Should I just restart or just give up.

[Bruttall]

Hi,
I have battles GHA for years in my tank. GHA has never left my tank it won't stop can't control my nitrates and I can't keep any LPS alive. My tank is 65 gallons it has a marble wrasse a royal grama and a singular clownfish the other three have jumped out. Water changes won't work or anything. What should I do I just want the GHA out of my tank that's all I want at this point.

Urchins. Maybe 2 of them, but they eat Star Polyps as well, at least mine did.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Not sure maybe

No foxface please, the tank is too small.

There are too many folks giving advice here already, but a foxface is not the correct answer, nor is a sea hare.

My suggestion would be to stop randomly pouring stuff into the tank because some other reefer said it was a good idea. Part of your mess is likely from giving everything a try in the first place. I would also consider the question that @Dan_P posed.

 

[cdemoss01]

No foxface please, the tank is too small.

There are too many folks giving advice here already, but a foxface is not the correct answer, nor is a sea hare.

My suggestion would be to stop randomly pouring stuff into the tank because some other reefer said it was a good idea. Part of your mess is likely from giving everything a try in the first place. I would also consider the question that @Dan_P posed.

I've tried everything dude. Even dismissing other ideas etc. why no hare? I'm getting saltwater soon anyways for water changes.

 

[cdemoss01]

Or you could do the research, just an option!

Someone had a link but I didn't save it..

 

[Jimbo327]

Don't add the sea hare.

This is all you need to do.

1) Manually pull out as much as possible.
2) Add reef flux, wait 3-4 weeks. (help pull any of the dying algae to speed up the process)

Yes, get a good skimmer to pull out nutrients. Done. Add some more CUCs like trochus and a bit of turbo snails.

 

[WvAquatics]

Lots of waterchanges

 

[BeanAnimal]

I've tried everything dude. Even dismissing other ideas etc. why no hare? I'm getting saltwater soon anyways for water changes.

That is part of the problem (trying everything).

Sea Hares are delicate, many release toxins when stressed or dead. They eat algae but starve when it is gone, etc.

I assume you are over feeding, dosing whatever the latest piece of advice is/was, slacking on maintenance a bit, etc.

You have no skimmer and minimal mechanical filtration, sunlight, and somewhat limited flow. You are doing 5 gallon (tiny) water changes and are tired of mechanical removal.

You are perpetuating and maintaining a mess and spending time and energy spinning your wheels doing it.

That said you dosed a bunch of stuff, so your path is set again for the near future. Stop adding stuff at this point. Mechanical removal is about it. That crap you poured in is a double edged sword. It will kill algae, but also mess with the natural balance of everything else.

 

[BeanAnimal]

When the dust settles, then we can talk about how to move foward.

 

[cdemoss01]

When the dust settles, then we can talk about how to move foward.

Got it thanks for all the advice.

 

[cdemoss01]

Don't add the sea hare.

This is all you need to do.

1) Manually pull out as much as possible.
2) Add reef flux, wait 3-4 weeks. (help pull any of the dying algae to speed up the process)

Yes, get a good skimmer to pull out nutrients. Done. Add some more CUCs like trochus and a bit of turbo snails.

Pretty much what I wanted to do besides the sea hare I won't put it in I guess.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Pretty much what I wanted to do besides the sea hare I won't put it in I guess.

If you are adding snails, stick with turbos at this point. Much more efficient than anything else.

 

[BetteMidler]

Just understand that your tank is a bit volatile. I would avoid added any additional fish. I seen a different thread where you are planning on adding a Tang, Clownfish, & Flame Angel. I'm now curious what fish are currently inhabiting the tank? The same three you mentioned at the thread start, I hope. Note, that a Marble Wrasse will get quite large.

I would attribute a lot of the issues by simple having too many fish, too quickly. Your tank with hardly any filtration & flow will not support such a huge number of fish you once had, let alone what you currently have.

I agree with @BeanAnimal, let it settle for a while, vacuum out detritus & manual remove algae if you can. Let the tank adjust & burn through the neglect. There is no quick solution.

