Algae problem - need snails

[inuyasha_lover_21]

I am getting a bad algae problem in my tank. What snails will eat it?

 

[agsansoo]

I have one large turbo snail. He's great.
Though they are not effective against long hair algae, they will help to mow any short algae and keep it under control.
What type of algae is the problem ?

 

[inuyasha_lover_21]

I really don't know what kind it is. Its green LOL. Its not that bad. Its about 1cm high. I think it was caused by my metal halide ballast. I turn it on for the anemone.

 

[inuyasha_lover_21]

Tomorrow I am going to do a 10% water change. My nitrites are to high and so are the nitrates.

 

[agsansoo]

I don't remember ... How old is your setup ? Is it finished cycling ?
I also have a nitrate problem ... Though it's getting better since I added a refugium ... It's still not zero .

Yes to turbo snails - No to crabs !

Also how are those new Odyssea MH lights working out ? I'm looking to do an upgrade of my lighting !

 

[Mike]

I agree with only using the snails and not using crabs. They pick at too many things including the snails. In new tanks it's common to go through the algae stages, brown - green and then the calcerous types start growing. Limit the nutrients you're putting into the tank (i.e. fish food) do weekly water changes and keep the tank heavily skimmed and lightly stocked and you should get through it.

 

[Mike]

Also check your phosphate levels. If your tap water has phosphates you may need to invest in a reverse osmosis filter for water top-offs. I've been using a PUR filter (attached to the sink) for my water top-offs with no probs for the last few years.

 

[inuyasha_lover_21]

I am never going to get crabs in the tank. I heard that when they get older they will be more aggressive and start killing fish and other inverts. The tank's cycle has finished. Its over 3 weeks old. I think its our water quality. I only feed my anemone twice a week.

I was looking at turbo snails and I may get them soon.

 

[inuyasha_lover_21]

BTW the oddessa ballast is awesome. I love it alot

 

[Miss Mouse]

Hey hey, just my 2 cents but after only 3 weeks I think you're probably still going through a cycle stage - mine was still going afetr 6 weeks so it might go away after a few more weeks - just do as Mike said - limit the food etc and you should be ok! Best of luck!

 

[inuyasha_lover_21]

I found out the cause of the bad algae. It was the live rock I bought from another seller. It had algae on it and I paid no attention to it. It spreaded from that. I am limiting the squid though. twice a week.

 

[atmmachine816]

Doesn't using phosphater remover with RO water help a lot?

 

[inuyasha_lover_21]

I may get some chaeto for the tank to control the phosphate. I just think its the algae cycle mike was referring to. It spreaded in 15 minutes on the sand.

 

[inuyasha_lover_21]

I was reading about the cycle. Its part of the cycle. I can't wait till the cycle is over.

 

[Miss Mouse]

Yeah I thought so - its called cyano bloom I think. it will go away - never fear!

 

[inuyasha_lover_21]

Thank god! LOL Everyday I have to sift the sand and scrape off the algae on the glass. Tomorrow I am pulling it off the LR.

 

[inuyasha_lover_21]

My mom got turbo snails and blue leg hermits. She did not know better but oh well. I will keep them for a lil while then sell them. 5 tubos and 6 blue leg hermits.

 

[Miss Mouse]

Well you gotta look at it from the point that at the moment they can only do good - they can't do any harm! I got a sand sifting starfish and some nassarius snails and they made a world of difference. My hermits are picky and only eat off the rock but then the starfish and snails will only eat from the sand so I got both sides covered!
What fish are you planning on getting?

 

[inuyasha_lover_21]

Well I put a bid on a false percula which goes off in 4 hours. I want maybe 3 yellow tale or blue damsels "they are 3 for $12 at my LFS". 4 Skunk cleaner shrimp, 1 Serpent star and a feathduster later on. Then sometime I will get 1 more false percula for the tank. That's about it.

 

[Miss Mouse]

Cool I like feather dusters and serpent stars! When you get your clowns I would be wary - you'll have to get a very small one that hasn't developed a sex yet because they need to pair and if they don't you could have a battered fishy on your hards. I would recommend buying them as a pair of babies when it comes to clown fish.
I don't know how well 3 damsels would do either - I would definitely not recommend them after my experience with their aggression! If you do want them only add them after you have ALL your other fish because then at least the others will have time ot sort out their territories before the damsels come in and take over! Unruly little hooligans >

 

[inuyasha_lover_21]

ok. I bought 1 baby so far and will get another one soon. the 1 is about 1.75 inches.

