Question about GDA Clean up?

**NIN8185** · 04-23-2013, 06:19 PM

Hi all. After letting the GDA build up to try to let it go through it "spore cycles" what is the best way to remove it from the tank. Using a magnet scrapper on all that algae made the tank water build up with a lot of free floating algae real fast. Should I take the fish out so I can take out close to 90% out or should i leave them in and do multiple changes by diluting the free floating Algae with new water while changing (which will obviously take alittle long but maybe less stress full? Thanks

**discuspaul** · 04-23-2013, 07:08 PM

Originally Posted by NIN8185

Hi all. After letting the GDA build up to try to let it go through it "spore cycles" what is the best way to remove it from the tank. Using a magnet scrapper on all that algae made the tank water build up with a lot of free floating algae real fast. Should I take the fish out so I can take out close to 90% out or should i leave them in and do multiple changes by diluting the free floating Algae with new water while changing (which will obviously take alittle long but maybe less stress full? Thanks

No need to remove the fish, or do anything time-consuming and inconvenient.

The easiest & quickest way I have found to do this is to borrow, (rather than buy, if you don't have one) a UV sterilizer for a few days, to pick up & destroy all of the free-floating algae.

I've even done this before letting it go through it's life cycle. A few days running the UV 24/7 should do the job well - all you need to do is scrape, brush, or paper towel the GDA off the glass each time it becomes re-attached, so that you constantly get that algae free-floating in the water column, so that the UV can pick it up & zap it.

Doing a large wc each day during this process will help hasten the removal.
Last time I did it, (about 2 years ago) it only took a couple of days, and the GDA never returned.
Hope this helps.

**NIN8185** · 04-23-2013, 07:18 PM

i do have a UV sterilizer on my canister filter but i have never replaced the bulb so not sure if it is working or not. The light comes on when i flip the switch so i was assuming it still working but not sure.

**discuspaul** · 04-23-2013, 07:30 PM

If the light comes on, it should be working.
Presumably you haven't used it long enough to burn out the bulb. ?

I believe the light would not be on, if the bulb is burned out and it was simply just flowing water through, but not sure, as my UV is a stand-alone separate HOB unit, and I haven't used an in-line unit.
Check it out to see if the bulb still looks operative, and
give it a try.