Ready to throw in the towel. Algae winning

[Derekcaudill]

Alright guys, any last suggestions before I push this tank out the window? I have been fighting GHA for almost 10 months now in my BC29. Weekly water changes from 5-10 gallons. Manual removal. 20 plus blue leg crabs, 1 emerald, 20 plus turbos. New bulbs on 6 1/2 hours daily with timer. Protein skimmer aquatic life 115. Daily water top offs. Nearly starving my fish from food. Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 5, Ph 8.2-8.4, daily dosing with reef fusion 1 and reef fusion 2 for calcium and alk stability. Media rack with Chemi Pure Elite and floss. WTF am I doing wrong here?

[Coastie]

Did you ever do a "lights out" period?

[arom]

Did you ever do a "lights out" period?

 

+1, I just did a 3 day lights out to rid cyno and the GHA weaken as well.

[GiantBen]

Where do you get your water. Why are you dosing?

[burtbollinger]

Water quality needs to be looked into...I think you have way too many snails. Are snails dying in there, btw?

 

You also need to pick up an inexpensive Media reactor...bulk reef supply makes one....and inside that reactor, you will want to run GFO.

 

Keep in mind, you will be doing manual removal during this time as well.

 

also, please dont starve the fish...they should be fed daily.

[shan]

TRy raising your magnesium to 1600-1800. I know Mg is mainly used for bryopsis, but I had good success using it against hair algae as well. After 3-4 days you can usually see the hair algae weekening.

[OClownsandNanos]

Water quality needs to be looked into...I think you have way too many snails. Are snails dying in there, btw?

 

+1 I also think you have too many crabs in there. I've got between 8-10 hermits (scarlet and blue) in my 40BR and think I have way too many and keep telling myself I'm going to take some back to the LFS. If you've noticed lots of snails dying you may want to seriously cut back on your crabs. They really don't help that much in the algae fight in my experience, esp. as they get older (they just "help" eliminate microfauna which is really not good) and you can always get nassarius snails to scavenge. How many and what kind of fish do you have?

 

I'm fighting GHA now because I let my tank go for a while and GFO reactor, lights out, and mag ideas are good suggestions too. Do you use any macro at all? Are you using RO/DI?

[zemuss]

I am using Rowa and it doesn't seem to be helping me. What other types of GFO should i consider?

[doppelganger]

I've always found the BRS reactor and GFO to be pretty good and at a very reasonable price.

[reefer916]

It could be your water source as mentioned from the other guys. I was running into some issues when I was getting my RO water from the LFS and after my buddy tested it with a TDS meter I realized that I needed my own RO/DI unit.

 

I'm not sure how your feeding your tank, but I rinse my PE mysis, krill, silversides, and other frozen food well before I feed the tank. I was throwing in frozen cubes when I first started, which caused a GHA outbreak when I first got into the hobby. Ended up taking down the entire system and buying a new tank. Manually removed as much of the GHA from the rocks and did daily 10 gallon water changes on my 95 gallon for 2 months. Added a phosban reactor with GFO, put a bag of carbon in, and my tank has been pretty much GHA free for the last 2 years. I still have a little here and there, but when it starts to sprout up again it's usually due to overfeeding and I need to swap out my GFO.

 

Could also be contributed to bad or old bulbs, when the spectrum changes algae blooms could result.

 

I would have to say that the best way in a nano to reduce excess nutrients has been the daily water changes. I'd give that a try because it'll slowly deplete the excess nutrients that the GHA is feeding off of without shocking your livestock. Phosphates often stay inside your rock and leach out over time, so it'll help pull out the phosphates instead of letting it build up a week at a time.

 

Good luck..

[burtbollinger]

as stated above....BRS reactor....running BRS GFO....that's the best bet.

 

if you are using frozen food, rinse it in the sink first under the faucet. again, feed fish daily, btw.

 

and again, I think something is off with your water. might be time to get your own RO/DI unit.

 

That, and return half of those snails/crabs...i really think dying snails could be playing a roll...

 

long story short, GHA isnt something you end a tank over....calupera maybe, but not GHA. this CAN be beat.

 

PS...I don't put much faith in a lights out method.

[glazer]

Dude.. go decaf for awhile. I think you're getting all worked up over what I would consider, hardly a problem. From your tank thread.....

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...st&id=88978

 

You posted that pic like three weeks ago as the latest full tank shot. If that's true and you're looking to throw the tank out the window because of your "huge hair algae problem" then please give me a heads up as to when this event is going to take place. I'll bring a ladder and you can just hand it out the window to me and so you'll have some satisfaction I can bring an old tank you can smash to bits.

