Nutrients doubt

[bulabr]

Hi Guys

Please, sorry for my stupid question:crazy1:, but I have been facing problems with HGA(Hairy Green Algae) and I have been reading that the mainly problem is the high level of nutrients. But in the same time, low nutrients is not good for Corals, right? Whats the best, high or low nutrients.

Bulabr

[wcarterh]

Probably the best source out there, Randy Holes-Farley:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/

[bertoni]

Different species will have different preferences, and we don't have enough data to know what nutrient levels might be best for each coral. In addition, our measuring equipment is too imprecise to be all that useful down near natural ocean levels.

If the alga is growing, then there are enough nutrients available for it to form more biomass. My first step in trying to get rid of it would be to try some GFO, or more GFO, since that sometimes works, and it's easy to try. Spending a few minutes per week harvesting whatever algae is easy to get will help remove nutrients, too.

[jimrawr]

I think some types of GHA can survive on such low nutrients that its nearly impossible to get rid of. I have taken GHA that I had in an old tank of mine, put it in a bucket with a cover and just flow+heater in my basement (in fresh salt mix). After one month the algae was still on the rock, with ZERO light and ZERO nutrients going into that water. It seems to be the 'excess nutrient' idea is only true in some cases and will not make a difference on some species.

I hate GHA

[GreshamH]

I think some types of GHA can survive on such low nutrients that its nearly impossible to get rid of. I have taken GHA that I had in an old tank of mine, put it in a bucket with a cover and just flow+heater in my basement (in fresh salt mix). After one month the algae was still on the rock, with ZERO light and ZERO nutrients going into that water. It seems to be the 'excess nutrient' idea is only true in some cases and will not make a difference on some species.

I hate GHA

Nutrients may have tested low, but that could mean the GHA is uptaking nutrients ;) That tends to be the case as nutrient limited GHA doesn't grow.

[GreshamH]

Different species will have different preferences, and we don't have enough data to know what nutrient levels might be best for each coral. In addition, our measuring equipment is too imprecise to be all that useful down near natural ocean levels.

If the alga is growing, then there are enough nutrients available for it to form more biomass. My first step in trying to get rid of it would be to try some GFO, or more GFO, since that sometimes works, and it's easy to try. Spending a few minutes per week harvesting whatever algae is easy to get will help remove nutrients, too.

This! Export export export

[woodnaquanut]

Spending a few minutes per week harvesting whatever algae is easy to get will help remove nutrients, too.

+1

It really becomes a display ATS! Perhaps not your intention but until the nutrients are down, that's what you've got.

If your tank is large enough to support them, Foxface and Kole tang are great grazers. They don't export (well perhaps some export to body mass) but they sure do pick the rocks clean. From there skim, GFO and water changes do the export.