 

[cdemoss01]

Just understand that your tank is a bit volatile. I would avoid added any additional fish. I seen a different thread where you are planning on adding a Tang, Clownfish, & Flame Angel. I'm now curious what fish are currently inhabiting the tank? The same three you mentioned at the thread start, I hope. Note, that a Marble Wrasse will get quite large.

I would attribute a lot of the issues by simple having too many fish, too quickly. Your tank with hardly any filtration & flow will not support such a huge number of fish you once had, let alone what you currently have.

I agree with @BeanAnimal, let it settle for a while, vacuum out detritus & manual remove algae if you can. Let the tank adjust & burn through the neglect. There is no quick solution.

The wrasse is fine. I'm not adding those fish until I get the tank stable of course. All that inhabits now is a clown royal grama and marble wrasse.

 

[Stevorino]

I’m a recent believer that long-term GHA/Bryopsis is an indicator your past husbandry had allowed the rocks to build up phosphate and now sustains this issue.

Try pulling a rock or two out, spray it off with a harsh garden hose, and put them in a bucket with fresh salt water and a heater.

Test phosphates a week later and if you have high phosphates you know it’s a rock problem.

I’m on the back end of this battle myself and the process feels like losing weight after you gained it…. There are things you can do to help, but there’s no fast fix

 

[Ziggy17]

Ironically, my turbos wouldn’t go near the GHA, even if it was short and bedded on the rock. Trochus and Astrea went balls deep on my GHA issue and was the sustainable difference maker.

Ironically, you being young with little to no money to throw at this problem is a benefit. A toothbrush to clean the rocks every other day for a month is free. You can probably ask some local reefers to give you a handful of snails to help out. Investment is zero dollars and just some time.

I’ll echo what others have said and that’s unless it’s a snail or a toothbrush to clean rocks, stop putting things in your tank.

Good luck amigo and I hope it works out for you.

 

[SudzFD]

Hi,
I have battles GHA for years in my tank. GHA has never left my tank it won't stop can't control my nitrates and I can't keep any LPS alive. My tank is 65 gallons it has a marble wrasse a royal grama and a singular clownfish the other three have jumped out. Water changes won't work or anything. What should I do I just want the GHA out of my tank that's all I want at this point.

Get a seahare. It will all be fine in two weeks. Then setup a refugium and give the seashore to your LFS for someone else to use.

 

[SudzFD]

That is part of the problem (trying everything).

Sea Hares are delicate, many release toxins when stressed or dead. They eat algae but starve when it is gone, etc.

I assume you are over feeding, dosing whatever the latest piece of advice is/was, slacking on maintenance a bit, etc.

You have no skimmer and minimal mechanical filtration, sunlight, and somewhat limited flow. You are doing 5 gallon (tiny) water changes and are tired of mechanical removal.

You are perpetuating and maintaining a mess and spending time and energy spinning your wheels doing it.

That said you dosed a bunch of stuff, so your path is set again for the near future. Stop adding stuff at this point. Mechanical removal is about it. That crap you poured in is a double edged sword. It will kill algae, but also mess with the natural balance of everything else.

Sea Hare is perfect for those. You don’t get it as a permanent addition. It’s like getting goats to clear a hillside. Use the power of the hare to clear this GHA disaster, then pass the hare onto another hobbyist who needs the help.

My LFS will sell me a sea hare and then give me 50% store credit when I return it. Then the next guy can use it.

It’s a great tool and can be extremely effective. Fortunately after I did this once 6 years ago, I never had to do it again.

 

[Tamberav]

No reason to spend money on what are expensive fish before spending it on more flow and a RODI + salt to do more frequent/larger water changes.

GHA will come back after the Sea Hare dies or is given away if the source of the problem is not addressed.

 

[SudzFD]

No reason to spend money on what are expensive fish before spending it on more flow and a RODI + salt to do more frequent/larger water changes.

GHA will come back after the Sea Hare dies or is given away if the source of the problem is not addressed.

And yes, I should have added this point. Correct the issues you have, I’m sure too much light (for now at least) phosphates nitrates I’m sure are high as well.

 

[I Like Shrimp]

R

RODI phosphate test expired. Have a screen top. Near two windows however big curtains

shrimp army is coming, east coast is gonna start a civil war bc of my shrimp takeover