GHA - nitrate issue

[nzkiwi80]

I’ve been battling GHA for over a year now.
Tried almost everything to bring phosphate down but nothing has removed it.

wondering it nitrate is the issue?

other than doubling my water changes is there anything I can do to remove/lower them?

both nitrate abs phosphate have always showed next to nothing but the GHA is likely using it to grow.

 

[MaxTremors]

What are your levels?

 

[nzkiwi80]

What are your levels?

Like I said, near zero.

I only have the API kit but assume the GHA is using it so a more advanced kit will likely show the same result

 

[dwair]

Like I said, near zero.

I only have the API kit but assume the GHA is using it so a more advanced kit will likely show the same result

They are near zero because the GHA is consuming them. Until the GHA is removed manually and this isn't a 1 time thing, you have to do it consistently, your levels will not rise. GHA is Algae, same way Chaeto is. Which is how Chaeto grows in a refugium, it takes the excess nutrients from the tank as fuel to grow. The GHA is taking it all.

I recommend manual removal, you can do this inside the tank or outside, though if you have coral obviously outside is bad if you have coral attached to the rock.

I also recommend adding some CUC to help battle it. They will eat what you can't remove. Once you get the majority out through manual removal, you'll start seeing a rise in your Nitrates. Thing is you aren't going to solve the issue by just removing the GHA, you need to solve your export problem as well. Have to export those nutrients, through skimmer/refugium/algae turf scrubber/algae macro reactor, any of these solutions.

 

[nzkiwi80]

Tempted to sell up. I've tried that. Doesn't work

 

[Holst]

Don't give up. !
How old is your system? And how was the rocks when you purchased them ? Dead, alive, from a good aquarium ?
It could be the rocks that is infested with all this nitrate and phosphate that the GHA is loving and eating on.
Can you spot a particular rock that is infected with GHA or the whole aquarium ?
If it is the rock, then it will take time, but it will eventualy be depleted and the GHA will die off.

 

[MaxTremors]

People never want to purchase adequate CuCs. It’s recommended you need one snail and one hermit per gallon (up to 1.5 per gallon depending on how much rock you have). People are buying them at one or two for every 10 gallons, and then they wonder why they have algae problems. Algae on the reef would be just as bad if there weren’t herbivores mowing the lawn so to speak. And I’m guilty of this too, I’ve got algae right now and it’s because my CuC is inadequate.

 

[nzkiwi80]

People never want to purchase adequate CuCs. It’s recommended you need one snail and one hermit per gallon (up to 1.5 per gallon depending on how much rock you have). People are buying them at one or two for every 10 gallons, and then they wonder why they have algae problems. Algae on the reef would be just as bad if there weren’t herbivores mowing the lawn so to speak. And I’m guilty of this too, I’ve got algae right now and it’s because my CuC is inadequate.

No I've had them, they make no difference but you can't buy them in New Zealand at the moment anyway

 

[nzkiwi80]

Don't give up. !
How old is your system? And how was the rocks when you purchased them ? Dead, alive, from a good aquarium ?
It could be the rocks that is infested with all this nitrate and phosphate that the GHA is loving and eating on.
Can you spot a particular rock that is infected with GHA or the whole aquarium ?
If it is the rock, then it will take time, but it will eventualy be depleted and the GHA will die off.

System is about 3 years old. Rock was purchased dead. Was purchased second hand from a closed down aquarium.

Is there anything that can be done with this other than replace the rock? I've got things like mushrooms which are impossible to get off the rock is I decided to change it.

 

[Holst]

Has it always been a problem?

 

[terraincognita]

You're also sure it's GHA right? Not byprosis?

Can you get us a tank shot and some close ups?

a good CUC Should mow right through that GHA. If it's byprosis it won't. And it's also really not fun to kill. But Fluconaze apparently takes it down in 3-4 days.

 

[nzkiwi80]

I've just googled byprosis... it's very very similar. Shorter brown in color. I'll try get a photo

How do you get rid of that.

 

[nzkiwi80]

Here's some pics, slightly coated in RowaPhos as I added a bit just yesterday

 

[homer1475]

"coated in rowa-phos" ROFL. it's not coated in anything, but the outer layer dieng, while it continues to grow.

That snotty sludge looking bit's on the outer part of the algae is what GHA looks like when it's dieing. The outer bit's die releasing nutrients which feeds itself more.

 

[nzkiwi80]

"coated in rowa-phos" ROFL. it's not coated in anything, but the outer layer dieng, while it continues to grow.

That snotty sludge looking bit's on the outer part of the algae is what GHA looks like when it's dieing. The outer bit's die releasing nutrients which feeds itself more.

Cheers for laughing any helpful advice to go with it? ?

 

[homer1475]

GHA is simple...

Control nutrients, and manually remove all you can, it will eventually die back.

Since the tank is 3 years old, I;m purely guessing here, but I would assume some sort of nutrrient spike caused it initially.

 

[nzkiwi80]

GHA is simple...

Control nutrients, and manually remove all you can, it will eventually die back.

Since the tank is 3 years old, I;m purely guessing here, but I would assume some sort of nutrrient spike caused it initially.

Most likely, I’ve tried everything. No idea if it’s phosphate or nitrate. No idea how else I can lower them both??? Should I double water changes and increase my rowaphos treatment

 

[homer1475]

What are your current levels?

 

[homer1475]

Phosphates contribute to algae, not so much nitrates, although they do contribute some, but mostly high phosphates cause algae issues.

 

[nzkiwi80]

What are your current levels?

They show zero, most likely because the GHA is using it