GHA issues (toxicity?)

(if this post seems a bit disjointed, I am writing it at work and have customers to deal with... sorry if I repeat myself. Sorry if I repeat myself. )

I just read through the top GHA post: http://www.3reef.com/forums/algae/hair-algae-just-wont-go-away-71251.html


Still have a couple questions.... note, I am not asking WHY I am dealing with GHA I know WHY... my concerns are more in how I end the GHA cycle... I basically have no CuC left. Less than 20 snails total, mostly Nerites and nasarius. My last CuC order got frozen in shipping so I am waiting till spring to re-order... but in the mean times I want to get some stuff locally... it's not a complete CuC, but it's a start of one I hope.

Problem is, my LFS told me that when GHA gets over an inch long or so that it becomes toxic and can poison snails and fish that eat it.... any truth to this?

I am 2 months into a battle against GHA, and usually what I do it let it grow way out, harvest it, siphon up anything I cant net out, and let it grow again... but I am not seeing any improvement. Usually with a few days the walls and every surface of my tank is covered with a mat of GHA worse than previous.


So now I am looking for species that will eat the GHA, but worried that it might poison anything I subject to my tank.... thinking a bristle tooth tang (LFS usually stocks some really nice yellow eye koles for a good price.) They were hesitant to sell one to me tho, as they feel the GHA might kill it...

As for the soon to come CuC, I'd really like to avoid hermit crabs... they only ever function to kill my snails and honestly don't think they even bother eating algae until the snails are all dead... but if I can get a second opinion on the hermits I may reconsider - they ARE fun to watch...

So, besides the normal snails what other species should I consider? I know I need to rebuild my CuC (it's all died, the hermits killed the snails then the hermits died from starvation because like I said, I never saw them eating algae, just snails). I will order more from John this spring, already had one major disaster this winter, no desire to freeze more life.


Second subject: GFO was the go to trick in 2009, now I am seeing the bio-pellets... are they worth a shot? I have a phosban reactor and I've seen the conversion kits are pretty cheap.


Anyways... thanks in advance for any help!

wow... an hour later I hit submit.

 

i had the worst outburst of gha and was close to shutting down the tank tried everything natural and chemical finally got 2 dozen mexican turbos within 1 month no more gha maybe they dont work for everyone but they did an awsome job on my tank

 

I am going to jump in here. You could be talking about my tank. The most advise that am getting is to step up the water changes and don't over feed. I still can' turn the page on getting rid of the GHA.