How to best battle nutrients in a nano AIO tank?

[pygo1]

I know I'm beating a dead horse with this question, but I like to revisit the discussion occasionally to see how people's methods have changed over time and what seems to be working with current equipment.

The bane of my existence has been GHA. I was able to beat it back with FluxRx a few times, but it inevitably comes back . There are two big rocks on the right side of my tank that seem to be worse than the rest(and are coincidentally more porous than the other rocks).

I've tried:

• chaeto- doesnt like my tank, may try again though
• ulva- locally collected and currently getting covered in GHA
• codium - same as ulva
• a GHA trickle filter - kept it in check but didnt eradicate anything
• GFO, carbon, Biopellets - helps keep test readings low, not doing much in terms of algae control
• Protein Skimmer - removes plenty of junk, doesn't help enough to starve algae
• Vibrant(before learning it isnt really bacteria) - it slowly did the trick, but didn't love the long term effects on the tank
• Microbacter Clean, PNS Probio - helped with film algae, i like adding bacterial diversity, didn't do much for GHA
• tuxedo urchin - didn't go for GHA at all, fell into a large chalice while I was at work, found dead yesterday
• lawnmower blenny(came with the tank a few years ago) and most recently a starry blenny to replace the lawnmower - awesome, fun fish. Hit or miss on the algae. The lawnmower picked at it here and there. I have yet to see the starry blenny eat anything.
• some locally collected limpets and snails-they did an amazing job, as I suspect this GHA mightve also been locally collected from some other goodies I added. My chitons have reproduced like mad, but the turban snails and limpets eventually died out, then the GHA came back.

I currently have a filter sock, GFO, carbon, biopellets(clogging the reactor, might find another use for the reactor), skimmer, and some ulva in the back chamber. Nothing seems to beat the GHA at all, it is flourishing. I'm considering another round of FluxRx, but don't necessarily want to wipe out ALL algae because of the Blenny.

It's an IM30 Long AIO, so no sump space for the refugium I so desperately want to have. I've reduced feedings to once a day with either NLS pellets or Rods/frozen mysis. I even skip feedings on some days. I've significantly reduced my photoperiod as of yesterday, so hopefully that might help.

I'm getting to my wits end with it. Tried so many things, watched so many videos, but I can't stop the stuff. The space limitation with an AIO doesn't help either.

SO, what do you guys do? How do you keep your algae in check?

 

[Subsea]

What are the nutrient readings that you consider high?

If your live rock with GHA can be removed from tank, I suggest a 10 minute dip in 10% peroxide. I have used this procedure on coral and live rock. It is lethal for algae and micro inverts.

In 25 year mature tank, nutrient recycling into coral biomass competes with algae for nutrients. I still have GHA & cyno in spots. It’s part of the ecosystem.

 

[pygo1]

What are the nutrient readings that you consider high?

If your live rock with GHA can be removed from tank, I suggest a 10 minute dip in 10% peroxide. I have used this procedure on coral and live rock. It is lethal for algae and micro inverts.

In 25 year mature tank, nutrient recycling into coral biomass competes with algae for nutrients. I still have GHA & cyno in spots. It’s part of the ecosystem.

Currently my readings have been relatively good with phos around .1, nitrate around 5-10 ppm. That has been sustainable and fine with me. At its worst, my phos was reading off the chart on my red sea test, which i think maxes at 3 or 3.5 ppm. My husbandry has been much better since that happened around a year ago.

Total eradication isnt necessarily my goal, but nothing in my tank is really competing with the GHA. Fish/inverts dont knock it back and while my acros seem to fend off the area around them, GHA will grow on any open space. I'm fine with some here and there, but I dont want it dominating the tank and I'm running short on methods to try to keep it contained. I have a mixed reef, tons of softies, lps, and a couple acros.

The live rock it's taking over is kind of precariously placed and I don't think i could get it back in the tank properly if removed. plus I'd have to break a large monti cap to do so lol

 

[Orito]

small tank, you can use some cuc, these eventualy die an you have to replace it, and during wc you scrub the rocks, if you're regular at once a weec WC you can keep it at check

 

[MONTANTK]

In AIOs frequent water changes are key. Any nano I’ve had success with has coke from frequent water changes

 

[pygo1]

small tank, you can use some cuc, these eventualy die an you have to replace it, and during wc you scrub the rocks, if you're regular at once a weec WC you can keep it at check

Got any sureshot cuc recommendations? Mine haven’t done the trick lol

 

[Orito]

you have to help your cuc, if the gha is long they won't touch it, you need to scrub keep it short and the cuc will keep it at bay...
I like turbos

 

[pygo1]

you have to help your cuc, if the gha is long they won't touch it, you need to scrub keep it short and the cuc will keep it at bay...
I like turbos

I could prob use a couple extra, but I have 2 turbos currently.. and I do manual removal every couple days. This crap grows quick

 

[Orito]

Post a picture so we have a better idea, how old is the tank and how long has this been going?

