know I wouldn’t have had nearly as successful of a first year as I’ve had if I wouldn’t have followed a bunch of that stuff. But carbon dosing in a 6 week old tank just seems too early to me, but it’s also something you can monitor if you test enough, but just be careful.
Good luck!