Newbie Seeking Help

LordGix · 04/09/2007, 07:23 PM

Hello to anyone who reads this.

My family has a 20 gal. tank thats been running for about a year now and I have started to take over the maintenance of the tank. I need any and all advice I can get to get my tank running really well. As for my tank it has a US aquarium backpack filter/skimmer (unfortunately i cant figure out which modle), plenty of live rock at least 20% of the tanks volume is taken up by live rock, and as for cleaning crew i have 3 turbo snails and 3 scarlet hermit crabs. I'm sure i need more cleaning crew but I'm not sure how many and what kinds I need. My tank has in it a clown fish, a fire fish, 2 more fish that I have long forgotten what they were. an anemonia (again no idea what species), about a half a dozen mushrooms and 2 shrimp. One of my main concerns is that there is a bunch of dark red almost black slime that is coating some pieces of my live rock Im almost sure its bad, what can be done to combat this. there are also some green spheres that are growing on my live rock. Any advise would be much appreciated. also how often should a water change be done. Like i said i am a newbie at this so if anything i have said so far is wrong, please correct me.

Thanks

p.s. when i get home tonight im going to do a chem test and i will post the results.

coast2coast7390 · 04/09/2007, 07:37 PM

pictures
you have red slime algae...you can siphon it out and use some red slime remover
as for the green...it could be coraline algae depending on the rock or just another bothersome algae...hard to say without pictures
you could also cut down on the light...just a couple hours
oh what kind of water are you using for top off...it could contain phosphates

jjmcat · 04/09/2007, 07:43 PM

Be very careful on the red slime remover!Make sure you read all the direction for I have used it and lost more then the cyano or red slime.The green spheres are probably bubble alge.Check your water and id do some water changes and increase your water flow.

jer77 · 04/09/2007, 07:55 PM

To Reef Central

Well it sounds like you have some cyano algae and some green bubble algae growing in there. Definately try and siphon out as much of the cyano as you can when you scrape it off so it doesn't spread any more. For the bubble algae you'll have to take it out by hand being careful not to break the bubbles. You could try and take the rocks out and scrub them off in saltwater. This would probably be your best bet to stop it from spreading. I'd change the water every week also with RO/DI water to dilute any nitrates and phosphates that fuel the algae growth.

04/09/2007, 07:23 PM	#1
LordGix Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 1	Newbie Seeking Help Hello to anyone who reads this. My family has a 20 gal. tank thats been running for about a year now and I have started to take over the maintenance of the tank. I need any and all advice I can get to get my tank running really well. As for my tank it has a US aquarium backpack filter/skimmer (unfortunately i cant figure out which modle), plenty of live rock at least 20% of the tanks volume is taken up by live rock, and as for cleaning crew i have 3 turbo snails and 3 scarlet hermit crabs. I'm sure i need more cleaning crew but I'm not sure how many and what kinds I need. My tank has in it a clown fish, a fire fish, 2 more fish that I have long forgotten what they were. an anemonia (again no idea what species), about a half a dozen mushrooms and 2 shrimp. One of my main concerns is that there is a bunch of dark red almost black slime that is coating some pieces of my live rock Im almost sure its bad, what can be done to combat this. there are also some green spheres that are growing on my live rock. Any advise would be much appreciated. also how often should a water change be done. Like i said i am a newbie at this so if anything i have said so far is wrong, please correct me. Thanks p.s. when i get home tonight im going to do a chem test and i will post the results. Last edited by LordGix; 04/09/2007 at 07:30 PM.

04/09/2007, 07:43 PM	#3
jjmcat Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Tulsa Posts: 4,249	Be very careful on the red slime remover!Make sure you read all the direction for I have used it and lost more then the cyano or red slime.The green spheres are probably bubble alge.Check your water and id do some water changes and increase your water flow. __________________ Oklahoma Marine and Aquarium Society Support your LFS and your local club. Jarrod Lee Current Tank Info: 110 reef with a 55 gallon sump,3 metal halides

04/09/2007, 07:55 PM	#4
jer77 Phish Lover Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 2,642	*To Reef Central* Well it sounds like you have some cyano algae and some green bubble algae growing in there. Definately try and siphon out as much of the cyano as you can when you scrape it off so it doesn't spread any more. For the bubble algae you'll have to take it out by hand being careful not to break the bubbles. You could try and take the rocks out and scrub them off in saltwater. This would probably be your best bet to stop it from spreading. I'd change the water every week also with RO/DI water to dilute any nitrates and phosphates that fuel the algae growth. __________________ - Jonny -, 120g 5 Year Old Reef w/ SPS, BTA, Zoos & some Softies. 40g Frag Tank. 40g Sump. Super Reef Octopus XP 3000 External Cone Skimmer. 250W Radiums. TaoTronics LED. PanWorld 200PS w/SQWD

04/09/2007, 07:37 PM	#2
coast2coast7390 Moved On Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Garden Grove Posts: 3,627	pictures you have red slime algae...you can siphon it out and use some red slime remover as for the green...it could be coraline algae depending on the rock or just another bothersome algae...hard to say without pictures you could also cut down on the light...just a couple hours oh what kind of water are you using for top off...it could contain phosphates