Fuge is perhaps working too well. Next steps?

[hllb]

I have a 32g cube that is 1.25 years old. I have been battling GHA for almost a year now. I had tried pretty much everything, multiple times, except a fuge. If something worked, it would work short term but then the GHA would come back.

I’ve had the fuge running for almost 3 months now. I definitely have less GHA and what I do have is weaker. The chaeto grows well. But, my nutrients are almost bottomed out (see chart). I run the lights for 6 hours overnight. I feed daily coralaminos, about 1/3 of a frozen cube daily, and occasional reef roids (just added that due to the low nutrients). I run filter floss and carbon. I used to change about 4 gallons of water weekly but now do it every 2 weeks.

I am supposed to change my carbon today. Does carbon lower nutrients? Should I just take it completely out? I do not want to dose nitrates/phosphates at this point (not directly anyway) as I still have GHA that I want gone. I have lost one coral (stylo) though the rest are doing great (hammer, trumpet, zoas, encrusting montis, lepto, chalice, favia, and favites) so not sure the reason for the loss. My acans haven’t been extending for a few weeks but aren’t dying yet. I’ve been having bigger alk swings too so I ordered dosing pumps - that could be part of the issue. Please ignore the dying trachy - my angel ate it...

Other tips? I’m scheduled to do a wc tomorrow but since my nitrates are 1 and my phosphate is .009, I’m thinking I should wait. I am going to harvest some more chaeto this weekend too.

 

[Daddy-o]

I would pull a bunch of the chaeto, remove the carbon, and add an amino that has no phosphate. I use ME polyp extender.
Cheers! Mark

 

[Spare time]

The carbon won't really do much to prevent phosphate or nitrate so I would keep it. You can feed the corals more heavily to keep up with the macro or you can dose nitrate and phosphate. You can also not do a water change. I don't do them because my refugium, socks, and carbon take care of my water and I dose what I need.

 

[Billldg]

I would skip the water change. You can shorten the schedule to slow down the growth of chaeto and raise your N03 and P04. You can either feed a little more or feed coral food to help raise it also.

 

[fish farmer]

Do you have any snails or CUC members that can take care of the GHA?

I had a similar problem, really bad GHA and high nitrate and phos numbers. My combined effort of WC and the addition of chaeto dropped my numbers down to practically undetectable on Salifert kits and the hanna LR phos kit.

I still have some GHA, but I have also been lax in WC's this summer, I usually try and siphon out the big patches.

I would add something to eat the GHA.

 

[hllb]

Do you have any snails or CUC members that can take care of the GHA?

I had a similar problem, really bad GHA and high nitrate and phos numbers. My combined effort of WC and the addition of chaeto dropped my numbers down to practically undetectable on Salifert kits and the hanna LR phos kit.

I still have some GHA, but I have also been lax in WC's this summer, I usually try and siphon out the big patches.

I would add something to eat the GHA.

Yes, oodles of various snails and hermits. I have an urchin and tried a sea hare in the past.