Algae, inverts, and first fish

IndigoSea · 11/18/2006, 03:19 PM

Hey! My tank has been establishing for about three months, and about a month ago it literally EXPLODED into life, the liverocks are crawling with all sorts of interesting little things, we have featherdusters, and an excess of red and green algae. I've heard that some people use inverts to control the algae, but I really don't know what is best. I think it's about ready for fish, all the levels are good, and I was thinking damsels, but I've heard they are aggressive but alright if you keep only one of each species.
The algae wouldn't bother me but it's all over the substrate and it doesn't really look all that great.

Can anyone recommend something that would naturally control it? And at the same time would not eat my featherdusters! Also, I'd like fish that will not kill each other or my featherdusters.

Any tips, help, advice would be greatly appriciated!
Thanks!

IPowderBlueTang · 11/18/2006, 04:22 PM

Can get a sea hare to eat all the algea and after return it back to LFS so it don't starve to death.

Gluestick · 11/18/2006, 04:55 PM

Get some snails! You may also want to try some scarlet reef hermits, which are the most docile and reef safe of the hermits. If your tank has been up for so long, why do you not have anything in there yet?

The damsels can be very aggressive, but go with a less aggressive species such as yellowtail blue damsels or a school of chromis :-)

cilyjr · 11/18/2006, 05:28 PM

don't get damsels unless you really love them. even the less aggressive ones will be some of the most vicious of the tank when they get up to 2 inches or so. i have seen them gang up on triggers that are much larger then them. but there will be a thousand people who say they have never had any problems with them! so you could try them and take them out later if they start beating up their neighbors.

IndigoSea · 11/22/2006, 08:47 PM

Gluestick- I wanted to be REALLY sure it was established! I put a Clown in over a month ago, and it died. So I didn't think it could be ready, and I'm a bit too nervous to put things in it!
Snails might work! I was thinking of hermits, but I'm worried they'll eat the featherdusters. I just want something that wont kill them!
I think a Clown will be fine. I don't want damsels if they're really that aggressive. Thanks!

celano · 11/22/2006, 10:08 PM

Dont get damsels! Even if yours arnt that agressive you will eventually want to "upgrade" to better fish, and damsels will attack them. Plus its a major pita to get them out of your tank once they're established....ask me how I know. lol
I say get some snails and let them go to work on some of that built up detrius you have. We have 2 astrias,2 margaritas, and a pair of ceriths for the sandbed. All of them are doing great and keep the tank super clean.
Tank raised clowns are an excellent choice for your first fish. They're really fun to watch, really hardy + the kids think its cool because its nemo. ; )

dcombs44 · 11/22/2006, 10:18 PM

Don't get a sea hair! Sea hare's are for experts only, and are nearly if not impossible to feed. If you get one even to take back to the fish store it will starve there as well. They are best kept in the wild, don't support lfs ordering of these animals.

Luv'reeftank · 11/23/2006, 11:18 AM

Snails and crabs and clown fish are in the damsels family

Wrench · 11/23/2006, 11:34 AM

Get yourself a cleaner crew from tampabaysaltwater.com or liveaquaria.com Specify your tank size and you'll get the right amount of snails, hermits and starfish. Between them they will take care of different algaes and detritus.

Paliya · 11/23/2006, 01:37 PM

Definitely go with snails. They are so peaceful and there are many different types that will do different things. Nassarius snails will bury themselves in the sand and keep the sand be stirred up. Florida fighting conchs will eat the stuff off the sandbed. Turbo snails are good for the rocks, but tend to knock things over. I've heard good things about ceriths and astreas (though I don't have any yet)... Research some snails and get the ones that you think would work best for your tank.

I like hermits, but they don't seem to make as big of a difference in the algea as snails do. Also one of my scarlet hermits was attacking a stomatella the other day. Bad hermit!

-P

SuperNerd · 11/23/2006, 01:49 PM

If you get snails and crabs don't go crazy on them. Start small and then gradually add more if you need to.

When people start off there is a general tendency to buy a boatload of "cleanup inverts"...but if you buy too many chances are the snails will starve to death and the hermits will start going after things you would rather see them leave alone.

Because of their diet some things are also better left to either huge or very big aquariums... or in the ocean. Sand sifting stars, horseshoe crabs, and sea hares for example.

IndigoSea · 11/25/2006, 04:04 PM

Thanks everyone!
I think I'll go with a clown, which I'll get next week. I got a snail for now! The aquarium dude said I only needed one, as they may starve if I got two. I also got a peppermint shrimp on his recommendation. They both sem to be happily eating away at the build-ups. He also mentioned that this is generally a phase new tanks go through, so I'm not so worried now!
Thanks for your advice everyone!

11/18/2006, 03:19 PM	#1
IndigoSea Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Knoxville, TN Posts: 47	Algae, inverts, and first fish Hey! My tank has been establishing for about three months, and about a month ago it literally EXPLODED into life, the liverocks are crawling with all sorts of interesting little things, we have featherdusters, and an excess of red and green algae. I've heard that some people use inverts to control the algae, but I really don't know what is best. I think it's about ready for fish, all the levels are good, and I was thinking damsels, but I've heard they are aggressive but alright if you keep only one of each species. The algae wouldn't bother me but it's all over the substrate and it doesn't really look all that great. Can anyone recommend something that would naturally control it? And at the same time would not eat my featherdusters! Also, I'd like fish that will not kill each other or my featherdusters. Any tips, help, advice would be greatly appriciated! Thanks!

