The Ugly Stage - How to win

[Sdoutreefer]

My tank has officially reached the ugly stage. I was out of town for about a week, and had the in-laws feed my fish. They have absolutely ZERO experience with reef tanks and they, of course, over-fed. I bought flake food for convenience, and even showed them how much to feed... I came home to a boat load of hair algae on my rock and all over my glass. I was expecting this at some point, but didn't realize the ugly stage was going to come this quick and dirty.

I went to my LFS on Monday this week, and got a White Footed Trochus to help eat away some of this GHA. The trochus is definitely helping. I did a 10gal WC (about a 45gal system) last night, and scrubbed away some of the GHA, and scraped the glass.

It's been years (literally. 13 years since my last tank) and I just don't really recall how I helped my system get through this stage. I already have a solid population of pink coralline popping up on the rocks. Will the coralline eventually take hold of the hair algae?? Or will the hair algae out compete the coralline? My dkH is solid, at 8.9. Mag is around 1400 as of now.

I am keeping all parameters stable, and slowly raising my Mag to help combat this ugly stage. Trying to get up to the 1500's.

My question is, what can I do to help push my system through this stage? Or is it just a waiting game, while staying up on the maintenance?

 

[EliMelly]

Hair algae you can pull from tank before water changes, boost clean up crew, stability and patience. I find coral snow to be incredibly helpful after water changes as well!

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I've got GHA, too, and I either let my CUC deal with it or pull it out by hand. That is what has kept mine at bay.

 

[Texasreef]

Agree with others, pull what you can and do a large water change to keep parameters in check. Also you could cut back at your nutrient import, just make sure nothing is left over after fish eat. Should take care of its self over a little time

 

[Sdoutreefer]

Hair algae you can pull from tank before water changes, boost clean up crew, stability and patience. I find coral snow to be incredibly helpful after water changes as well!

Do you have a link to the coral snow? I already dose a "maintenance" of alk, calc and mag. Will this replace my maintenance dose?

 

[Sdoutreefer]

Agree with others, pull what you can and do a large water change to keep parameters in check. Also you could cut back at your nutrient import, just make sure nothing is left over after fish eat. Should take care of its self over a little time

Before I went out of town, I was spot feeding my coral, as well as a broadcast feed of live-phyto. I would do frozen food about 2x/week. So, I am watching my nutrients, I just have to get back on track after the tank being over-fed.

Thank you for the input!!

 

[Sdoutreefer]

I've got GHA, too, and I either let my CUC deal with it or pull it out by hand. That is what has kept mine at bay.

My CUC used to be all over the stuff when I first introduced. My blue-legs would just camp on the little patches that popped up. The GHA has quite the foothold now, and my blue-legs don't seem that interested. I'm sure they're just not hungry

I will say, the white footed trochus was probably the best addition to my CUC. I'm temped to get a second but am a bit worried about die-off.

 

[Lavey29]

You do realize that the first year is filled with a variety of ugly phases right? GHA is just one of them and a normal evolution for a new tank typically occurring month 4 through 8. Experienced reefers will leave lights off the first 3 or 4 months to allow the tank to develop biodiversity and microfauna so when they do turn lights on and add coral it makes navigating the subsequent ugly phases much more manageable.

 

[Bum]

Wait it out. You can do regular maintenance and add strategic CUC to assist in the process but it's part of the cycle to a maturing reef.

 

[EliMelly]

Extreme Water Clarity and Cyano Eradication, Made Easy!

Edit 10/092023: Note that I have tweaked the formula a bit. You can find an updated video here: Coral Snow Link: Coral Snow Hello all! I have been reefing now for about 25 years, and over those many years I have picked up many tips, tricks, and best habits/practices. From a hobbyist and...

www.reef2reef.com

No this is completely different from dosing nutrients.

Do you have a link to the coral snow? I already dose a "maintenance" of alk, calc and mag. Will this replace my maintenance dose?

 

[Sophie"s mom]

Hair algae you can pull from tank before water changes, boost clean up crew, stability and patience. I find coral snow to be incredibly helpful after water changes as well!

+1 on all of this. Also, get yourself lots of copepods! They go a very long way as part of the CUC!

 

[Sdoutreefer]

You do realize that the first year is filled with a variety of ugly phases right? GHA is just one of them and a normal evolution for a new tank typically occurring month 4 through 8. Experienced reefers will leave lights off the first 3 or 4 months to allow the tank to develop biodiversity and microfauna so when they do turn lights on and add coral it makes navigating the subsequent ugly phases much more manageable.

I do realize that. I've had a few tanks in the past, I just didn't recall if there was an efficient way to beat it.

I don't feel like waiting lol BUT that's the best medicine in this hobby... Patience, young grasshopper.

 

[Sdoutreefer]

Extreme Water Clarity and Cyano Eradication, Made Easy!

Edit 10/092023: Note that I have tweaked the formula a bit. You can find an updated video here: Coral Snow Link: Coral Snow Hello all! I have been reefing now for about 25 years, and over those many years I have picked up many tips, tricks, and best habits/practices. From a hobbyist and...

www.reef2reef.com

No this is completely different from dosing nutrients.

I'll read the link once I'm off work, but is this the KZ coral snow?

 

[Sdoutreefer]

Wait it out. You can do regular maintenance and add strategic CUC to assist in the process but it's part of the cycle to a maturing reef.

That's the issue... waiting lol. I've unfortunately learned in the past that not having patience in this hobby is enemy #1.
Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Sdoutreefer]

+1 on all of this. Also, get yourself lots of copepods! They go a very long way as part of the CUC!

I added a bottle of pods as soon as my tank had cycled. I've been feeding live-phyto nightly as well. My pod population is pretty impressive, given how young my tank is.

I appreciate your feedback

 

[bakbay]

If you don't have any sensitive SPS / corals (which I don't think you do) just turn off the lights for 3 days and starve them out. That will help go a long way to get rid of those pesky algae blooms...

Also, test your N & P, specifically P since that's fuel for the uglies...

 

[Sdoutreefer]

If you don't have any sensitive SPS / corals (which I don't think you do) just turn off the lights for 3 days and starve them out. That will help go a long way to get rid of those pesky algae blooms...

Also, test your N & P, specifically P since that's fuel for the uglies...

I do have SPS already, actually. Have 3 different montipora, and a millipora. My coral are super happy and growing very well. Majority of the frags I have (minus the Jason Fox slowburn monti) are practically fully encrusted on their frag plug now. The parameters are stable, minus this big influx in No3 and Po4 from the overfeeding that happened this past week.

I actually just got the Hannah Checker for Phosphates, and plan to test after work. I'm just going to stay up on my water changes. Maybe increase the water changes until the Po4 and No3 drop a bit (assuming that they are high).

 

[Sdoutreefer]

Figured I would share some pictures of the algae, just to confirm it is GHA and not something nasty…

 

[BriDroid]

A small army of blue legged hermits would work on that algae. They constantly pick on the tiny bit that I get.

 

[Sdoutreefer]

A small army of blue legged hermits would work on that algae. They constantly pick on the tiny bit that I get.

I agree!! I just literally can’t find them anywhere where I’m at. Every LFS sales out instantly, and I’m not paying an arm and leg to buy some online.

My big white trochus is doing really well with it tho.