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Algea control
- Thread starter Daggnabit
- Start date
I had the same tank. Great sand cleaners are conchs maybe one, cucumber like tiger tail again one, and hermits.
Don't do too many hermits they will overrun you snail population.
That sets up the CUC considering you have some other snails. But those three do a good job on the sandbed.
Please know the dangers of sea cucumbers before you get one so you don't have any problems....generally safe unless you really abuse them.
Now what your real issue is nutrient export.
How much and how often do you do water changes?
Did you get rid of the bio balls and sponge in the first chamber?
Do you run a refugium in the back chamber?
Do you have any other power heads in the tank?
What is the temp, PH, Alk, any phos, nitrates, ammonia, or silicate? Do you test for them or any of them?
My sort of stock recommendation is 10-20% water changes weekly, make sure you get rid of the bio balls and sponge, set up some disposable filter floss for the overflow that you can throw away once or twice a week, if you can set up a refugium back there great!!, if not hang a bag of phosban and or carbon. And finally make sure you change your bulbs minimum every 9 mo.
If you let us know more about your tank we can give more specific help sorry if you do or did some of this already.
Don't do too many hermits they will overrun you snail population.
That sets up the CUC considering you have some other snails. But those three do a good job on the sandbed.
Please know the dangers of sea cucumbers before you get one so you don't have any problems....generally safe unless you really abuse them.
Now what your real issue is nutrient export.
How much and how often do you do water changes?
Did you get rid of the bio balls and sponge in the first chamber?
Do you run a refugium in the back chamber?
Do you have any other power heads in the tank?
What is the temp, PH, Alk, any phos, nitrates, ammonia, or silicate? Do you test for them or any of them?
My sort of stock recommendation is 10-20% water changes weekly, make sure you get rid of the bio balls and sponge, set up some disposable filter floss for the overflow that you can throw away once or twice a week, if you can set up a refugium back there great!!, if not hang a bag of phosban and or carbon. And finally make sure you change your bulbs minimum every 9 mo.
If you let us know more about your tank we can give more specific help sorry if you do or did some of this already.
I did remove the sponge and bio balls and turned the back into a refugium with Cheato (spelling)and live rock. My parameters are alway spot on and I do water changes every other week. I should probably do it once a week. I have 5 hermits, 2 snails, various sps and lps corals (all of which are showing signs of growth), a clown fish, and a yellow watchman goby. I have one mini power head on the opposite side of the return nozzles from the back area. Should I get a few more snails? And when you say CUC you mean cucumber, urchin, conch? I know a queen conch would get too big but would a fighter do alright for awhile? Thanks for the help.
CUC= clean up crew
Yeah I would add some snails ....1 strombus or fighting conch would work....yes queen would be huge.
cucumber 1 would also be OK....just know that if severely stressed they can more or less turn themselves inside out and wipe out your tank. Just read before you get one OK, I have one and is great.
The only other thing I would suggest hanging a bag of phosban in the other back chamber or carbon....will passively help take out some nutrients.
Yeah I would add some snails ....1 strombus or fighting conch would work....yes queen would be huge.
cucumber 1 would also be OK....just know that if severely stressed they can more or less turn themselves inside out and wipe out your tank. Just read before you get one OK, I have one and is great.
The only other thing I would suggest hanging a bag of phosban in the other back chamber or carbon....will passively help take out some nutrients.
I have a 20g tank with the following cleanup crew in my tank that I can find right now:
10 Trochus (the black kind that can flip themselves back over)
10 ceriths
3 chestnuts
15-20 nasarrius
7 nerites
10 scarlet reef hermits
15 blue leg hermits
1 strawberry crab (he does not help with algae)
There is more. I just can't point and count right now.
10 Trochus (the black kind that can flip themselves back over)
10 ceriths
3 chestnuts
15-20 nasarrius
7 nerites
10 scarlet reef hermits
15 blue leg hermits
1 strawberry crab (he does not help with algae)
There is more. I just can't point and count right now.
Nassararius and cerith essentially live in the sand so they do a very good job of turning the sand bed (same with a conch). Trochus and chestnuts stay on the glass and rocks. Have you identified what type of algae it is or if it is cyano? That will also make a difference on what will take care of it.
For standard hair algae, pull the rock and scrub it. I have dealt with hair algae in my 12 gallon on and off for a while. As far as inverts go not too many will go after hair algae. As JRWOHLER said a sea hare will plow through your hair algae in a few day and then will starve to death. If you can get one as a loaner for a few days, go for it. Mexican turbos are known to eat hair algae, but probably not the most efficient way to get rid of it. Get a couple toothbrushes, throw your water that is coming out of the tank from a water change into a bucket and scrub until it is gone.
Hair algae really comes from a nutrient issue. Move to weekly 10% water changes and get something that will pull phosphates out of your water. You might want to aim the extra powerhead kinda towards the rocks, this will keep the detritus from settling on them (or just blow it off with a turkey baster before water changes).
Hair algae really comes from a nutrient issue. Move to weekly 10% water changes and get something that will pull phosphates out of your water. You might want to aim the extra powerhead kinda towards the rocks, this will keep the detritus from settling on them (or just blow it off with a turkey baster before water changes).
