Help with GHA

[Smknnoakland]

I've been battling hair algae for about 2 years. Tank is 2 1/2 years old. 72 gallon, with a 20 gallon sump/refugium. It's a fowlr tank with a rbta. I had the Gha somewhat under control. My appendix ruptured about 6 months ago, and the tank got neglected. I'm happy everything survived though. Algae got way out of control. Last Monday, I did a 50% water change. Pulled a lot of algae out by hand. Looks like there is bryopsis and Gha. I've started dosing with Kent tech m. My magnesium was low anyway, it was at 1140. I've put a filter sock on the overflow line at the sump. I put a filter pad in between the refugium and return chamber. I'm cleaning those every other day. I've turned my skimmer up, so I'm wet skimming now. I only use rodi water for top off and water changers, always have, except for initial fill up of the tank. Any more advice would be nice. Tested today, my parameters are

Ph= 8.4
Ammonia = 0
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate= 5
Phosphate= .25 ( I know that's probably not an accurate reading)
Magnesium= is 1245 now after dosing for 3 days

 

[Tanthaitrung]

How much your flow?

Do you have light for your refugium?

What test kit do you test phosphate?

You can try API ALGAEFIX

 

[Smknnoakland]

I have an ehiem 2000 return pump. 2 Hydor koralia power heads in the dt. I also have a nozzle on the return pipe 90 in the dt. Can't remember what it's called, creates more flow though. I do have a light on my refugium. Don't Remember the bulb. Not at home. It's the kind most people on here use. Bought it at home depot. Test kit is an api.

 

[Smknnoakland]

This is the nozzle on my return pipe in the dt...... https://premiumaquatics.com/product...7aM-qHoTHbw6iNe8ttIc7qjdLF0livJfQMaAqmk8P8HAQ

 

[Smknnoakland]

Forgot to mention, I also put chaeto in my refugium 4 days ago. I've had a phosban reactor running with Rowa in it too. I plan on doing 25% water changes every 2 weeks from now on.

 

[Tanthaitrung]

The flow should be 30x the DT, at least (return pump + power head). If you have chaeto, no need Rowa anymore, IME.

I would use HANA HI736 to test PO4. If you want to bring PO4 down, you can do 50% water change. You should remove GHA and vacuum your sand bed before changing water.

What is your light? How long is your light turned on daily?

 

[Smknnoakland]

This is my light, the 36"-48". It's only on 6 hours a day right now to try and get rid of the algae.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produ...H882TlWYrv7gPMYyfKrS37YdknRQgqrWXcaAmK78P8HAQ

 

[Tanthaitrung]

FOWLR no need light much. You can cut your light on 1 or 2 hours daily when you are killing GHA

Best of luck

 

[Smknnoakland]

1 to 2 hours of light is OK with an rbta?

 

[Tanthaitrung]

Don't worry, just short time.

 

[Smknnoakland]

I was definitely over feeding. It's only been a week since I did a 50% water change. I can see a difference in the amount of hair algae, and the thickness. Also need not looking as dark green. I feel like I'm making progress. Today when I got home from work, tank definitely looked better. Thanks for all the help and info

 

[MiddletoM]

My Story

I have GHA and have done for about 5 months now I think.

I started with dry rock which I didn't cook in acid (wish I did now). I think this is the reason I have GHA. Phos and Nitrate never show on test kits, I think its because the rocks are leaching the phos and nitrate and the algae consumes it before it enters the water column.

Anyway, to get rid of it I have kept an eye on feeding and mainly feed Masstick and frozen with a small amount of algae flakes for my bicolour blenny. Masstick is generally fed over the weekend with a second feed of frozen. weekdays I normally feed frozen once. I don't bother rinsing frozen food because the phos and nitrates are leaching from the rocks, so I don't think it will make too much of a difference. the chaeto and rowa can deal with nutrients in the water column.

I really don't think the chaeto is doing much at all which isn't surprising if the GHA is absorbing phos and nitrate straight from the rocks. I change rowa every other week.

I have also been manually picking the GHA off the rocks, this has taken an hour each time and I pull out a fair amount.

I bough a tuxedo urchin to help with the battle too and its done a brilliant job picking the rocks clean. I did consider a sea hare but didn't want the hassle of moving it on once the GHA had gone and its possible it could pollute the tank if angered. A yellow tang would do a good job but I want that to be the last fish I add and I have a few more I want to get before.

Water changes are carried out weekly, replacing at least 15%, I vacuum the sand every time and blast the rocks a bit too. I did reduce my sand bed depth from an average depth of 3" to average of 1.5" to reduce the chance of detritus build up.


I'm now at the stage where I can pretty much siphon out the GHA using the suction of the thin hose to pull it off the rocks. I think this is because the rocks are coming to the end of their phos and nitrate reserves so the GHA is weakening/dying off.

My advice is to just stick at it and do what you can. there isn't really a decent instant cure for GHA but patience and persistence is what will get results based on my experience. the time it takes depends on how much the rocks have absorbed.