my new clean-up crew

MrChico · 01/26/2006, 06:29 PM

I have had a problem with brown algea for the last 2 weeks I recognize that it is all part of the the cycle at this part of a new of a tank (9 weeks) so I just purchased:

3 emerald crabs
5 blue leg crabs
5 red leg crabs
5 margarita snails
10 nass. snails
6 astrea snails
1 skunk shrimp
3 peppermint shrimp

it cost me $90 will I need to buy more?

I was looking at the tank of the month tanks and they generally dont have any more than this.

ammonia = 0
salinity = 1.025
nitrite = 0
nitrate = 5-10
ph = 8.1
temp =79

my 2 clowns died last week (unknown cause) my damsel is badly beat up but my sail-fin and fox-face are not showing any signs of wear. Why would my false clowns have died?

thanks in advance.

egdevilboy · 01/26/2006, 07:46 PM

its the nitrates that are causing it. Clean up crews arent a fix...

Also check phosphates. But nitrates will feed the algae, get rid of um

egdevilboy · 01/26/2006, 07:47 PM

also is the brown algae on the glass or on the sandbed?

The brown algae that is growing on the glass is sunlight algae and will grow because of the light. Gotta get a magfloat or scrup pad.

MrChico · 01/26/2006, 07:58 PM

The algea is on the the rocks the glass and the sand bed, I use a mag float so the glass looks okay, I think the algea will go away with time but with those parameters the clown fish should still be okay?! I did have some salinity swings, which may have caused some of the problems now that is all fixed, now.

Is it possible that the clowns fought with the damsel? I never saw any agression butt who nose.

dchao · 01/26/2006, 08:11 PM

I would go easy on the crabs, I only like the scarlet hermits.

MrChico · 01/26/2006, 08:18 PM

I figure if they arent working out very good then I can banish them to the sump, right now I dont have too many coral to lose.

Acreagedad · 01/27/2006, 07:52 AM

I missed something here. What size tank do you have? Sure, the crew won't always take care of your problems, but you should make sure that you have a decent crew which depends in part on the size of your tank.

Clown problem: I had the same situation. Both clowns died. Water tests looked great. Everything was tight. What was it? Never figured it out. I did a 50% water change, added a little more flow, added a skimmer. Four weeks later (about 12 weeks in total) I added two Maroon Clowns and have been doing a 25% water change every 10 days. Since, about six months from adding them, they've been a married couple.

What saved them? The skimmer, more flow? I don't know! I just moved them from a 40g to a 125g and I'm keeping the same system that has been working for them.

01/26/2006, 06:29 PM	#1
MrChico Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Wichita Kansas Posts: 273	my new clean-up crew I have had a problem with brown algea for the last 2 weeks I recognize that it is all part of the the cycle at this part of a new of a tank (9 weeks) so I just purchased: 3 emerald crabs 5 blue leg crabs 5 red leg crabs 5 margarita snails 10 nass. snails 6 astrea snails 1 skunk shrimp 3 peppermint shrimp it cost me $90 will I need to buy more? I was looking at the tank of the month tanks and they generally dont have any more than this. ammonia = 0 salinity = 1.025 nitrite = 0 nitrate = 5-10 ph = 8.1 temp =79 my 2 clowns died last week (unknown cause) my damsel is badly beat up but my sail-fin and fox-face are not showing any signs of wear. Why would my false clowns have died? thanks in advance. __________________ The solution to pollution is dilution Current Tank Info: 120 w/ a 55 fuge, 220 CSS, (2) 250w MH

01/26/2006, 07:58 PM	#4
MrChico Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Wichita Kansas Posts: 273	The algea is on the the rocks the glass and the sand bed, I use a mag float so the glass looks okay, I think the algea will go away with time but with those parameters the clown fish should still be okay?! I did have some salinity swings, which may have caused some of the problems now that is all fixed, now. Is it possible that the clowns fought with the damsel? I never saw any agression butt who nose. __________________ The solution to pollution is dilution Current Tank Info: 120 w/ a 55 fuge, 220 CSS, (2) 250w MH

01/26/2006, 08:18 PM	#6
MrChico Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Wichita Kansas Posts: 273	I figure if they arent working out very good then I can banish them to the sump, right now I dont have too many coral to lose. __________________ The solution to pollution is dilution Current Tank Info: 120 w/ a 55 fuge, 220 CSS, (2) 250w MH

01/26/2006, 07:46 PM	#2
egdevilboy Moved On Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Southern Florida Posts: 620	its the nitrates that are causing it. Clean up crews arent a fix... Also check phosphates. But nitrates will feed the algae, get rid of um

01/26/2006, 07:47 PM	#3
egdevilboy Moved On Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Southern Florida Posts: 620	also is the brown algae on the glass or on the sandbed? The brown algae that is growing on the glass is sunlight algae and will grow because of the light. Gotta get a magfloat or scrup pad.

01/26/2006, 08:11 PM	#5
dchao Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: San Francisco Posts: 910	I would go easy on the crabs, I only like the scarlet hermits.

01/27/2006, 07:52 AM	#7
Acreagedad Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 170	I missed something here. What size tank do you have? Sure, the crew won't always take care of your problems, but you should make sure that you have a decent crew which depends in part on the size of your tank. Clown problem: I had the same situation. Both clowns died. Water tests looked great. Everything was tight. What was it? Never figured it out. I did a 50% water change, added a little more flow, added a skimmer. Four weeks later (about 12 weeks in total) I added two Maroon Clowns and have been doing a 25% water change every 10 days. Since, about six months from adding them, they've been a married couple. What saved them? The skimmer, more flow? I don't know! I just moved them from a 40g to a 125g and I'm keeping the same system that has been working for them.