Severe GHA Outbreak on New Tank

puffy127

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I started a new tank with BRS eco rock and Fiji pink dry sand. It's about 2 months old now. The tank cycled in about 3 weeks and I added over 10,000 pods from algaebarn and started dosing live phyto, but then experienced a phyto bloom so stopped. I've also added some macro algae to the DT. Since then I've gotten a severe GHA outbreak, the likes of which I have never experienced on my other tank (which also started with the same type of rock and sand). I've added a snail only clean up crew from reefcleaners, but they don't seem to be making a dent to the gha. I've done a few water changes and tried scrubbing the rocks only for the GHA to return hours later. Is there anything else I should be doing or is this just the new tank uglies that I have to wait out? Nitrates are at 10-25 ppm and phosphates are at 0.039 ppm.

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New tank "uglies" for sure. What kind of snails? Are you planing on a fish to help "mow" the grass? Lighting cut back or turn down a bit, or adjust spectrum?
 
Dwarf Ceriths, Florida Ceriths, Nerites, and Nassarius snails.

I will eventually add some angels, but no fish to specifically mow down GHA.
 
It's nice to have a fish that turns over the sand bed like a sand-sifting goby. Just as it is nice to have a fish that will feed upon the algaes that will pop up at times like a dwarf angel or fox face. You may want to consider getting some Ninja Star snails. Relentless algae eater/cleaners and cool looking too. Or some turbo snails. Just be sure they are the warm water ones. Either or both of these snails can clean up your tank rather quickly.
 

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