algae on sand bed, I'm succesful at that at least!

amazingbobby · 03/08/2006, 12:02 PM

In my recently cycled 29 gal, I have had the algae bloom occur. Mostly diatoms and brown algae with some green ( no hair ). My clean up crew consists of 6 blue legged hermits, 7 astrae snails and 2 turban snails. Although they have completely cleared most of the lr, they really do very little on the glass or sand bed. Any suggestions?

I initially ignorantly used conditioned tap water, but I have added top of and water change water that is RO.

rochestertank · 03/08/2006, 12:25 PM

i am a newbie but my experience with snails is they tend to either almost all be on the glass or almost all be on the rocks. however, i don't have sand substrate so i probably have different types of snails. translation: don't worry about it.

amazingbobby · 03/08/2006, 02:16 PM

awww, c'mon! No one have any other advice? I'm not that worried about it, but I would like the problem solved and don't have an answer.

SeaRancher · 03/08/2006, 02:40 PM

To CLEAN MY SAND BED I PUT IN 10 NASSARIUS SNAILS. THAY HAVE SEEMED TO WORK VERY GOOD I JUST GOT THEM AT MY LFS.

THEY WILL STAY BURRIED UNDER THE SAND SIFFTING IT UNTIL YOU FEED THEN THEY WILL COME TO THE SURFACE.
HOPEFULLY THAT WILL HELP YOU A BIT.

amazingbobby · 03/08/2006, 02:44 PM

Thank You, SeaRancher! I will look into it. Will they compromise the integrity of my rock structure?

Wryknow · 03/08/2006, 02:59 PM

Your options are limited in a tank of that size. I would recommend adding 1 nasarius snail into the tank and see how he does.

The rock structure question makes me nervous because it leads me to conlude that your rock is resting on the snad bed instead of the bottom of the tank. If this is the case then any sand-sifting organism could certainly move enough sand to topple a rock idf it is not soldily placed.

amazingbobby · 03/08/2006, 03:56 PM

Most of the rock is dug down about four inches into the sand if not resting on the bottom. I added/shifted some later that I will need to sink further in to sand bed. It's nothing that could topple and compromise the aquarium, but in the future when I stock coral, I worry that something could still be moved.
I didn't know that it would have been beneficial to add the lr first and then the sand, at the time in myh newbie mind, it seemed that would not have been the best thing to do.

Wryknow · 03/08/2006, 04:49 PM

No worries then. The snail should be fine.

WaterKeeper · 03/08/2006, 05:37 PM

Water Changes!

amazingbobby · 03/08/2006, 10:50 PM

Consider them done, Waterkeeper! Now I know I've been accepted into RC.

03/08/2006, 12:02 PM	#1
amazingbobby Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: N.California Posts: 227	algae on sand bed, I'm succesful at that at least! In my recently cycled 29 gal, I have had the algae bloom occur. Mostly diatoms and brown algae with some green ( no hair ). My clean up crew consists of 6 blue legged hermits, 7 astrae snails and 2 turban snails. Although they have completely cleared most of the lr, they really do very little on the glass or sand bed. Any suggestions? I initially ignorantly used conditioned tap water, but I have added top of and water change water that is RO.

03/08/2006, 12:25 PM	#2
rochestertank Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Michigan Posts: 117	i am a newbie but my experience with snails is they tend to either almost all be on the glass or almost all be on the rocks. however, i don't have sand substrate so i probably have different types of snails. translation: don't worry about it. __________________ What doesn't kill you only takes your money away. Current Tank Info: Lots of rocks, 9 turbo astrea snails, 1 large mexican astrea snail, 2 red clegged hermit crabs, 1 sally lightfoot crab, 1 5" lawnmower blenny, 2 blue damsels, 1 3-striped damsel, 2 star polyps, 1 bicolor pseudochromis, and 1 Yellow Tang.

03/08/2006, 02:44 PM	#5
amazingbobby Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: N.California Posts: 227	Thank You, SeaRancher! I will look into it. Will they compromise the integrity of my rock structure? __________________ Control for smilers can't be bought Current Tank Info: 29 gal Reef, 30"Coralife Deluxe Aqualight, Aqua C Remora Skimmer, 24 gal Cube w/ 150w Sunpod. LPS, softies, bristleworms x 7.34 million, and other weird creatures.

03/08/2006, 02:59 PM	#6
Wryknow Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 1,203	Your options are limited in a tank of that size. I would recommend adding 1 nasarius snail into the tank and see how he does. The rock structure question makes me nervous because it leads me to conlude that your rock is resting on the snad bed instead of the bottom of the tank. If this is the case then any sand-sifting organism could certainly move enough sand to topple a rock idf it is not soldily placed. __________________ You cannot use reason to change the opinion of a person that did not use reason to form their opinion in the first place. Current Tank Info: 65 G RR, w/ 50 G sump/refugium, DIY LED lighting, AquaMaxx CO-1 skimmer, Tunze 1073.050 return

03/08/2006, 03:56 PM	#7
amazingbobby Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: N.California Posts: 227	Most of the rock is dug down about four inches into the sand if not resting on the bottom. I added/shifted some later that I will need to sink further in to sand bed. It's nothing that could topple and compromise the aquarium, but in the future when I stock coral, I worry that something could still be moved. I didn't know that it would have been beneficial to add the lr first and then the sand, at the time in myh newbie mind, it seemed that would not have been the best thing to do. __________________ Control for smilers can't be bought Current Tank Info: 29 gal Reef, 30"Coralife Deluxe Aqualight, Aqua C Remora Skimmer, 24 gal Cube w/ 150w Sunpod. LPS, softies, bristleworms x 7.34 million, and other weird creatures.

03/08/2006, 02:16 PM	#3
amazingbobby Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: N.California Posts: 227	awww, c'mon! No one have any other advice? I'm not that worried about it, but I would like the problem solved and don't have an answer.

03/08/2006, 02:40 PM	#4
SeaRancher Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 5	To CLEAN MY SAND BED I PUT IN 10 NASSARIUS SNAILS. THAY HAVE SEEMED TO WORK VERY GOOD I JUST GOT THEM AT MY LFS. THEY WILL STAY BURRIED UNDER THE SAND SIFFTING IT UNTIL YOU FEED THEN THEY WILL COME TO THE SURFACE. HOPEFULLY THAT WILL HELP YOU A BIT.

03/08/2006, 04:49 PM	#8
Wryknow Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 1,203	No worries then. The snail should be fine. __________________ You cannot use reason to change the opinion of a person that did not use reason to form their opinion in the first place. Current Tank Info: 65 G RR, w/ 50 G sump/refugium, DIY LED lighting, AquaMaxx CO-1 skimmer, Tunze 1073.050 return

03/08/2006, 05:37 PM	#9
WaterKeeper Bogus Information Expert Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 16,147	Water Changes! __________________ "Leading the information hungry reefer down the road to starvation" Tom Current Tank Info: 130 Now out of service and a 29

03/08/2006, 10:50 PM	#10
amazingbobby Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: N.California Posts: 227	Consider them done, Waterkeeper! Now I know I've been accepted into RC.