 

Anyway.... since you asked, I assume your open for any and all suggestions. I would stop with the dosing of anything and everything. Test your water for phosphates and see what kind of reading you get TDS wise as well as phophates on your RO water. Small, frequent water changes are great for exporting excess nutrients and replenishing trace elements but if your water is the problem it's also a good way to perpetuate an issue. Lastly, get yourself a little strawberry basket, or shower caddy or something you can put some macros in, cheato or caulerpa that will compete if not out-compete the GHA.

I don't personally think you need to remove any of your clean up crew and please don't starve your fish.

 

Steve

[burtbollinger]

Dude.. go decaf for awhile. I think you're getting all worked up over what I would consider, hardly a problem. From your tank thread.....

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...st&id=88978

 

You posted that pic like three weeks ago as the latest full tank shot. If that's true and you're looking to throw the tank out the window because of your "huge hair algae problem" then please give me a heads up as to when this event is going to take place. I'll bring a ladder and you can just hand it out the window to me and so you'll have some satisfaction I can bring an old tank you can smash to bits.

 

Anyway.... since you asked, I assume your open for any and all suggestions. I would stop with the dosing of anything and everything. Test your water for phosphates and see what kind of reading you get TDS wise as well as phophates on your RO water. Small, frequent water changes are great for exporting excess nutrients and replenishing trace elements but if your water is the problem it's also a good way to perpetuate an issue. Lastly, get yourself a little strawberry basket, or shower caddy or something you can put some macros in, cheato or caulerpa that will compete if not out-compete the GHA.

I don't personally think you need to remove any of your clean up crew and please don't starve your fish.

 

Steve

 

 

+1

 

Also, Please don't starve your fish.

[Derekcaudill]

+1

 

Also, Please don't starve your fish.

 

Thanks for all the great advice guys. I know its not a lot of GHA but I have been fighting it for SO LONG it seems. I will try the macros. I have been meaning to get a fuge rack anyway. Just frustrated with the GHA and I am venting a little. As far as dosing goes I had that problem before dosing. I just started dosing to help the 3 clam and SPS I have in there now, so I dont know if stopping the dosing will really help, but may hurt.

[beachpig]

Thanks for all the great advice guys. I know its not a lot of GHA but I have been fighting it for SO LONG it seems. I will try the macros. I have been meaning to get a fuge rack anyway. Just frustrated with the GHA and I am venting a little. As far as dosing goes I had that problem before dosing. I just started dosing to help the 3 clam and SPS I have in there now, so I dont know if stopping the dosing will really help, but may hurt.

 

I'm on the same boat with my BC29. I have had it setup for 3 years now. I have been in this battle for some time ( maybe 8 months). I have a new RO System i bought 4 months ago, water change 5 gallons a week, New Lights, Media Rack with Cheto, Tunze Skimmer, Vortech MP10, ATO and on and on. I tested my water using two different kits and all is showing low numbers but yet i'm still battling GHA. I added a GFO reactor a month ago and no results. I feed every 3 days and tried the blackout. I just pulled that GFO S#@# out and put some bio pellets in yesterday. I'm going to give it some time and see what happens. Am I missing something?

[burtbollinger]

no battle with GHA is going to be won by giving up on your GFO reactor after 1 month and stuffing it with biopellets. Simply put, there is no magic bullet...I'd highly recommend you figure out a way to incorporate GFO back into your arsenal...

 

Feeding every 3 days also isn't the answer, as marine fish should be eating daily. I personally find the starving of marine creatures in an effort to combat algae to be a despicable and cruel practice.

 

Frankly, the OP was freaking out over a basically 'non-existant' GHA problem. I wonder if you are doing the same? After looking at a recent picture of his tank, it turns out his boat isnt such a bad one to be in, after all.

[beachpig]

no battle with GHA is going to be won by giving up on your GFO reactor after 1 month and stuffing it with biopellets. Simply put, there is no magic bullet...I'd highly recommend you figure out a way to incorporate GFO back into your arsenal...

 

Feeding every 3 days also isn't the answer, as marine fish should be eating daily. I personally find the starving of marine creatures in an effort to combat algae to be a despicable and cruel practice.

 

Frankly, the OP was freaking out over a basically 'non-existant' GHA problem. I wonder if you are doing the same? After looking at a recent picture of his tank, it turns out his boat isnt such a bad one to be in, after all.

 

Taking a toothbrush to my rock every other week is a problem!. Are you saying that biopellets will not remove phosphates? I added GFO for a month and my tank looks like it got worst. Its obviously not a Phos problem. Any suggestions on how to remove Nitrates without doing a water change every day?

[Derekcaudill]

Taking a toothbrush to my rock every other week is a problem!. Are you saying that biopellets will not remove phosphates? I added GFO for a month and my tank looks like it got worst. Its obviously not a Phos problem. Any suggestions on how to remove Nitrates without doing a water change every day?