 

[inuyasha_lover_21]

I only wanted to get one. I don't want to loose 2 of them if I make a mistake. If I buy the damels tomorrow and They setup territory I read that if I move the rockwork around they will setup new territory and so will the clown. I can also take the damsels and put them in a separate tank and let the clown make his territory and let the damsels get there.

I may buy the blue damsels because they can turn black and they only get 2" long.

 

[inuyasha_lover_21]

I got the damsels. 1 3 stripe, 1 domino, and 1 blue

 

[inuyasha_lover_21]

Is my tank going through the next stage? The water is cloudy looking.

 

[Miss Mouse]

What kind of cloudy? Does it look like an algal bloom or sandy? What are your ammonia and calcium parameters?

 

[inuyasha_lover_21]

I have 0 ammonia but I can't check the phosphate. It looks sandy like. It just started happening today.

 

[Miss Mouse]

Have you done anything at all? Any water change? Has something maybe just stirred up some sand?

 

[inuyasha_lover_21]

Last water change was on monday. I don't have anything big enough to stir the sand up that bad. Hopefully it will clear up in a few days ;D

 

[inuyasha_lover_21]

Do you think I should replace the media in the filter?

 

[inuyasha_lover_21]

IDo you think it coud be the skimmer? Its slowing down on cleaning the tank. I may have to clean it and see what happens. Do I use saltwater or freshwater to clean it?

 

[Miss Mouse]

No leave the skimmer; it's doing its job.How long has it been running for? Sometimes the water return chute causes a fine mist of bubbles. Could it be that?
How long has the filter media been in? What is in the filter?
I think I remember having a few little cloudy patches when my tan k first started. I'm sure it will clear up

 

[inuyasha_lover_21]

Well my friend suggested rock rubble which I put it in there. IO had the filter and skimmer running for about a month. The filter has 2 media pads, I will do my normal water change and see what happens by next friday. Tomorrow we are going for my powerhead. We also have to go to a ice cream shop.

 

[agsansoo]

Did you notice the algae started after to got your new Odyssea lights ? Also the cloudy water could be a bacteria bloom !

 

[inuyasha_lover_21]

Yeah it was a few days after the odyssea lights.The snails have it under control. My nitrite and ammonia spiked up and so did my nitrate. I did a 5 gallon water change today and hope the nitrite,ammonia and nitrate goes down a little. If not I will do another water change the day after

 

[agsansoo]

Yeah it seem almost everyone who buy those odyssea lights is reporting algae blooms do the the 10K MH bulbs. If the MH light appears too
yellow ... you get algae blooms. They need time to burn-in. Most are replacing the bulbs with a whiter 10K or bluer 14K bulb.

 

[inuyasha_lover_21]

It is white. I see no yellow. Where can I find replacements? I know ebay has a few 250 watt MH DE bulbs but is there any other place that's cheaper?

 

[agsansoo]

Has 250 Watt 14K Phoenix Metal Halide Double Ended H.Q.I. Lamp for $55 I think with free shipping also ! ;D

 

[inuyasha_lover_21]

cool thanks

 

[Mike]

I think the light spectrum may have a little bit to do with algae growth, but the biggest factor is going to be the amount of nutrients in the tank water. I remember when I increased the light intensity over one of my saltwater tanks (from Power Compacts to T5HO bulbs) I had an algae bloom too. I had to increase the frequency of my maintenance routine by changing out the filter pads and the cleaning of the intakes on the protein skimmer every 2 days at first. Also increase the amount of surface agititation of the water to help promote more gas exchange at the surface. I then went out and bought a GE RO unit ($130) for water top-offs and the algae has been kept in check since then.

Nitrates need to be kept low and phosphates as low as possible or 0. By changing out or rinsing the filter pads every couple of days you are exporting nutrients from the aquarium.

Metal Halides, VHO and HO lights are fantastic lights, but (as in my case at first) they can really highlight lax husbandry routines. Before spending more money on lighting, try some of the things mentioned above.

Mike

 

[inuyasha_lover_21]

Mike what you said is what I did last week. I added a powerhead and have it at maximum power and I did a 5 gallon water change. It seems to be clearing up

 

[Mike]

cool

 

[inuyasha_lover_21]

yep now the hair algae has begun lol

 

[yosser]

I am getting a bad algae problem in my tank. What snails will eat it?

you need to get some sea hares they love algae I have two and my rock was covered in the stuff the sea hares are munching there way through the stuff best investment I have made yes

 

[atmmachine816]

Be careful, once there's no algae left you might want to return them because they are hard to keep alive and if they die, they'l nuke your tank and you might have a tank crash on your hands.

 

[inuyasha_lover_21]

Hey ATM long time no chat. The green algae is gone I have to get of the bacteria algae knows as read slime >. Its slowly going away. I might have just jynxed everything