Gha?

[Thornbreaker]

If you are going to black out your tank, you need to give it no light at all. The same light your corals use, the GHA uses.

If you have that much GHA, then your tank is probably creating much more nitrate and phosphate than your tests indicate - it's just being bound in the algae. Continual manual removal, along with stable low nutrients is really the best long term solution.

Kevin

Yeah it's just feels awkward to let it ride 3 days without any light. When I've done that, I've done it for 2 days, with the blues on the 3rd. I've kept the sump light on to foster growth in the sump.

I've been harvesting what I can, especially around my coral so they won't be strangled by the algae. The rest of the GHA is more of an eyesore. I've also pulled a ton out of the sump each week.

This means I'm likely over feeding, but the tank gets a lot of light in the summer as we've yet to get blinds on the windows. I battled red cyano for about 6 months, and after defeating it, the GHA took over. Started as one little patch, which I've spread thanks to attempted physical removal :\

 

[ReeferNoob4ever]

Almost all my tanks in the years I've been doing this go through exactly what you are describing. Diatoms, then cyano, then green hair algae. Once the GHA stage is over the tank is usually all balanced. This can take up to two years to work itself out. In the meantime try to reduce feeding, photo period, and add something that keeps phosphate in check (I prefer chemi pure blue). :beer:

 

[Thornbreaker]

Almost all my tanks in the years I've been doing this go through exactly what you are describing. Diatoms, then cyano, then green hair algae. Once the GHA stage is over the tank is usually all balanced. This can take up to two years to work itself out. In the meantime try to reduce feeding, photo period, and add something that keeps phosphate in check (I prefer chemi pure blue). :beer:

Thanks. I've only been worried because the first patch started right next to my Blasto. I can deal with the ugliness for awhile provided it's not encroaching.

But it also means I'm a bit out of whack somewhere on balance.

 

[Thornbreaker]

Update:

So I have maybe 2 trochus left out of my recent snail purchase. I'm not sure why they've died. May have a dead conch (not sure he moves every few days). Ninja star astreas all kicked the bucket too. Maybe higher nitrates than I'm showing? Small predator somewhere?

Fish, shrimp, BTU, pods, Nerites, ceriths, and nassarius are all fine though.

In other news, I picked up some of that vibrant reef cleaner 2 sundays ago. It seems to be having an effect on GHA. Small decrease the first week, but seems to really be helping in week 2. I did my usual water change this Sunday and pulled some of the GHA by hand, mainly where it crowds around my corals. It's noticeably much better this morning. The GHA is far more patchy, and appears at least to be breaking down. I'll post some before/after pics if it continues to improve.

This Sunday will be time to replace the DI resin, clean the return pump, and remove gunk from the sump. GHA in the sump is looking brown at this point.

 

[j.falk]

Update:

So I have maybe 2 trochus left out of my recent snail purchase. I'm not sure why they've died. May have a dead conch (not sure he moves every few days). Ninja star astreas all kicked the bucket too. Maybe higher nitrates than I'm showing? Small predator somewhere?

Fish, shrimp, BTU, pods, Nerites, ceriths, and nassarius are all fine though.

In other news, I picked up some of that vibrant reef cleaner 2 sundays ago. It seems to be having an effect on GHA. Small decrease the first week, but seems to really be helping in week 2. I did my usual water change this Sunday and pulled some of the GHA by hand, mainly where it crowds around my corals. It's noticeably much better this morning. The GHA is far more patchy, and appears at least to be breaking down. I'll post some before/after pics if it continues to improve.

This Sunday will be time to replace the DI resin, clean the return pump, and remove gunk from the sump. GHA in the sump is looking brown at this point.

Did you start losing your snails after dosing with Vibrant?

Edit: Never mind, I reread the thread. You started losing them before using Vibrant.

 

[Thornbreaker]

Did you start losing your snails after dosing with Vibrant?



Edit: Never mind, I reread the thread. You started losing them before using Vibrant.

Yes.

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk

 

[Thornbreaker]

Update:

I appear to be winning the battle at this point. After a big hair pulling effort last weekend, along with a 60 hr or so blackout mid-week, the GHA is way down. Down so much that my foxface for whatever reason now has an interest in what's left and is picking at it too.

I did a good 30 gallon water change yesterday, and I've continued to dose that vibrant reef cleaner. I did not due another harvest except from the sump, as the DT is truly lacking the forest of GHA it used to. So here's hoping things are starting to rebalance out. I'll probably pick up a trochus and a conch at least this week and see how they do as far as survivability.