Losing battle on gha

Cbones1979 · Jun 29, 2020

Geez...it’s been weeks and the more I pull, more water changes, less feeding, the more grows. Here are some pics after I just tore a bunch out.
Getting a large amount of CUC from reef cleaners that he thinks will do the trick but if not I need this off the rock before I upgrade to new tanks

vibrant the best last resort to use?

andrewey · Jun 29, 2020

If this were my tank, I would go in this order. I'd only move down the list if the one above failed.

1) manual removal (removing rock and cleaning with toothbrush and rinsing)
2) Clean up crew (urchin, turbo snail, tang (if tank was large enough)
3) Fluconazole
4) Vibrant- I left this here for others. I wouldn't use it on my reef, but that's a personal choice.

Cbones1979 · Jun 29, 2020

andrewey said:
If this were my tank, I would go in this order. I'd only move down the list if the one above failed.

1) manual removal (removing rock and cleaning with toothbrush and rinsing)
2) Clean up crew (urchin, turbo snail, tang (if tank was large enough)
3) Fluconazole
4) Vibrant- I left this here for others. I wouldn't use it on my reef, but that's a personal choice.

Thanks man. I’m at 2 this week. I’ve see fluconazole as an option in posts so that’s why I asked about vibrant.

Ligershark · Jun 29, 2020

Fluconazole will have you cleared up in 3-4 weeks. Read that thread regarding skimmer, gfo, and carbon usage with dosing. I personally left my skimmer running.

Cbones1979 · Jun 29, 2020

Ligershark said:
Fluconazole will have you cleared up in 3-4 weeks. Read that thread regarding skimmer, gfo, and carbon usage with dosing. I personally left my skimmer running.

Current tank only has 2 smaller HOB filters

nukemdanno · Jun 29, 2020

What's the tank size? I'm not sure the HOB's can support your bioload

Cbones1979 · Jun 29, 2020

nukemdanno said:
What's the tank size? I'm not sure the HOB's can support your bioload

20 long

I was doing well for awhile testing water weekly and doing water changes biweekly.

nukemdanno · Jun 29, 2020

I've heard both Fluconazole or Vibrant will work. I don't have experience with either of these two, but I've read other folks using these with success. I'd look at what your running for filtration and maybe upgrade. A lot of times you will have zero's on the test kits but obviously the GHA has a lot of fuel to run on.

HNR · Jun 29, 2020

Whats your nitrate and phos at? Carbon dosing + manual removal might help you out here. Carbon dosing will help with the core nutrient issue and also prevent growback.

Cbones1979 · Jun 29, 2020

nukemdanno said:
I've heard both Fluconazole or Vibrant will work. I don't have experience with either of these two, but I've read other folks using these with success. I'd look at what your running for filtration and maybe upgrade. A lot of times you will have zero's on the test kits but obviously the GHA has a lot of fuel to run on.

Currently upgrading to new tank w sump and skimmer for filtration.
Can’t really sink anything into old tank. I did have a hob fuge that was working for months but some free hair from fuge leaked into tank while pulling and the rest is history

Cbones1979 · Jun 29, 2020

HNR said:
Whats your nitrate and phos at? Carbon dosing + manual removal might help you out here. Carbon dosing will help with the core nutrient issue and also prevent growback.

Last test .04 phos and 5ppm nitrates

Cbones1979 · Jun 30, 2020

Ligershark said:
Fluconazole will have you cleared up in 3-4 weeks. Read that thread regarding skimmer, gfo, and carbon usage with dosing. I personally left my skimmer running.

what brand? I think reef flux states on it, Will not help against hair algaes.

HNR · Jun 30, 2020

Cbones1979 said:
Last test .04 phos and 5ppm nitrates

Get a skimmer and dose nopox or another form of carbon dosing along with some form of bacterial supplementation (mb7, vibrant, etc). Im in a similar situation as you and this is what I have been doing and the algae is all turning white and dying back. Any algae I pull out doesnt return. Reef flux might work but unless the core nutrient issue is fixed it might return.

Cbones1979 · Jul 2, 2020

HNR said:
Get a skimmer and dose nopox or another form of carbon dosing along with some form of bacterial supplementation (mb7, vibrant, etc). Im in a similar situation as you and this is what I have been doing and the algae is all turning white and dying back. Any algae I pull out doesnt return. Reef flux might work but unless the core nutrient issue is fixed it might return.

While I’d do that I’m in the process of setting up a 45 gallon tank with sump/skimmer so I’d like to got a route that doesn’t require new filtration for an old tank.

Cbones1979 · Jul 7, 2020

andrewey said:
If this were my tank, I would go in this order. I'd only move down the list if the one above failed.

1) manual removal (removing rock and cleaning with toothbrush and rinsing)
2) Clean up crew (urchin, turbo snail, tang (if tank was large enough)
3) Fluconazole
4) Vibrant- I left this here for others. I wouldn't use it on my reef, but that's a personal choice.

Did manual and scrubbing w toothbrush.

Aquavaj · Jul 7, 2020

Have you tried spot treating with h2o2?

Bob Weigant · Jul 7, 2020

My turbos snail wiped mine it in a few days. Just got to make sure your corals are glued in place

Cbones1979 · Jul 8, 2020

Aquavaj said:
Have you tried spot treating with h2o2?

I have dosed the tank but not spot.

Cbones1979 · Jul 8, 2020

Bob Weigant said:
My turbos snail wiped mine it in a few days. Just got to make sure your corals are glued in place

I have like 5 large turbos and it was still growing in controllably.
I’ve upped filtration and water changes while reducing feeding. Have to make sure I don’t get Dino’s tho

BighohoReef · Jul 8, 2020

andrewey said:
If this were my tank, I would go in this order. I'd only move down the list if the one above failed.

1) manual removal (removing rock and cleaning with toothbrush and rinsing)
2) Clean up crew (urchin, turbo snail, tang (if tank was large enough)
3) Fluconazole
4) Vibrant- I left this here for others. I wouldn't use it on my reef, but that's a personal choice.

Fully agree with @andrewey.

Based on your pictures though and your losing battle I would recommend jumping to the fluconazole. It's a 14-day treatment with a water change at the end of it (If you haven't gotten all of it by the end start another treatment). I was having a major issue with GHA in our nano tank, 14 days later a majority of the GHA I couldn't get rid of for months is finally on its last legs literally one last rock in the tank that has it.

I tried a small contingent of CuC early on they just weren't enough
Tried vibriant over a 9 week period still had it.
Cleaning and scrubbing where you can during water changes.

I would say that the CuC and vibrant are more preventative than addressing a large outbreak issue. I've now added a more substantial CuC and will probably dose vibrant weekly post the fluconazole treatment.

Let me know if you have questions happy to help