what i guess is hair algea

jag911 · 05/19/2006, 10:52 PM

We are in week three of my first saltwater aquarium. temp is 78, ph 8.3, nh4 0, no2 0, no3 <10, calcium 450... actnic light 12 hours a day and 10k about 8. 46 gallon bow with 46lbs of fiji (2wk), and three damsels (1wk). pro aquatics pro75 sump, a powerhead with wave thingy...

i just started to get some brown growth in the tank, looks like algea, could be diatoms. I also started to get little hair likie algea on the rocks and glass that's a brown/green color with a couple of hairs off of each point. i have heard this is part of the natual process... so be patient...

I am distirbed though by the discoloration of the argamax substrate. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions of cleaner critters to help, or whether i should just continue to wait or adjust other factors. I keep thinking a cleaner shrimp will help stir up the substrate a bit and keep the discoloration to a minimum... but i don't know enough about them to understand. what do you guys and gals think?

kau_cinta_ku · 05/19/2006, 11:48 PM

cleaner shrimp don't do much for alage in the tank. your best bet would be snails, a diff. variety, nass, cerith, ect. maybe a sand sifty goby or a tiger tail cucumber to help stir the sand. but i would wait another week and see if your test results change as inverts don't like ammonia, nitrite, and high levels of nitrate. also are you using rodi water or tap. if using tap water you could have phosphates cutting down on phosphates and nitrates will lower your alage.

reefnetworth · 05/20/2006, 05:26 AM

red legged hermits love HA. cerriths love diatom. REEF-ON!!!

AdidaKev · 05/20/2006, 07:15 AM

Nassarius or ceriths are a great idea. You could also try a sandsifting starfish or goby.

boomsticks · 05/20/2006, 09:56 AM

I eat my own algea so I have no need for cleanup crew.

Sk8r · 05/20/2006, 11:34 AM

Conchs are great for keeping sand clean: they're goofy looking, amuse your guests, and work 24./7

Here's where you make a choice; pristine sand or isopods. If you want isopods you have to run a little dirty around the edges, to give the isopods something to live on. The pods feed such nanofish as mandarins and dragonettes in general.

Pristine white sand can be had with critters like the diamond goby, which constantly shifts and moves sand (hope your rocks are stable). But it won't support the microlife some kinds of fish need.
So it depends on what you want.

jag911 · 05/20/2006, 09:46 PM

how many ceriths/hermits in a 46 tank?

cperez155 · 05/20/2006, 09:50 PM

start off with 20-30 snails and then get more as needed. I would get no more than 20 hermits.

05/19/2006, 10:52 PM	#1
jag911 Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: ks Posts: 45	what i guess is hair algea We are in week three of my first saltwater aquarium. temp is 78, ph 8.3, nh4 0, no2 0, no3 <10, calcium 450... actnic light 12 hours a day and 10k about 8. 46 gallon bow with 46lbs of fiji (2wk), and three damsels (1wk). pro aquatics pro75 sump, a powerhead with wave thingy... i just started to get some brown growth in the tank, looks like algea, could be diatoms. I also started to get little hair likie algea on the rocks and glass that's a brown/green color with a couple of hairs off of each point. i have heard this is part of the natual process... so be patient... I am distirbed though by the discoloration of the argamax substrate. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions of cleaner critters to help, or whether i should just continue to wait or adjust other factors. I keep thinking a cleaner shrimp will help stir up the substrate a bit and keep the discoloration to a minimum... but i don't know enough about them to understand. what do you guys and gals think?

05/20/2006, 05:26 AM	#3
reefnetworth Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: U.S.A. Posts: 3,810	red legged hermits love HA. cerriths love diatom. REEF-ON!!! __________________ GIVE A MAN A FISH, YOU FEED HIM FOR A DAY. TEACH A MAN TO FISH, HE FEEDS HIMSELF FOR LIFE. (NEVER, underestimate another man's greed) Current Tank Info: SPS dominated barebottom display with BB sump since 2005, most consistant parameters in 19+ years of reefkeeping.

05/20/2006, 07:15 AM	#4
AdidaKev Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: NA Posts: 624	Nassarius or ceriths are a great idea. You could also try a sandsifting starfish or goby. __________________ ... Current Tank Info: NA

05/20/2006, 09:56 AM	#5
boomsticks Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Good ol NH Posts: 547	I eat my own algea so I have no need for cleanup crew. __________________ Don't take life too seriously, nobody gets out alive anyway. Current Tank Info: 55 gal reef, 24 cube

05/20/2006, 11:34 AM	#6
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Conchs are great for keeping sand clean: they're goofy looking, amuse your guests, and work 24./7 Here's where you make a choice; pristine sand or isopods. If you want isopods you have to run a little dirty around the edges, to give the isopods something to live on. The pods feed such nanofish as mandarins and dragonettes in general. Pristine white sand can be had with critters like the diamond goby, which constantly shifts and moves sand (hope your rocks are stable). But it won't support the microlife some kinds of fish need. So it depends on what you want. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

05/19/2006, 11:48 PM	#2
kau_cinta_ku Moved On Join Date: May 2005 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 8,669	cleaner shrimp don't do much for alage in the tank. your best bet would be snails, a diff. variety, nass, cerith, ect. maybe a sand sifty goby or a tiger tail cucumber to help stir the sand. but i would wait another week and see if your test results change as inverts don't like ammonia, nitrite, and high levels of nitrate. also are you using rodi water or tap. if using tap water you could have phosphates cutting down on phosphates and nitrates will lower your alage.

05/20/2006, 09:46 PM	#7
jag911 Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: ks Posts: 45	how many ceriths/hermits in a 46 tank? __________________ just keep swimming just keep swimming swimming swimming Current Tank Info: 46b/ barely reef

05/20/2006, 09:50 PM	#8
cperez155 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: New York Posts: 179	start off with 20-30 snails and then get more as needed. I would get no more than 20 hermits.