11/18/2006, 04:55 PM	#3
Gluestick Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Joliet, IL Posts: 1,710	Get some snails! You may also want to try some scarlet reef hermits, which are the most docile and reef safe of the hermits. If your tank has been up for so long, why do you not have anything in there yet? The damsels can be very aggressive, but go with a less aggressive species such as yellowtail blue damsels or a school of chromis :-) __________________ Valerie R. Burns Founder/Vice President Joliet Area Reef Club Current Tank Info: 90 gal SPS dominated, ASM-G2 skimmer, 2x250w 20k SE Radium bulbs under Lumenarc Mini Reflectors

11/18/2006, 05:28 PM	#4
cilyjr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Rhode Island Posts: 1,683	don't get damsels unless you really love them. even the less aggressive ones will be some of the most vicious of the tank when they get up to 2 inches or so. i have seen them gang up on triggers that are much larger then them. but there will be a thousand people who say they have never had any problems with them! so you could try them and take them out later if they start beating up their neighbors. __________________ Cls Current Tank Info: 180 inwall, 75 sump, 20lfrag, 3x lumen max elite w/250w radium 20k, recirc modded asm g-3, aqua controller apex,2x rw-20, 350lbs LR

11/22/2006, 08:47 PM	#5
IndigoSea Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Knoxville, TN Posts: 47	Gluestick- I wanted to be REALLY sure it was established! I put a Clown in over a month ago, and it died. So I didn't think it could be ready, and I'm a bit too nervous to put things in it! Snails might work! I was thinking of hermits, but I'm worried they'll eat the featherdusters. I just want something that wont kill them! I think a Clown will be fine. I don't want damsels if they're really that aggressive. Thanks! __________________ <-- I'm a mushroom :D Current Tank Info: 75 gallon- LR, Flame Angel, Oce Clown, Yellow Goby, Cleaner Shrimp, Anemone Crab, Cleaning crew, Zoanthids, Mushrooms. Outer Orbit MH/DA light system.

11/22/2006, 10:08 PM	#6
celano Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Illinois Posts: 910	Dont get damsels! Even if yours arnt that agressive you will eventually want to "upgrade" to better fish, and damsels will attack them. Plus its a major pita to get them out of your tank once they're established....ask me how I know. lol I say get some snails and let them go to work on some of that built up detrius you have. We have 2 astrias,2 margaritas, and a pair of ceriths for the sandbed. All of them are doing great and keep the tank super clean. Tank raised clowns are an excellent choice for your first fish. They're really fun to watch, really hardy + the kids think its cool because its nemo. ; ) __________________ To many men work on parts of things. Doing a job to completion satifies me. Current tank info: The space between what's wrong and right.

11/18/2006, 04:22 PM	#2
IPowderBlueTang Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Kalamazoo, Canada Posts: 769	Can get a sea hare to eat all the algea and after return it back to LFS so it don't starve to death.

11/22/2006, 10:18 PM	#7
dcombs44 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 2,913	Don't get a sea hair! Sea hare's are for experts only, and are nearly if not impossible to feed. If you get one even to take back to the fish store it will starve there as well. They are best kept in the wild, don't support lfs ordering of these animals. __________________ Current Setup: 10 Gallon Skimmerless Zoanthid Tank Lighting: Single 175 Watt Metal Halide (14,000 K Hamilton Lamp) Filtration: 10 gallon sump/refugium and Phosban Reactor Return: Mag Drive 700 Controller: ReefKeeper Lite (Basic Version) Circulation: TBD Age of System: Build is in Progress

11/23/2006, 11:18 AM	#8
Luv'reeftank Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: ohio Posts: 51	Snails and crabs and clown fish are in the damsels family

11/23/2006, 11:34 AM	#9
Wrench Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Maryland Posts: 2,004	Get yourself a cleaner crew from tampabaysaltwater.com or liveaquaria.com Specify your tank size and you'll get the right amount of snails, hermits and starfish. Between them they will take care of different algaes and detritus.

11/23/2006, 01:37 PM	#10
Paliya Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Elk Grove, CA Posts: 238	Definitely go with snails. They are so peaceful and there are many different types that will do different things. Nassarius snails will bury themselves in the sand and keep the sand be stirred up. Florida fighting conchs will eat the stuff off the sandbed. Turbo snails are good for the rocks, but tend to knock things over. I've heard good things about ceriths and astreas (though I don't have any yet)... Research some snails and get the ones that you think would work best for your tank. I like hermits, but they don't seem to make as big of a difference in the algea as snails do. Also one of my scarlet hermits was attacking a stomatella the other day. Bad hermit! -P

11/23/2006, 01:49 PM	#11
SuperNerd Registered Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: SoCal/Left Side- USA Posts: 4,572	If you get snails and crabs don't go crazy on them. Start small and then gradually add more if you need to. When people start off there is a general tendency to buy a boatload of "cleanup inverts"...but if you buy too many chances are the snails will starve to death and the hermits will start going after things you would rather see them leave alone. Because of their diet some things are also better left to either huge or very big aquariums... or in the ocean. Sand sifting stars, horseshoe crabs, and sea hares for example. __________________ I said fraggit! Current Tank Info: M-728 Combat Engineer (based on M60 hull). M-3 Lee Medium (British version with squatter).

11/25/2006, 04:04 PM	#12
IndigoSea Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Knoxville, TN Posts: 47	Thanks everyone! I think I'll go with a clown, which I'll get next week. I got a snail for now! The aquarium dude said I only needed one, as they may starve if I got two. I also got a peppermint shrimp on his recommendation. They both sem to be happily eating away at the build-ups. He also mentioned that this is generally a phase new tanks go through, so I'm not so worried now! Thanks for your advice everyone! __________________ <-- I'm a mushroom :D Current Tank Info: 75 gallon- LR, Flame Angel, Oce Clown, Yellow Goby, Cleaner Shrimp, Anemone Crab, Cleaning crew, Zoanthids, Mushrooms. Outer Orbit MH/DA light system.