Need some help!

[Sir Alex]

Hello all

I recently got addicted to saltwater and started a 20 gal. I volunteer at marine mammal facility and in the office we have a 10 gal tank that needs some serious help it's over grown with what i think is green hairy algae. I need some advice one a cuc that can clear cut the algae. Any advice will be greatly appreciated

Tank Info
10 gal
Bio wheel mini filter
I believe it has actine 420 light ( not sure how to spell it)
About 15 lb live rock
20 lb of sand
Two clown fish

And here is the tank : 0

 

[chiclidlover81]

I would ditch the filter and add more live rock and a powerhead and possibly a protein skimmer Hope this helps and good lucky

 

[woody390]

I would say as well that you are better off manually removing the hair algae than putting cuc in there to eat it especially as the best things I know of are emerald crab, foxface rabbitfish or lawnmower blenny but these would all be too big for that tank the only thing that may help that would go in the tank are blue hermots that I can think of. However on saying that part of the problem might well be that 10 gallons is not enough for 2 clown fish I wouldn't keep 1 in a 10 gallon personally. but would also agree on loosing the filter and adding more liverock and maybe decrease how long the tank gets light for

 

[Beengirl]

Wow. That tank needs some serious help. As mentioned, it might be past just adding a CUC. I would scrape the sides, remove 1 rock at a time and scrub Each one, but just do 1 rock every week or so. It didn't get in this condition overnight, and it won't be an overnight fix. Then A good sized pwc is in order and try to suction some of the stuff off of the sand. What is in the hob filter? if it has the wheel, then remove that wheel. The hob filter is fine to use, but needs a cleaning regularly. I have a hob filter on my 30g with a sponge and chemipure in it. You could put a turbo snail in there. Two clown fish really are too much for a 10g. Good luck!

 

[marsh]

My lawnmower won't touch the green slime in my tank. Does eat bloodworms though. Cleans all the other algae very nicely.

Is that tank getting direct sun during any part I the day?

 

[Sir Alex]

Thanks for all the advice. I believe they have the standard carbon filter for the bio mini and a small bag of bio balls. The tank does not get direct sun light but I just found out that the light is on for 10 hrs a day. I changed the time to 4 hr a day for now. Can I use an old tooth brush for the rocks or do I need to use something special.

 

[woody390]

I'd use a new toothbrush just to stop any contaminants from a used toothbrush. How often is the filter cleaned? Do you do water changes with ro/di water? I wouldn't say the 10 hours is the problems I'd say its more likely lack of maintenance and too big a bio load for the tank not trying to be offensive with that just letting you know

 

[Sir Alex]

No offense taken its not my tank it's a tank at work I'm just trying to help them get it back on track. We do water changes about every 10 days. It's at a marina lab so we use ocean water that has gone through a series of sand filters and then uv sterilized.

 

[woody390]

Yeah only thing I can think then would bathe bio load of it is producing too many nutrients for the tank with two clown fish and that the filter is causing problems, take the filter off and add live rock or upgrade the tank is my advice

 

[marsh]

Cutting back the light cycle seems like a good idea to me at least for now. Maybe 6 hours but I thought 4 was smart.

I use a dish brush- large and easy to hold