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[artoledo]

Hey guys i am new to the Forums. I have a 75 gallon saltwater tank, seclone 100 protein skimmer, 2 powerheads, wet/dry filter, coralife lights: 2x10K 2xActinic and 4 Moon LED's. 50lbs live sand, 100lbs live rock, 3 damsels, 1 bluebanded goby, 3 sally lightfoot crabs and 1 pumping xenia. the tank has been running for 2 months, and i leave the lights on for about 12 hours a day. since adding the lights about a week ago, i started getting brown algae that looks like a Diatom Bloom. If this is so, how do i get rid of it? It is kinda powdery.

 

[roka64]

WELCOME TO AA!!

What are your water parameters?
Can you get a pic?
How much/what/how often are you feeding?
How old are your lights?
I would start by doing a PWC, going to 8 hours of light.

 

[artoledo]

Nitrates and Nitrites = 0
PH 8.1-8.3
Ammonia= 0
AK = 16 i think. its really hard to read that thing.
Salt = 1.024
Calcium = 420 ppm
I think thats all i can remember right now. The lights are a week old. I cant send any pics right now. i am at work. i will try a water change tonight.

 

[fishrfreinds]

Your just going to get blooms special with a new tank. i know it sucks. do you have a cleaning crew? no? then see about getting one.

 

[artoledo]

i got 3 crabs yesterday. what do you recommend for a cleaning crew?

 

[roka64]

Yeah, I thought I read it was running for 2 years and not 2 months, sorry was distracted by my filter hose incident.
I agree, it is probably a diatom bloom that is typical in a freshly cycled tank.

 

[fishrfreinds]

your LFS will usually have a packs for you to buy or they can recommend based on what they have. I dont know any, but there are places online to get a good deal on them too if your lfs leaves you desiring more, better or cheaper deals.

 

[artoledo]

My tank was so beautiful until about 3 days ago. i will check with my LFS for the cleaning crew.

 

[roka64]

I like nassarius and cerith snails. Start with a low number to keep them from starving. Turbos are great cleaners too.

 

[tecwzrd]

Welcome to AA

What kind of crabs did you get? If hermit you're going to need at least 10-20 more for a 75 gal tank.

Checkout www.fantasyreef.com database for more ideas.

 

[roka64]

BTW, that bloom should go away as fast as it came.

 

[artoledo]

Ok thanks guys.

 

[roka64]

Anytime!

 

[melosu58]

I`m also interested in what type crabs? Hermits or others? BTW welcome to AA.

 

[Hara]

I would also recoomend dropping the number of hours the lights are on and upgrading your skimmer when you can.

 

[artoledo]

Hey guys, i went to my LFS yesterday and i bought 3 mexican turbo snails. i dropped them in about 10pm last night and woke up this morning and my tank is looking really good. i have a large piece of flat tonga rock that looked like it was rusty and after one snail went thru it, it looks like when i first bought it. THey are doing an amazing job. I also bought a really nice blue star fish.

btw, my mexican turbo snails are pooping all over the tank. is this normal and how do i clean it?

 

[melosu58]

Are you talking about a blue licknia star? Like mine below?

 

[artoledo]

yeah, just like that one. he is hidden in some rock right now. do they do this often? he has been sitting there for the past day or so.

 

[melosu58]

Yes they do but I hope that he was not exposed to air as they will not make it if they were. But mine hide in the rocks also but not all the time.

 

[artoledo]

Yes they do but I hope that he was not exposed to air as they will not make it if they were. But mine hide in the rocks also but not all the time.

This morning i saw him moving off of the rocks with lots of poop coming from underneath him. It looks like he is doing good and my mexican turbo snails are just ripping through the tank like if the world was going to end.