green hair algae killing my hobby :(

[mcarroll]

Peroxide dosing like that is fringe...to be avoided by anyone starting a reef IMO, who should be focused like a laser on fundamentals.  Seems like every bad idea has a thread (and video!) actively promoting it.  Some of the good ideas seem to have threads too. 

 

If you're trying to grow a reef, it's definitely not best practice to take rock out of the water.  Certainly it's a bad idea to scrub it or use peroxide on it or anything like that while it's out.

[davidcalgary29]

Tuxedo urchins are fantastic for all sorts of nuisance algae, although you probably will have to give them supplemental feedings after they eat your algae. Mine is an absolute lawnmower.

[Murphych]

I have a lot of GHA as I said before. Manual pulling focusing in around coral bases and within the zoas, good N and P numbers and keeping a stable water change routine are helping me win (I do use liquid phosphate remover as well). I also took all reds out of the light and lowered the white a wee bit, keep skimming higher and clear out filter floss regular. 

It's a long process but support it seems to be working. The GHA growth is slow, it's not receding but it's not popping up in new spots either. 

I have also increased the amount of pods, I don't know if that help or not but by stepping back and chilling out it seems to be working out. 

I think in some ways if you have the patience to see it through, it gives you a good insight to the importance of stability. 

 

I have just upgraded to a larger tank in the last week and I absolutely intend on going slow and watching what impact the small slow changes make in the system.  

[Diamonds x Pearls]

I rented out a small dolabella sea hare (wedge sea hare) for about 2-3 weeks to be my personal lawnmower. It was some serious grazing pressure which makes coral reefs the way they are. Once the sea hare's services were no longer needed (GHA now down to a small 1"x3" area which I pluck on pretty regularly), I invested in a tuxedo urchin and a long spine urchin. I may need to find a new long spine at a younger age as my current one isn't fitting in the spaces it used to...dumb spines. However the tuxedo I think is doing something, but from what I can tell...it likes the coralline more.

 

But seriously...grazing pressure makes all the difference. Really invest in a good corps of clean up crew-- some may even say 1 snail per gallon.

[easyreefer]

 

 

Hello,

here is how my tank looks today:

 

it's much less GHA, due to manual removal plus bacterial treatment.

I feed corals once per week with fish pellets in very small amount.

However few my branch SPS's are almost dead - maybe due to bacterial treatment and low nutrients :(.

But LPS's feel good.

Few CUCs also dead - emerald crab, two turbo snails and feather duster 😞

Nitrates level at around 15ppm currently, but this reasonable due to dying GHA.

I continue regular maintenance like water changes and manual GHA removal, plus blasting rocks with burkey baster. 

What is strange that CA level according test is at level 600-620. I have no idea what causing this. 

Alkalinity 8.3, MG - 1250

Also on some coral, like zoas I see strange dark orange film, which can be removed by blasting with burkey baster. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Murphych]

What's your source water reading.out of interest? CA is pretty up top...wonder what it reads at source as well as other test items such as N and P

[growsomething]

I'm a year in, and just letting the tank tell me what it will grow till I have some more years experience.  I want all blue/pink/purple/golden zoa w a few branching/plating sps.  It likes to grow frogspawn, gorgs, and green (👎) zoas.    I say go with the LPS!

[A.m.P]

2 hours ago, easyreefer said:

 

 

Hello,

here is how my tank looks today:

 

However few my branch SPS's are almost dead - maybe due to bacterial treatment and low nutrients :(.

Few CUCs also dead - emerald crab, two turbo snails and feather duster 😞

Nitrates level at around 15ppm currently

 

Also on some coral, like zoas I see strange dark orange film, which can be removed by blasting with burkey baster. 

Dying CuC and a " dark orange film" sets off the dino alarms for me, which is odd if you have nitrates, could be cyano?

[growsomething]

If your calcium input is the same, then the consumption may have changed?  What is the bacterial treatment?

This rock will look good once covered in coral.