battle with GHA, now it is vanishing!

Bigair · May 24, 2023

I have learned and gained a lot of knowledge from this wonderful forum, and many friends have provided excellent advice. Dealing with GHA (Green Hair Algae) can sometimes diminish one's passion for this hobby, but I don't want to give up. The key to controlling GHA is all about managing the input and output.

Control Input:

Light: I have reduced the intensity of white light from 20% to 2%.
Feeding: I have reduced the amount of food from 100% to 20%.
Amino acids: I have decreased the dosage from 5ml per day to 1ml per day.
Top-up water: I now use DI water, which has brought the TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) level from 10-20 to 0.
CO2: I have implemented a CO2 scrubber and CO2 drops, which have raised the pH from 8.0 to 8.2-8.4.

Control Output:

Manual removal: I now remove GHA every other day.
Filter pad: I change the filter pad every 3 days instead of every 6 days.
Skimmer: I have increased the power setting from 80% to 100%.
Wavemaker: I added an additional wavemaker.
Activated carbon: I now change the activated carbon every 2 weeks instead of every 4 weeks.
Zeolite: I change the zeolite every 3 weeks instead of every 6 weeks.
Refugium light: I increased the lighting duration from 8 hours to 20 hours.
Water Changes (WC): I have built an Automatic Water Change (AWC) system and perform a 3% water change daily.

DI water was added 45 days ago, and the AWC system was set up 30 days ago. Other changes and additions have been made in between. Currently, I can see a significant reduction in GHA, although it hasn't completely disappeared. I believe there are still some remnants on the rocks that need time to be eliminated. The GHA now appears weaker and is floating in the water, eventually being captured by the filter pad, and most of them on the rocks are bleaching.

In summary, by reducing the input and increasing the effectiveness of the output, GHA can be eliminated. I hope you achieve success in controlling GHA!