Juano's 75 Gallons "The Re-Build"

[Juano908]

Tank has totally changed thanks to Herbie and Rob, it's been doing very good but it's been having hair algae here and there......I checked phosphate with Hanna checker and the result is 0 phosphate I've also tested for nitrate with API and the result is 0 too so I don't understand why is the hair algae present I'm thinking to start running some Bio Pellets to see if that helps with the hair algae, any inputs will be really appreciated as always....
I rearranged and added more rocks here are pics of the full tank, right side and left side.

 

[horseplay]

The hair algae is out-competing with everything else in your tank for nutrient. I have similar issue now but I know it's caused by the new rocks. No hair algae only the fluffy kind. Algae grows in the DT only. Macro is not growing well in the refugium. I am getting some snails to take care of the algae hopefully this phase will pass soon.

 

[Juano908]

The hair algae is out-competing with everything else in your tank for nutrient. I have similar issue now but I know it's caused by the new rocks. No hair algae only the fluffy kind. Algae grows in the DT only. Macro is not growing well in the refugium. I am getting some snails to take care of the algae hopefully this phase will pass soon.

Joe what I don't understand is if my phosphate and nitrates reading are 0 why the hair algae, and the algae started before I added the new rocks....as I said before I'm thinking to start running bio pellets.

 

[Hockeynut]

Juan I wouldn't run bio pellets if your nitrate is 0 if you want to get rid if the hair algae dose peroxide it really works and I haven't seen any bad affects in my tank only good, no algae, clearer water, dose is 1 ml per 10 gallons I believe but you can double check on that. Also do some reading. When I had Dino's I blacked out the tank for 4 days and dosed peroxide for two weeks and whamo No more Dino's and no more bad algae. Good luck tank looks good


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[Juano908]

Juan I wouldn't run bio pellets if your nitrate is 0 if you want to get rid if the hair algae dose peroxide it really works and I haven't seen any bad affects in my tank only good, no algae, clearer water, dose is 1 ml per 10 gallons I believe but you can double check on that. Also do some reading. When I had Dino's I blacked out the tank for 4 days and dosed peroxide for two weeks and whamo No more Dino's and no more bad algae. Good luck tank looks good


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Ok Rob, I will start dosing peroxide and the black out from today....what about feeding the fish and the refugium light?

 

[Hockeynut]

No ref light and no food plastic bags around the tank so no light can enter. But you might not need to do black out at all try just peroxide first. I had to do blackout because of dinos


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[Juano908]

No ref light and no food plastic bags around the tank so no light can enter. But you might not need to do black out at all try just peroxide first. I had to do blackout because of dinos


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Ok, thanks Rob.

 

[joe b]

Looking great!

 

[Juano908]

Looking great!

Thanks Joe.

 

[falconut]

Joe what I don't understand is if my phosphate and nitrates reading are 0 why the hair algae, and the algae started before I added the new rocks....as I said before I'm thinking to start running bio pellets.

The algae is probably using up the phosphate and nitrate so it's testing 0.

 

[Juano908]

The algae is probably using up the phosphate and nitrate so it's testing 0.

That's exactly what a friend told me, thanks.

 

[Juano908]

It has been one month today since I've posted about my tank, well nothing good to post about it.....I've been very busy with my parents been in and out of the hospital and at the same time fighting a hair algae battle that I'm about to lose......I've lost my rainbow bbt anemone, some corals and the remaining ones have lost the colors.
I've been dosing Hydrogen Peroxide and vinegar for several weeks and covered the tank with no lights for 4 days two times already.....I'm up to the point of thinking to shut off the tank and take a break for a while......I'm very frustrated at this time and feel that everything I've done did nothing to the hair algae.

 

[trivan]

Sorry to hear, I too am battling the GHA, but in time it will pass with water changes and GFO. We know that algae needs a source of food, so something has to be contributing to the phosphates/nitrates. While I don't dispute the use of the Hydrogen Peroxide, that is only treating the symptom and not the source of the problem. It could just be your sand and rocks are leaching and need to run it's course, cut back on food, but locate the source of the phosphates. hope you hang in there.

