Brown stuff on sand

[Gauge]

I've got this brown junk developing on my sand. I assume it's algae, and the people at the LFS say that I run my lights too much. I keep them on about 6-8 hours a day. Typically it's closer to 6. This stuff doesn't have any visible mass to it, it's just turning my white sand brown.

Is there something I could do to get rid of it? I have a tiger tail sea cucumber, but he's way too slow to get it all. I was thinking more along the lines of a diamond sifter goby. However, I've been told that a 42 hex tank doesn't have enough surface area on the sand to sustain a diamond sifter goby.

Any suggestions on what to do to get rid of this junk?

 

[sokhamik]

get yourself a cleaner crew or something... like snails, crabs.. they eat those stuff.. if you're using tap water to fill your tank, then the silicates in tap water are feeding the growth of the diatoms..

 

[steve-s]

Is there something I could do to get rid of it? I have a tiger tail sea cucumber, but he's way too slow to get it all.

While your tank re-cycles, there should be no inverts in the tank of anykind, especially a cucumber. That is just asking for disaster. The many changes you have made recently will have basically put you back to square one. The diatom bloom you are experiencing is sufficient proof of that.

If you continue in the direction you have been of late, you will never have a sucsessful SW tank. It must be done slowly and with patience. Rushing through and skipping steps will accomplish nothing.

Again, I ask that you return all the animals that you have and start from scratch. Read this article on cycling and follow it as closley as possible.

After 4-6 weeks once the NH4 and NO2 are undetectable and the NO3 are beginning to lower, then it may be possible to add some snails and such to aid with leftover algaes. Moving forward slowly and possible adding a fish in about 2 months.

I hope you consider this carefully!

Cheers
Steve

 

[Gauge]

I left my tank alone for about a week. I was on the verge of taking all my inverts back and just leaving it, but my nitrites went down. Last night I got a water test done and here were the results...

Ammonia: 0
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: (too low to show up on the scale, but probably not quite 0)
PH: 8.2

*shrug* I thought that meant the inverts could stay. Either way, I'm not real fond of snails in my tank. Would the diamond sifter goby do the job? They're funny fish.

 

[steve-s]

I'm not real fond of snails in my tank. Would the diamond sifter goby do the job? They're funny fish.

Once the tank is stable and properly prepared, snails will be your best defence againsts most types of algae as well as detritus control.

The advice of your LFS is correct. I would not risk a goby in such a small tank. They rely mainly on the fauna in the sand bed for food and a 42 gal tall tank could not hope to support it. The chances of the goby accepting prepared foods should not be counted upon and would most likely not happen anyway.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Gauge]

Thanks a bunch, Steve.

No goby, gotcha. I've got a bumblebee snail at the moment (which I got on accident... cool story written below). What kind of snails do you recommend? Turbo snails, I'm assuming?

The junk on the glass concerns me far less than the algae on the sand. Do you recommend anything else for getting rid of the algae on the sand? I'm posting a picture below of the algae growth on my sand after two days of not being stirred up. I'd be willing to put snails in my tank (even though I'm not too keen on them) or change my lighting procedures or whatever to stop having this junk develop. I can get rid of it by simply stirring up the sand a bit, but that gets old real quick.


Bumblebee Snail Story: So I have a couple blue leg reef hermits that are in shells I don't like much. I've always liked bumblebee snail shells, and they were about the right size. I asked a guy at a LFS if he could hook me up with a couple shells cuz they had a ton. He looked through and found a couple and handed them to me free of charge. So, I drove home and started putting the UV sterilizer I had just bought on my tank. My wife goes out and runs some errands for about 45 minutes later. Then she comes barging in the door all hysterical about one of the shells had a snail in it. It had been in the cup holder in my truck in 100+ degree weather for over an hour with no water. I plopped him in my tank without any acclimation, and he's been alive and well in my tank ever since. He must be one tough cookie.

 

[steve-s]

The only thing I recommend at this point is more time. The recent changes in the tank will have initiated a new cycle and these algaes are a normal result. Diatoms will in most cases burn themselves out as their fuel source is depleted (mainly silicates). Keep in mind that RO water will still usually contain some small amounts of silicate especially in the warmer summer months.

Once the water levels are safe (I think you've stiil got some wating to do) then a mix of snails like the following would be fine.

Nassarius great for detritus and the sand bed.
Nerite especially good at film algaes..
Cerith cleans both the glass and the sand bed..
Bumblebees cleans up the uneaten food bits as well as detritus... (As you said, looks cool too).
Margarita another excellent algae eater..

Keep in mind the bumblebee is primarily a carionavor and will not help with the algae issues. Although is your case you've got a tough little guy 8)

Cheers
Steve

 

[Guest]

Anyone have a picture of a Bumblebee Snail?

 

[steve-s]

Cheers
Steve

 

[Gauge]

These are cool looking snails. I'm trying to get all of my blue leg reef hermits into those shells.

 

[mojoreef]

Steve Thier was alot of talk about Bumble bee snails being just a bit to much of a preditor. Going after other snals and stars and such. Did you here anything on that??
I had them in my tank I knew that if something was not doing to well life wise they would help it on its way pretty quick. But I never really seen them go after a healthy animal, you??

Mike

 

[Guest]

I was at the beach one day and to my suprise, I found some snails that look exactly like that picture. I grabbed a few, and brought them home.. Just threw them in the tank and they survived on most of my astrea snails... They would get right up on them and wedge under the shell and slowly get their bodies to the point that they could pull them off of the glass and then amazingly, they would suck the astrea out of the shell, consuming them, and do all of this as they themselves were stuck to the glass. I got tired of pulling the Astreas off, so I just got rid of them back at the beach... Horror in the tank for a week...

 

[Gauge]

I had an arrow crab for a while and he always used to sort of unhinge his shell in his anal region (I have no idea what he was doing), but he died eventually. When he was at death's door he was sitting on the ground with that anal part of his shell open and the snail crawled right in and started ripping him apart. I've never seen them do anything else undesirable, though.

 

[steve-s]

Steve Thier was alot of talk about Bumble bee snails being just a bit to much of a preditor. Going after other snals and stars and such. Did you here anything on that??
I had them in my tank I knew that if something was not doing to well life wise they would help it on its way pretty quick. But I never really seen them go after a healthy animal, you??

Mike

Actually no, I had not heard that. Could easily be possible. I have had no snails deaths that I could see and I only have a serpent start that's been in the tank a few years now.

The bumblebee's could easily have preyed on a few snails without me knowing it though. Great info from you and Timbo2. Thanks.

Cheers
Steve

 

[mojoreef]

Yea I did a little looking and found some info. Thier was a bunch of folks saying that they were willing snails and other small critters. They are a great detritus eater but can get a little aggressive if the get hungry....Hmmmm that sounds like me

Mike