Is this GHA? And any tips to remove?

codys21 · Jul 22, 2019

Hello, all!

I've had my 29 gallon tank up and running for almost a year and a half and have always had small algae problems. About six months ago I bought a HOB skimmer and about three months ago I got a GFO reactor running BRS GFO. Phosphate levels are hard to detect with the API kit I have but the levels appear consistently low.

I thought I "beat" GHA quite a while ago but then this stuff appeared (pictured). I'm not sure if it's a different type of GHA or something similar but different. It's not bryopsis. And it doesn't come off with a toothbrush. Every week (when I do a ~20% water change), I manually remove as much of this stuff as I can with the my fingers. I also bought a tweezers about a month ago to try to get in the cracks and crevices as much as possible. When I do water changes, I stir up the sand to try and remove as many nutrients as possible. But this week it grew/spread more than ever.

Any idea what this stuff is and how to defeat it? I don't routinely use any chemicals in my tank but I'm not against using some to help get rid of this.

My only fish are two clowns. I also have six astrea snails (which obviously don't eat this long stuff), and a bunch of little cerith snails. The back and sides are the tank are pretty covered with coralline. I keep the front of the tank clear of it. Only a couple small spots of the rocks have coralline growing.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Cody

fish farmer · Jul 22, 2019

What is your nitrate level?

Can you get turbo snails? I have Mexican turbos and they eat pretty much every algae I have. They can get big and also prefer cooler temperatures (I lost two when my tank started hitting the 80's), trochus snails are also great too.

codys21 · Jul 22, 2019

fish farmer said:
What is your nitrate level?

Can you get turbo snails? I have Mexican turbos and they eat pretty much every algae I have. They can get big and also prefer cooler temperatures (I lost two when my tank started hitting the 80's), trochus snails are also great too.

Nitrate appears to be at the lowest level of the API test kit. I can get turbos but was always worried about their potential destructive nature of running things over.

But your general recommendation is to remove as much of this algae as I can and get some more snails to eat it once it's shorter?

resortez · Jul 22, 2019

Could be GHA, was going to say bryopsis but it’s mentioned that it’s not although my experience with bryopsis is similar to how you describe this algae problem. Hopefully someone with more experience in this matter can chime in but the only thing I can think of is to introduce a sea hare or some emerald crabs maybe an urchin & see if they go after it. Another thing I have experienced is that algae tends to thrive when there is an excessive amount of a particular type of nutrient. Might be best to do a thorough parameter test & see what it gives you, anything that is in excess might be the culprit. My 2 cents. Good luck.

Hector Fajardo · Jul 22, 2019

I had that problem until a lawnmower blennie got in. Also had a mexican turbo in the tank.

SinCityRee4r · Jul 22, 2019

looks to be GHA. Lower phosphates and nitrates. remove as mach as possible by hand then add a bunch of turbos and astrea snails. put them on the remaining GHA areas

codygarner08 · Jul 22, 2019

Cody!!! We have the same name!!! What I use is chem-pure-elite, then once it’s weak I go in with a turkey Bastet, and tooth brush.

Big Daddy Reefer · Jul 23, 2019

codys21 said:
Hello, all!

I've had my 29 gallon tank up and running for almost a year and a half and have always had small algae problems. About six months ago I bought a HOB skimmer and about three months ago I got a GFO reactor running BRS GFO. Phosphate levels are hard to detect with the API kit I have but the levels appear consistently low.

I thought I "beat" GHA quite a while ago but then this stuff appeared (pictured). I'm not sure if it's a different type of GHA or something similar but different. It's not bryopsis. And it doesn't come off with a toothbrush. Every week (when I do a ~20% water change), I manually remove as much of this stuff as I can with the my fingers. I also bought a tweezers about a month ago to try to get in the cracks and crevices as much as possible. When I do water changes, I stir up the sand to try and remove as many nutrients as possible. But this week it grew/spread more than ever.

Any idea what this stuff is and how to defeat it? I don't routinely use any chemicals in my tank but I'm not against using some to help get rid of this.

My only fish are two clowns. I also have six astrea snails (which obviously don't eat this long stuff), and a bunch of little cerith snails. The back and sides are the tank are pretty covered with coralline. I keep the front of the tank clear of it. Only a couple small spots of the rocks have coralline growing.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Cody

Try this Cody

New Filtration System for Reef Tanks!!!

I would like to introduce a new filtration system to the hobby. It's very inexpensive, easy to make and is very effective at reducing ammonia from the aquarium. Let us start this thread with typical information and methods in our hobby, a conventional biological filter: Fish continuously...

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