At my wits' end with... gha?

[moistowlette11]

Alright. I have gone through diatoms, GHA, cyano, and now GHA again. My tank is 3.5 mos old. I tried some manual removal and that worked a bit, but, it came back with a vengeance. I limit my feeding, I do a 25% water change weekly and had a good cleanup crew as of late (trochus-I have lost 3 in the last two weeks, margarita (the only snails they had at my LFS at first), some red Cortez hermits and some blue leg hermits and one emerald crab), my tank is a 32 biocube. I dont run a skimmer yet but I plan to in the future (money is tight at the moment. My parameters are:
Alk: 9.6
Calc: 430
Mag: 1260
Phos: 0
Nitrate: 10
Ammonia:0
Salinity 25
Temp: 79
I use salifert for alk/calc/mag/phos, and the remaining nitrate from my API test kit from when I cycled, as well as the ammonia.
I had an alk swing from 10.0 to 9.3 and I have no idea how it happened. It's now at 9.6, raising it slowly. I am thinking a lights out period might help. Help this newbie out for anything I missed!

 

[ThatFishGuy]

Alright. I have gone through diatoms, GHA, cyano, and now GHA again. My tank is 3.5 mos old. I tried some manual removal and that worked a bit, but, it came back with a vengeance. I limit my feeding, I do a 25% water change weekly and had a good cleanup crew as of late (trochus-I have lost 3 in the last two weeks, margarita (the only snails they had at my LFS at first), some red Cortez hermits and some blue leg hermits and one emerald crab), my tank is a 32 biocube. I dont run a skimmer yet but I plan to in the future (money is tight at the moment. My parameters are:
Alk: 9.6
Calc: 430
Mag: 1260
Phos: 0
Nitrate: 10
Ammonia:0
Salinity 25
Temp: 79
I use salifert for alk/calc/mag/phos, and the remaining nitrate from my API test kit from when I cycled, as well as the ammonia.
I had an alk swing from 10.0 to 9.3 and I have no idea how it happened. It's now at 9.6, raising it slowly. I am thinking a lights out period might help. Help this newbie out for anything I missed!

I was in the same boat for a long time with my 39 cube. There is a thread here that I came across called "cooked veggies" and it uses boiling hot RODI water to kill the gha, ive been doing it on and off for a few weeks now and it actually works better than anything else ive done!

 

[Marcom12]

It's my novice experience that most say if you don't solve the cause, you can kill it all you want, but will just come back.

 

[LiveWire]

Sorry to hear that you are having an issue with GHA. Its never a fun task but I would recommend that you don't go to extremes adding things to your system that may just cause other issues.

Here is some information that may help you out.

https://www.melevsreef.com/articles/getting-rid-of-green-hair-algae

 

[moistowlette11]

Can anyone reccomend a not so incredibly expensive TDS meter? I'd like to start by ruling out problems with the RODI water I am getting from my LFS

 

[Marcom12]

Can anyone reccomend a not so incredibly expensive TDS meter? I'd like to start by ruling out problems with the RODI water I am getting from my LFS

Mine is built in to my RODI unit. But, it's quite possible that, buying it from LFS could be the problem. You might ask them to test it in front of you? There should be no issue with them saying ok... They are after all selling you a supposedly pure product. No need to purchase it at this point if your tight on funds.

 

[Softhammer]

TDS meters are super cheap. I think my last one was 10$ you really need to get a skimmer though.

 

[Marcom12]

TDS meters are super cheap. I think my last one was 10$ you really need to get a skimmer though.

I run no skimmer and it's been 8 months. But I don't have a real issue either so... If I did I might use one.

 

[Ling_Thing]

Api algaefix will wipe that out in a week, then immediately use dr. Tims eco balance to re establish the correct bacteria that were outcompeted by your algae.

 

[Softhammer]

8 months is nothing. So when nutrients creep up you’re going to break it down and start over? Good luck with that.

I run no skimmer and it's been 8 months. But I don't have a real issue either so... If I did I might use one.

 

[bubbaque]

Get some large turbo snails and your algae issue will be gone.

 

[Marcom12]

8 months is nothing. So when nutrients creep up you’re going to break it down and start over? Good luck with that.

Which nutrients will build up?

Serious question not being snarky.

 

[ThatFishGuy]

Which nutrients will build up?

Serious question not being snarky.

Things like nitrite and nitrates, but mostly nitrates because there is no nutrient export besides your water changes.

 

[Ruben's Reef]

Can anyone reccomend a not so incredibly expensive TDS meter? I'd like to start by ruling out problems with the RODI water I am getting from my LFS

Definitely that will be a good check. I was getting the water from my LFS and start getting algae and end up that the LFS water has 38Tds so I bought an RODI system and was the end of the issues.

 

[TexasReefer82]

I'd first ensure that it's hair algae and not bryopsis - if bryopsis then kill it using fluconazole.

If it's hair algae for certain Urchins will devour it... continuously. I have two in my 40G - one tuxedo, one halloween.

It wouldn't hurt to do some water changes and get your nitrates down to the 3-5ppm range.

 

[moistowlette11]

I'd first ensure that it's hair algae and not bryopsis - if bryopsis then kill it using fluconazole.

If it's hair algae for certain Urchins will devour it... continuously. I have two in my 40G - one tuxedo, one halloween.

It wouldn't hurt to do some water changes and get your nitrates down to the 3-5ppm range.

Besides comparing pictures, is there another way to figure out if it is bryopsis?

 

[TexasReefer82]

Bryopsis looks like a very tiny fern. It will have a central vertical some with small side branches.

Hair algae is just a single filament, sometimes straight sometimes kinky.

They're both on the exact same size scale.

Fluconazole will actually treat then both so you'll might use it anyway. Fluconazole will outright kill bryopsis permanently, however or will only inhibit hair algae and once the concentration falls beat zero the hair with grow back.

 

[Shannan]

Get a sea hare.

I bought one, it wiped out all the GHA within a week.
Traded him for some coral and the GHA came back.

Bought anther and he *disappeared* after 2 days so I went out and got yet another.
The first one reappeared and now I have 2 in my 170gal and I'm now purposefully growing it just to keep them fed!! I have to rob my son's tank for pieces!

We named ours Ricky and Lucy

 

[tupes]

8 months is nothing. So when nutrients creep up you’re going to break it down and start over? Good luck with that.

Here are 2 photos to show you dont have to have a skimmer to keep up with nutrients. This tank was almost 6 years with no skimmer, only maintained with water changes.

To the original post, there are a few good post here to help you out. Your algea does appear to be gha from the photos. You also mentioned that your tank is only 3 months old. Usually it takes a bit longer for tanks to be stable and balance bacteria and nutrients to help keep algea at bay. Manually removing the algea during water changes will help too.

 

[Softhammer]

I never said it was impossible. Plus where are the fish? That’s great but that’s a frag catalog not a reef. Unless one is approaching expert status starting a first time reef without a skimmer is 1000% more difficult. You’ve never run a skimmer? Ever, never had algae? No cyano? Unless someone gave you a great head start with live substrates I call complete BS.