gha mystery

[Leighton79]

Hello all, wanted to pick some brains....

Over the last month or so ive started to see a gha bloom, however it only grows on my glass, never on my sand or rock. This particular tank is a 20g with decent levels,

Dkh 9.6
Mag 1350
Cal 400
Nitrates 5ppm
Undetectable phosphates, prob due to gha.

Lighting is a 120w taotronics led 7hours whites and 9 hours blues per day.

5g per week water changes and skimmed by a deltec mce300.

Tank age approx 1 year.

Does anybody have any idea why it only grows on my glass?

Thanks in advance,

Leighton.

 

[begginersluck]

Do you run a phosphate reactor?

 

[Leighton79]

Yes I have a reactor, media changed out every 3 weeks. Tank is only stocked with a pair of percs and loaded with sps and a few softies, rhodactis Inchoata mainly. Tank is fed every other day, with well rinsed frozen food...

 

[AbsoluteFaye]

I change my media every 3 days.... I had the same problem and realized my reactor pump wasn't cutting it. I also upped my CUC and I haven't had any issues since. Good luck!

 

[AbsoluteFaye]

Oh! I meant my filter media every 3 days. Not sure if you were talking about that or the reactor.

 

[Leighton79]

I still dont understand why this stuff is only growing on the glass, not a spec of it on rock or sand?

 

[AbsoluteFaye]

Maybe you have enough CUC for rock and sand but not enough glass cleaning snails? Totally just a guess.

 

[Shirtlessbill]

How fast does it grow? I have to clean my glass every few days. I've never heard of a tank who didn't need the glass cleaned every once in a while.

 

[Leighton79]

Yes I know what you are saying, its a different kind of algae though, I clean my front and side panels every 2-3 days for viewing clarity, however its an easy to remove almost white powder type of thing that just floats off into the water column, the stuff on the back glass is a real green, thin moss like substance thats really hard to remove. Interestingly enough its where the most flow is as my powerheads point and deflect from my back glass.