GHA Removal: Skimmer or Refugium

[Rip3618]

I’m trying to deal with a GHA outbreak before it gets out of hand. Weekly 25%-50% water changes but phosphates fluctuate between .25 to .5 and nitrates fluctuate between 5 to 10. I reduced feeding, reduced my lighting from 8-6 hours and have CUC that wants nothing to do with the GHA. I’ve been treating pieces with peroxide to stem the outbreak but I know that is a temporary fix.

Tank is stocked with with two clowns and one dotty back. The rest is softies and LPS (13 total).

I have a IM Peninsula and I placed the rear chambers too close to my wall so space is very, very limited for a skimmer or refugium.

I’m looking for opinions on whether I should get a skimmer or refugium. But, I think a refugium won’t work because I don’t have space for a light. As I’m understanding the corals need some phosphates and nitrates so I shouldn’t completely deplete them.

What are some opinions?

 

[AdamB]

What size is your tank? How much are you feeding and what’s your water changing schedule ?
I would prefer a refugium in removing nitrates and etc from display tank if you had a heavy bio load Skimmer is great at removing organics .but really won’t remove the nitrates as chaeto in fuge will.

 

[Rip3618]

Oops, just noticed I didn’t include the size. The tank is 20 gallons, I feed twice a week and I change water twice a week.

 

[ss30]

You feed twice a week! and you change 25-50% of your water every week how much do you feed when you feed twice a week?

I would imagine that you must be feeding load's if only feeding twice a week, do you just dump it in and leave it?

 

[lmm1967]

How old is the tank? Keep in mind. your nutrients are WAY higher than you are measuring - you can't see that in a test though since the GHA is using a ton of the nutrients up.

If you are doing 25%+ water changes each week and only feeding twice a week - you have something else odd going on.

Where are you getting your water? What type & how much food are you feeding? Are you losing fish or cleanup crew?

 

[Rip3618]

Let try to answer those questions...

I feed San Fransisco frozen Marine Cuisine twice a week. I cut the frozen chunk into thirds and only feed one third at each feeding. My three fish eat all of it. I also add Seachem Fuel and direct feed Reef Roids twice a week.

I get my water from my LFS. I plan on starting to mix my own water soon.

I haven’t lost any fish or CUC. Like I said in my first post, my CUC barely touches it.
Here’s some pics from this morning of what I’m dealing with. the GHA is also growing my GSP and my firework.