GHA and Happy SPS

[Stolireef]

So this is a new one on me. Happy SPS and a very serious GHA outbreak (tank looks like the rough at Augusta). I always thought that if you have GHA, then the water is too nutrient rich for SPS but my SPS are doing quite well. Run the gamut including stylos, montis and acros. All doing well but GHA running wild.

Parameters:
SG: 1.026
CA: 440
kH: 11
Mg: 1320
Nitrates: Below measurement but they must be in there considering the GHA

110 gallon DP with 20 gallon sump and a 20 gallon fuge. Reef Octopus skimmer running a little wet.

GHA is killing me but I think it's starting to die out.

 

[Spslvr]

thinking outside an aquarists perspective gha is not toxic and is a very effective nutrient exporter taking up nitrate faster than coral and unless it begins to smother your sps they will be fine, the issues you have from an aquarist perspective gha is unsightly and not something we typically like in our displays, and its also an indicator of a nutrient problem find and eliminate your nutrient source and it SHOULD clear up

 

[Stolireef]

It's possible that I have a bryopsis instead of GHA outbreak. Either way, same question.

 

[Stolireef]

thinking outside an aquarists perspective gha is not toxic and is a very effective nutrient exporter taking up nitrate faster than coral and unless it begins to smother your sps they will be fine, the issues you have from an aquarist perspective gha is unsightly and not something we typically like in our displays, and its also an indicator of a nutrient problem find and eliminate your nutrient source and it SHOULD clear up

Thanks and I agree. I've already reduced nutrients very aggressively but I'm still surprised that the SPS are growing. In the past, when nutrients were high enough to make GHA happy, my SPS looked terrible. Now they are growing and glowing.

 

[Spslvr]

You may find its just the right balance, and the amount of gha you have is consuming enough nutrient that there is no excess left in the water column to cause browning issues or deterioration of sps.. on the other hand if its bryopsis this is a p.i.t.a and starving it doesnt seem to work all that effectively, the way you describe it bryopsis fits better

 

[Stolireef]

You may find its just the right balance, and the amount of gha you have is consuming enough nutrient that there is no excess left in the water column to cause browning issues or deterioration of sps.. on the other hand if its bryopsis this is a p.i.t.a and starving it doesnt seem to work all that effectively, the way you describe it bryopsis fits better

Yep. Looks like some tech m for the foreseeable future.

 

[Coelli]

Or a starry blenny. Tech-M didn't work for me and I imported the bryopsis from my old tank to new, but it only grows in the fuge. My starry blenny keeps it handled in the DT. Love that fish.

 

[SpSChief85]

Afew months back when I started my 125 I had bryopsis and my blenny couldn't keep up with all of it... so I raised my mag to 1500 and manually removed what I could in a month it had all turned white another month and it was totally gone... a couple water changes manual removal and 1500 mag should work fine... sounds like you have rock loaded with phosphate... at least that's what I blamed mine on... started the ATS back up to help export anything loaded in the rock now my system is algae free and no readings on phosphate and nitrate is .25ish