 

Agreed! The "boat" I am in hase been the same boat for a while. No matter what I seem to do nothing seems to work, so to me that is failing. Also in my picture you cant see the GHA at all really. i have 2 rocks that are about 80-90% covered by GHA. Sometimes I seem to find it elsewhere and manage to pull it off before it begins to spread there. Yes my tank isnt infested with GHA but its really just starting to annoy the crap our of me since I can get rid of it. As of right now after its daily light cycle last night I turned off the timers to the lights and but a sheet over it. So no lights for 3 days. We will see how that goes.

[burtbollinger]

I added GFO for a month and my tank looks like it got worst. Its obviously not a Phos problem.

 

ahahahahhaha..... I like how sure you are of that...good luck with your hair algae. With your dismissive attitude and unrealistic expectations for a quick fix, you're gonna need it. Good day, sir.

[beachpig]

ahahahahhaha..... I like how sure you are of that...good luck with your hair algae. With your dismissive attitude and unrealistic expectations for a quick fix, you're gonna need it. Good day, sir.

 

 

I'm not looking for a quick fix just assistance. I will keep you posted in weeks to come and let you know my results. Thanks for the advice.

[disaster999]

algaefix marine from API.

 

one dose of that stuff and i can already see GHA coming off the walls and rock. in week or 2 they will be completely gone

[stvjohnsn]

algaefix marine from API.

 

+1

 

I've used it in two tanks a few times with great results. No issues with corals or livestock and no more GHA!

[Derekcaudill]

never even heard of it. i may have to give it a try. Today is the first day my tank has had light in 3 days. I turned off the light timers and covered the tank. So when I get home I will get an idea of what that helped if any.

[jrock4224]

Dude.. go decaf for awhile. I think you're getting all worked up over what I would consider, hardly a problem. From your tank thread.....

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...st&id=88978

 

You posted that pic like three weeks ago as the latest full tank shot. If that's true and you're looking to throw the tank out the window because of your "huge hair algae problem" then please give me a heads up as to when this event is going to take place. I'll bring a ladder and you can just hand it out the window to me and so you'll have some satisfaction I can bring an old tank you can smash to bits.

 

Anyway.... since you asked, I assume your open for any and all suggestions. I would stop with the dosing of anything and everything. Test your water for phosphates and see what kind of reading you get TDS wise as well as phophates on your RO water. Small, frequent water changes are great for exporting excess nutrients and replenishing trace elements but if your water is the problem it's also a good way to perpetuate an issue. Lastly, get yourself a little strawberry basket, or shower caddy or something you can put some macros in, cheato or caulerpa that will compete if not out-compete the GHA.

I don't personally think you need to remove any of your clean up crew and please don't starve your fish.

 

Steve

 

I will hold the ladder and help you get down holding that bc if you let me get a few of those corals. Heck I will rent a boom lift if it comes to that... from you pics, even magnified, your gha porblem is minor. I wish I had pics from when my 110 had harialgae. you couldnt even see rocks, my corals were choked out, and some of the strands and poofs were over 4 inches deep. That was a hair algae problem. And as has been suggested, it was my origination water going through the ro/di and a used filter I was sold at a lfs as a new filter. My tank was fubared with hair algae. Your gha, although annoying, is managable, treatable and very much so fixable. everything in aquaria takes time, so don't expect these fixes you try to have a affect for a bit. It's a slow process but one well worth it if you see it through. Anyone giving up on something after on only thirty days is selling them sleves short. test your sorce water, make sure you ro di is doing its job and start making changes and seeing how they work over two weeks. Sometimes those changes will cause it to get worse before it gets better. That's a bi product of trapping a small part of the ocean in your living room. Its funny I tell people your tank can go to crap in a weekend but take 5 times as long to correct the problems. Be patient and just stay on top and you will see the other end. I do agree though your clean up crew is way to large cut back on those to single digits and the rest of the sugestions being made should have a positive affect on your tank. It looks great withthe hair algae and will look even greater when this is fixed.

 

lights off will do nothing . even though its photosynthetic it feeds off nutrients and the lights would have to be off for a long period of time. I was told this early in my ha problem and even tried two weeks no light. All that did was kill corals and when they lights came back on, Still hair algae and the corals that were left all got whacked out and partially bleached from the light coming back on after not having any for a while. Lights out fixs greenwater in a fw aquarium but does nothing for a sw aquarium. careful with chemicals too in suck a small water volume you can accidentally casue a water quality issue or worse. hair algae will clog a pump in no time

[Derekcaudill]

Ok, so tonight I am cutting back on my CUC, getting a lawnmower blenny, and well...more water changes. I am going to do 2 a week for a while and see what happens.