 

[pygo1]

Post a picture so we have a better idea, how old is the tank and how long has this been going?

I'm due for another manual removal, so its extra luscious right now. The tank is 2 years and a few months old now. I got GHA pretty early on, my ugly phase lasted 6-9 ish months. I beat it back with fluconazole and was able to keep it contained for about a year but it has come back with a vengeance for the last 4 months or so. I started a fluconazole treatment a few weeks back and the GHA started dying, but I reintroduced carbon early, thinking my new starry blenny would at least tackle some of it. So far, blenny has no interest and I'm not really sure what it's been eating, so that was a waste of a treatment lol. I think ill do a heavy manual removal and try to spot treat with peroxide a bit before doing fluconazole yet again

 

[Orito]

With the algae that long no cuc will touch, you need to trim it down a lot and the have a few hermit and snail to keep it.
In my nano I recently placed a molly and it's been picking at my GHA, maybe you could try it, cheap and easy

 

[Cell]

Water changes.

 

[pygo1]

With the algae that long no cuc will touch, you need to trim it down a lot and the have a few hermit and snail to keep it.
In my nano I recently placed a molly and it's been picking at my GHA, maybe you could try it, cheap and easy

yeah i know right now it's too long for the cuc.. even after manual removal which gets the majority of it, CUC dont keep it contained. I have the blenny, a molly that picks some gha off my feeding ring and return nozzles, but nowhere else. blue leg hermits, turbo snails, astrea snails, some rando turban snails, and i did have an urchin.. Even when short, nothing really goes for it.

 

[pygo1]

Water changes.

currently i'm a little more lax on the WCs, but for a good while i was doing them religiously every few days and that did nothing to knock it back either. I'm considering setting up an AWC system just to stay on top of it, but that's more for my alk, I dont see it being the solution to this outbreak

 

[Orito]

You sure it's GHA? When you remove take a closer look, if isn't briopsis

 

[Feartheturtle!22]

I could prob use a couple extra, but I have 2 turbos currently.. and I do manual removal every couple days. This crap grows quick

Hi pygo 1, look closely at your 2nd photo from the bottom. There's a lot of light greenish yellow hair algae. It looks like a woman. It looks like it's coming from her head. Below it, I swear it looks likes very thin, white, human, female fingers. Looks like she's crouched down behind the corrallimorpharian. How did you get that icon? It's classic: Your definitely uff diving her from the rear. Good Job! Cheeeeeeeeers! Kurt

 

[emmysnewtank]

I have 3 turbos, 2 trochus and 3 astrea snails in my 16g! Plus 5 hermits and an emerald crab...those guys pretty much keep any algae in check. I will see an occasional tuft growing from a crack they can't get to, and I will handle those myself, but otherwise they do a pretty good job keeping it at bay.

You should probably significantly up your cuc after you manually pull all that stuff. For a 30g only 2 turbos seems not even close to manage...especially if you have that much algae growing.

 

[Feartheturtle!22]

Hi Pygo 1, After looking at the tank again. Overall your tank looks good. It's really just the confined shallow water area where the algae sprouts heavily. I wouldn't use any more chemical. Can you rev up protein skimming some? How about 30 turbos, buy some small tangs, yellow, sailfin, small algae eating wrasse, go light on feedings and I think your algae will be gone. I''ll miss your lil. sexy miss. mermaid (though a bit spooky). I don't know, I think I would keep her! Cheeeeeeeeeers! Kurt

 

[Feartheturtle!22]

And as Emmy above stated, add a good number of hermits and it appears you could shear or pull most of that algae off. That mermaid definitely needs a good bikini wax! Does anyone else see those fingers in the 2nd to last photo or is it just me? Cheers! Kurt

 

[pygo1]

You sure it's GHA? When you remove take a closer look, if isn't briopsis

yeah i've dealt with bryopsis before too.. Fluc did the trick no problem and I never saw it again