why do i have GHA

fishnub · 10/21/2009, 07:09 PM

i use rodi (tested 0 for phosphates) i rarely feed my tank (only have corals and a couple crabs 1 mandarin) but i am starting to have massive GHA on the rocks. none on the sand or glass any ideas?

Gary Majchrzak · 10/21/2009, 07:18 PM

1) phosphates and/or nitrates
2) lack of enough herbivores

what kind of rock?
was the rock ever used in someone else's aquarium?

fishnub · 10/21/2009, 07:58 PM

the rock its on was never used, and i think out of your list it must be a lack of herbivores, there is none on the live rock at all .

olemiss reb · 10/21/2009, 09:01 PM

How old are your lights?

Flipper62 · 10/21/2009, 11:42 PM

You need a good CUC ( clean up crew )

How big is your tank ?

Even in my 14 gal office BioCube I have..

5 - Turbo Snails
5 - Nassarius snails
3 - Hermit Crabs
5 - Astrea snails

PRDubois · 10/22/2009, 12:24 AM

SO many things can cause it.

- Lights on too long? (Main lights should be on for no more then 8 hrs and be on a timer)
- Old Bulbs (Old bulbs loose thier color and will cause)
- Just changed the bulbs ( More light then normal will cause)
- Tank next to Window ( Use shade or curtin)
- Where is your RODI come from ( If you buy it get it tested with a TDS meter)
- Is your TDS meter working?
- You have high Nitrates and/or Phoshhates ( If test shows 0 it could be due to the GHA using them up but they are still there)
- You use Flake Food ( Change to Frozen )
- Overfeeding? (Cut back)

fishnub · 10/22/2009, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PRDubois

SO many things can cause it.

- Lights on too long? (Main lights should be on for no more then 8 hrs and be on a timer) 1000-1700
- Old Bulbs (Old bulbs loose thier color and will cause) new
- Just changed the bulbs ( More light then normal will cause) new unit
- Tank next to Window ( Use shade or curtin) is next to a window but shade is closed
- Where is your RODI come from ( If you buy it get it tested with a TDS meter) unit in my house 6 stage
- Is your TDS meter working? yes it is an inline tested against another
- You have high Nitrates and/or Phoshhates ( If test shows 0 it could be due to the GHA using them up but they are still there) not in the water that i can see on a test
- You use Flake Food ( Change to Frozen ) negitive
- Overfeeding? (Cut back)

posible i used a mix of coral frenzy and cyclopeze to feed my sun corals.

fishnub · 10/22/2009, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flipper62

You need a good CUC ( clean up crew )

How big is your tank ?

Even in my 14 gal office BioCube I have..

5 - Turbo Snails
5 - Nassarius snails
3 - Hermit Crabs
5 - Astrea snails

is a 65g, and i am lacking a CUC i have a ton of small snails that came on my rock but they are only on the glass. may explain why i dont have any on the glass. i have orderd 50 hermits 12 turbo 12 nasesarius think i should up the numbers?

Chemistry Guy · 10/22/2009, 08:31 AM

One thing about phosphate tests is that if you have a lot of algae, it'll consume phosphate as quickly as it's introduced. This means that even though you may have a large source of phosphate, your test kit will read 0.

But +1 on a larger clean up crew. I find astrea snails are the best bang for your buck. And they don't bulldoze corals like larger snails.

DC_40gallon · 10/22/2009, 08:41 AM

I don't know why you have it, but I bought a piece of live rock (about 5lb rock) and it had some on it. The guy only wanted $5 for it so I bought it as a test. I just scrubbed the live rock off with a toothbrush and dipped it in water a few times then put it in my tank. It was already cured from his 70 gallon tank and he was getting out of the hobby for other interests. I left the lights off on the tank for 2 weeks except for abotu 2 hours a day and when I did my weekly water changes I used my siphon tubing to extract the remainder of the dying hair algae and in two weeks, not a bit of hair algae anywhere in my tank. I also put in a packet of phosguard in my HOB powerfilter to extract all phosphates, that worked unbelievably well.

Best buy I've made in a long time. I went back and bought 20lbs of his live rock for $2/lb straight out of his tank, did the same thing scrubbing it down with a toothbrush but leaving the corraline and there isn't a bit of hair algae anywhere to be seen in my tank.

