GSP question

[Kennetht]

I have a nice colony of GSP's that I got from my LFS.....they were doing great until hair algae started to grow around them. I tried to block out the light to the algae...but the GSP's were suffering. So now the algae has basically covered 3/4 of the GSP's. Should I try and pick the algae off of them, or just move them until I can kill the hair algae? Thanks in advance.

[Kennetht]

Sorry for the double post. The server froze and it posted it twice.

[Sir Knight]

Hi Kennetht,
I wouldn't keep moving the coral. It is a sure way of killing it.
I would suggest picking as much of the hair algae off and then take a snail or two and place it on the colony. The snails should eat the remaining algae. If this doesn't work frag the coral and keep the piece (s) that doesn't have algae on it and take the algae piece(s) out of the tank.

Hope this helps

[Kennetht]

I haven't actually moved them yet. They are in the same place they have always been since going into my tank. I'll try to get the algae off. Would it hurt to not run lights for a couple days to try and kill the algae?

[Mariner]

Is hair alga a problem throughout your tank? If so, I'd consider attacking that problem, and the GSP situation will take care of itself. Hair alga can be reduced by adding certain cleaners, encouraging the growth of macroalgaes such as coralline & caulerpa, and otherwise reducing nitrates and posphates.
FWIW,
Mariner

[Sir Knight]

Kennetht,
Reducing the lights will not solve the problem; it will only stress the corals.
I agree with Mariner as to finding the cause of the problem and addressing it. Hair algae can/will kill a GSP so you need to take action. I would not go with caulerpa type algae as it has been known to crash. Which in turn could crash your tank?

When Mariner is talking about promoting growth of macroalgaes such as coralline. That is done by reducing nitrates and Phosphate, keeping your alk and cal levels high, using a good skimmer and doing water changes with RO/DI water mixed with a good brand of salt

You need to check your PH, Cal, ALK, nitrates, Phosphate

Are you using RO/DI water for makeup water and making your saltwater?
Do you have a skimmer?

If the algae is isolated to the GSP Pick it off, add a clean up crew use snails not crabs, and fix your water problem if you have any.

IMO you need to always reduce pollution by dilution. It is also a very good way to stabilize your water chems. Again using RO/DI water with a good brand of salt. Use a good skimmer and clean it at least weekly or if you can twice a week or more.

[reefstyle]

I totally agree with turbo snails, plus something to think about:rollface:

[reefstyle]

plus take a tooth brush and remove as much as you can be before it take over and maybe starts on other areas in your tank.hope this helps dennis

[Kennetht]

Thanks for the help. I'm going to try and remove as much as possible today. I have a skimmer, 4 hermits, and 3 snails. The only "cleaner" that helped my algae problem was an emerald crab, but my wrasse picked him to death. What is the reccommended number of snails for a tank? My tank is a 10 gallon nano with 20+ lbs. of live rock, 20lbs. Arag alive coarse substrate, and some type of caulerpa. There are only 2 rocks with hair algae on them. One is in the corner helping to disperse the powerhead flow, and the other is at the top forming a bridge between 2 rocks, this is where the GSP is. My lighting is a 28W 50/50 PC and a 36W 03 Actinic PC. I'll keep you updated.

[Sir Knight]

I would go with 10 snails. One per gallon works.

Take the rocks that have the algae out of tank and clean them in saltwater with a brush to get as much of the algae off as possible. Do the same with the GSP as reefstyle recommends.

IMO Arag alive is truly not the live sand that you read about in RC or other forums. It may have bacteria but, it doesn't have the critters that you want to live in the bed. I normally don't recommend DSB in tanks of your size. Just an inch or two of sand to cover the bottom, as you don't have enough surface area for the bed to work correctly.

Let us know how things turn out

[reefstyle]

FIGHTING COUCH WORK GREAT ALSO BUT WILL GROW FAST, WE HAVE SOME IF YOU NEED THEM. A GOOD CLEAN IS A GREAT START AS SMCORALS HAD SAID. JUST KEEPING IT UNDER CONTROL WILL HELP IT FROM SPEADING.GOOD LUCK LET US KNOW IF WE CAN HELP DENNIS

[EvilMel]

I agree with Dennis.

TOOTHBRUSH.

It worked for me. Of course they look like crap for a few days afterwards but now mine are back to growing like mad.

Mel

[driver756]

Heres the best way: take a toothbrush and strap it to the end of some flexible tubing. Then start a siphon. Scrub away the hair algae and it will dissapear down the tube and not mess with your tank's water clarity!