GHA in my nano reef

[Deriak4942]

Hello everyone! Long time stalker...hoping to become active member.

So my setup in about 3 years old and about a month ago I had less than perfect water parameters. I have since got my water quality where I want it but I still have some stubborn GHA that won's go away.

System:
20g display
5g hang on refugium with nano skimmer and chaeto
1 small hang on with chemipure
quad ho t5 lighting (2 actinic, 1 10k and 1 Pink)
2 koralia nano circulation pumps
1 Jebao wave maker
Phosphate reactor with GFO

Water parameters:
Salinity 1.024
Nitrates: 0
Phosphates: 0-0.03
Alkalinity: 9
Calcium: 450-500
pH: 8.3

Live stock:
Many corals sps & lps
1 clown
1 cleaner shrimp CUC

I'm most concerned with the GHA on my acropora. It took a tumble a little over a month ago when my water wasn't perfect and GHA showed up in the damaged areas. Any input would be greatly appreciated. I've been considering a blackout...

 

[kevin21]

I had an issue with some hair algae and cotton candy algae in my 28g nano. I started doing 5g water changes weekly while obviously ripping out as much as I could during the changes. I saw a little improvement but not enough. I started dosing NOPOX. Within 2 weeks, the hair and cotton algae was gone. Make sure you skim heavily while dosing NOPOX and stick to the proper dosing. Your nitrates are reading zero because the algae is masking it. There are nitrates present due to the amount of hair algae. NOPOX is a form of carbon dosing that removes nitrate and phosphate.

Hope this helps and good luck.

 

[mcgyvr]

Comes in quick.. Goes away slowly.. Thats just how it is..

Manually remove what you can and keep those parameters spot on and it will go away in time... Mexican turbo snails or a lawnmower blenny or similar would help..

With those current levels of nitrate/phosphate I would not recommend (or don't see a need to start) carbon dosing..
Those levels are low enough already..
Heck.. Just adding more corals will help too.. yes.. adding more as they will consume the nitrate/phosphate also and work to out compete the algae for nutrients..

 

[Deriak4942]

So is that a negative on the blackout?

 

[mcgyvr]

So is that a negative on the blackout?

While blackouts can work well for cyano I highly doubt its going to be effective/worth your time with GHA..
The corals can easily take a 3 day blackout and so can GHA...

You can certainly try.. Its not really going to hurt anything..but I'm fairly certain its not going to help either..
GHA is much more of a "survivor" than cyano is with short term losses of one energy source..

Now remove the corals and go for a longer term blackout then sure..
But if you can do that then I would just do peroxide dips for the rock..

I didn't mention that because it looked to me like it was not an option but you can pull the rocks and do peroxide dips (50% tank water/50% peroxide for about 10 minutes with some manual scrubbing then just rinse and back into the tank) which is very effective against GHA.. and many corals can tolerate it too.. A rock or 2 each day.. Spreading it out over a week or more is really effective and doesn't cause much if any issues..

 

[Deriak4942]

That's my only tank. I don't have anywhere for the corals to go...

Thanks for the info on the blackout. I guess I won't be taking that route.

Main concern is the acropora. There seems to be a little die off around the gha and I think it's spreading. I've considered fragging the branch but I'm worried gha I'll pop up at the cut. I do believe that that area on the acropora that has gha had gotten stung by a hammer and that's when the gha took hold. So I guess my question is; is a sting more likely to develope gha than a clean fracture?

 

[mcgyvr]

Yes you are more likely to have algae develop on "wounded/tissue loss" areas vs clean/living tissue..

You can dip that acro too in peroxide/water.. I believe they are a coral variety thats pretty tolerant of that..
Certainly worth a try there..

Or cut it off.. Its less likely that algae will grow on the newly cut area now that nutrients are lower vs before when they weren't..

 

[ReeferNoob4ever]

Considering I own 2 nano tanks, 1 10 and 1 20 gal I can tell you that snails are my best friends. I don't go overboard because once they eat the algae they get hungry so...in my 20 gal I have 2 turbos and 1 fighting conch plus an emerald crab that pretty much just hides out and eats poop. In my 10 gallon I have a bumble bee a nassirus and a cerith plus a goofy red leg hermit crab. In my 10 gal I was getting hair algae and the snails have completely eaten all the hair out. I always put the snails in early to keep the algae under control rather than throw them in when there is a problem. In your case I would remove it manually as much as possible and just keep up with the water changes, maybe lower the light schedule one hour per day and put in the snails.

Also, you have quite the setup for a 20 gallon with the fuge and HOB filter. I run only a HOB filter which I change the mechanical/carbon filter once a week with my water changes. I would suggest a thorough cleaning of every piece of equipment along with your water changes. Don't rely so much on GFO/Chemi-pure and the likes. Many times they just leech back into the system. Look into an algae reactor instead. :smokin:

Good luck!