Now my tank has 50lbs of live rock at a $3 average price and I couldn't be more pleased with the outcome.

10/21/2009, 07:09 PM	#1
fishnub Likes to Taste Tank Water Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 289 Blog Entries: 2	why do i have GHA i use rodi (tested 0 for phosphates) i rarely feed my tank (only have corals and a couple crabs 1 mandarin) but i am starting to have massive GHA on the rocks. none on the sand or glass any ideas?

10/21/2009, 07:18 PM	#2
Gary Majchrzak Team RC Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 41,560	1) phosphates and/or nitrates 2) lack of enough herbivores what kind of rock? was the rock ever used in someone else's aquarium? __________________ over 24 years experience with multiple types of marine aquarium systems see Upstate Reef Society Forum on RC and FB GOOGLE JUNIOR'S REEF Current Tank Info: 84x24x30 265g reef past TOTM honors

10/21/2009, 11:42 PM	#5
Flipper62 Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Naperville, Il. Business Owner, President & CEO Posts: 3,045	You need a good CUC ( clean up crew ) How big is your tank ? Even in my 14 gal office BioCube I have.. 5 - Turbo Snails 5 - Nassarius snails 3 - Hermit Crabs 5 - Astrea snails __________________ If todays automobile had followed the same development as the computer, A Rolls Royce would cost $100.00. It would get a million miles per gallon, but it would explode once a year killing everyone inside." Current Tanks... 90 gal Reef... My awesome Office BioCube....( 180 was on hold ..no time ) ... The 180 gal has been sold...Yay..yay..yay. Hobby Experience: 19 years Reef...22 years FW

10/22/2009, 12:24 AM	#6
PRDubois Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Chester, VA Posts: 3,626	SO many things can cause it. - Lights on too long? (Main lights should be on for no more then 8 hrs and be on a timer) - Old Bulbs (Old bulbs loose thier color and will cause) - Just changed the bulbs ( More light then normal will cause) - Tank next to Window ( Use shade or curtin) - Where is your RODI come from ( If you buy it get it tested with a TDS meter) - Is your TDS meter working? - You have high Nitrates and/or Phoshhates ( If test shows 0 it could be due to the GHA using them up but they are still there) - You use Flake Food ( Change to Frozen ) - Overfeeding? (Cut back) __________________ http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2534403 Current Tank Info: 225 gal Reef, 60 gal reef & 40b frag tank

10/21/2009, 07:58 PM	#3
fishnub Likes to Taste Tank Water Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 289 Blog Entries: 2	the rock its on was never used, and i think out of your list it must be a lack of herbivores, there is none on the live rock at all .

10/21/2009, 09:01 PM	#4
olemiss reb Molon Labe Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Louisiana Posts: 1,550	How old are your lights?

10/22/2009, 08:31 AM	#9
Chemistry Guy Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 70	One thing about phosphate tests is that if you have a lot of algae, it'll consume phosphate as quickly as it's introduced. This means that even though you may have a large source of phosphate, your test kit will read 0. But +1 on a larger clean up crew. I find astrea snails are the best bang for your buck. And they don't bulldoze corals like larger snails.

10/22/2009, 08:41 AM	#10
DC_40gallon Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1,474	I don't know why you have it, but I bought a piece of live rock (about 5lb rock) and it had some on it. The guy only wanted $5 for it so I bought it as a test. I just scrubbed the live rock off with a toothbrush and dipped it in water a few times then put it in my tank. It was already cured from his 70 gallon tank and he was getting out of the hobby for other interests. I left the lights off on the tank for 2 weeks except for abotu 2 hours a day and when I did my weekly water changes I used my siphon tubing to extract the remainder of the dying hair algae and in two weeks, not a bit of hair algae anywhere in my tank. I also put in a packet of phosguard in my HOB powerfilter to extract all phosphates, that worked unbelievably well. Best buy I've made in a long time. I went back and bought 20lbs of his live rock for $2/lb straight out of his tank, did the same thing scrubbing it down with a toothbrush but leaving the corraline and there isn't a bit of hair algae anywhere to be seen in my tank. Now my tank has 50lbs of live rock at a $3 average price and I couldn't be more pleased with the outcome.