 

[jose7878]

Don't be discourage. I've been battling a gha for just about a 1yr. I finally. Got it somewhat under control with water changes and GFO and manual removal. It's a hard battle but you can do it. Good luck.

 

[Juano908]

Sorry to hear, I too am battling the GHA, but in time it will pass with water changes and GFO. We know that algae needs a source of food, so something has to be contributing to the phosphates/nitrates. While I don't dispute the use of the Hydrogen Peroxide, that is only treating the symptom and not the source of the problem. It could just be your sand and rocks are leaching and need to run it's course, cut back on food, but locate the source of the phosphates. hope you hang in there.

Don't be discourage. I've been battling a gha for just about a 1yr. I finally. Got it somewhat under control with water changes and GFO and manual removal. It's a hard battle but you can do it. Good luck.

Thanks a lot guys, I suspect it might be the rocks, I'm already feeding one time per day, cut the lights time to a total of 5 hours and I'll do a 50% WC as soon as I have the time...I don't have any GFO left so I have to order some.
Thanks again Michael and Jose.

 

[kschweer]

Sorry to hear about the troubles Juan. Keep your head up and keep on top of it and you will get the best of it sooner or later. Try manual removal and then when you do water changes take an old tooth brush and rubber band it to the end of your siphon tube. Use the brush to scrub areas while the siphon sucks out what you scrubbed off. Also instead of dosing the whole tank with peroxide spot treat with it. Use a pipette to apply the peroxide to the algae itself. Just make sure to not exceed the dosage for the whole tank. Good luck man!


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[Juano908]

Sorry to hear about the troubles Juan. Keep your head up and keep on top of it and you will get the best of it sooner or later. Try manual removal and then when you do water changes take an old tooth brush and rubber band it to the end of your siphon tube. Use the brush to scrub areas while the siphon sucks out what you scrubbed off. Also instead of dosing the whole tank with peroxide spot treat with it. Use a pipette to apply the peroxide to the algae itself. Just make sure to not exceed the dosage for the whole tank. Good luck man!


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Thanks a lot Kevin, I'll try that.

 

[rkalola]

Juan I suggest waiting it out and simply manually removing it. Run a brush around the whole tank every few days and clean your filter sock a couple hours later. The hair algae itself won't kill or harm anything unless it physically suffocates the corals. I have tried everything for hair algae and nothing worked. I just gave up and finally after about 4 months of manual removal it is STARTING to go away. I suspect there is a limiting nutrient be it phosphate, nitrate, or some other micronutrient that is leeching out of the rocks as other have said.

Also, how clean is your sand?

 

[Juano908]

Juan I suggest waiting it out and simply manually removing it. Run a brush around the whole tank every few days and clean your filter sock a couple hours later. The hair algae itself won't kill or harm anything unless it physically suffocates the corals. I have tried everything for hair algae and nothing worked. I just gave up and finally after about 4 months of manual removal it is STARTING to go away. I suspect there is a limiting nutrient be it phosphate, nitrate, or some other micronutrient that is leeching out of the rocks as other have said.

Also, how clean is your sand?

Thanks a lot, I always clean my sand when doing a WC but hair algae is starting to grow in some spots. I have 2 wp25 on my tank, one on the right side and one on the left side and I'm thinking on adding one or two more power heads on the rear glass, don't know if that might help too..... when are you coming for the birdsnest?
I will give you some other corals...send me a pm to let me know.

 

[art13]

GHA is mostly a waiting game, keep up on water changes, run gfo, i would change it maybe once a week for two weeks and go to two weeks per change after that, and manual removal on each water change. I've battled what i thought would never end with bryopsis for 4 or 5 months before i found a solution, when you hit that mark, it's an amazing feeling to feel like you won. I was set to throw in the towel and shut down, my last ditch effort worked. It might take you 2 or three months but it will get there. Maybe try a mexican turbo snail or two to help out.