Cleaning crew recos

[mhart032]

Ok i have a 40g reef tank with 35-40 lbs of LR and 2 clowns and im seeing more and more alge growing i dont think just my 7 hermits are getting it done i believe they are over worked lol and suggestions on what i should get.
Thanks

 

[mtlion]

Some margarita snails or cerith snails couldn't hurt.

 

[melosu58]

Well to be honest with you your course of action should be how to stop the algea. Buying livestock is only a bandaid solution. If you could find out what is fueling the algea then you can put a stop to it and save your bioload for livestock that you really want. Read this and see if any of these could be your fuel source.

FantasyReef Databases-Viewing item "10 Step Plan for Nuisance Algae Control"

 

[mhart032]

Its not bad at all, in fact i dont even know that it is algae, their is a lot of new growth on my LR and in my tank, My base rock is already taking off and growing coraline tons of orange feathers are apeering more and more everyday. i did have a Aiptasia anemone but i killed it, That little bit of bubble algaeis gone after i cleaned it off the rock, their is just some green so i assumed it was algae. but i tried to use my tank brush and scratch it. its hard not like soft so what i can imagin is probably not algae. my water is perfect my temp is perfect and my lights are on a timer set for 12hrs a day then them moonlights come on for 10hrs and 2 hrs of darkness. that being said the little hermits do always seem to be busy. should i get more? do i need more? i just dont want them to have to work to hard if they dont have to.
Matt

 

[divedeep1689]

can you post a picture of the "algae" wat type of lights do you have

 

[mhart032]

Camera is broken and my iphone pics are horrible they never come out right. i have a Coralife Aqualight Pro HQI/Compact Flourscent/ Lunar Light Fixture 380watts total.

 

[mhart032]

i was looking at pics from a couple weeks ago and the base rock is almost white and now it turning golden brown almost bronze color. is this normal?
thanks

 

[thincat]

Yes, as your tank progresses through it's many stages you will see all the colors of the rainbow. That green on your rocks may be coralline if it does not come off when you scrub it. The golden brown may be diatoms starting up.

 

[mhart032]

ok, After ferther review of the rock and a couple once overs with the trusty aquarium brush i can brush it off the rock, so Diatoms is probably right on the money, now my question is is this good or bad? and what action should i take? also my PH is a little high so water change will be in effect tomorrow morning. just tested everything and everything else is right on the money. i did just feed the clowns today could this raise the PH also i used the blue vet Aiptasia killer for the Aiptasis lastnight so could this of raised the PH...
thanks in advance for all the great help you guys/girls give its very much appreciated..
Matt

 

[thincat]

Diatoms are caused by an excess of silicates, an abundance of nutrients, and too little oxygen. You might want to cut down on your feeding and increase your water flow in the DT. If anything feeding would decrease PH as the excess food would decomposs. There is a difference in PH readings between night and day readings so be sure to take the readings ~the same time each day. Most accurate just before lights out.

 

[mhart032]

I may be feeding to ,uch im not dure how much to feed the clowns, but i feed them 1 to 11/2 cubes of the frozen every 2 days. i knoe they dont eat it all.. what is DT? im not sure how to increese my water flow. i have a penguin 400 filter and a corilia 2 and a rio 1100 powerhead in the tank now. and i cant keep the curshed coral to not move around theirs so much current. would it be a good idea to pull the filter and use my red sea prisim pro delux skimmer? i dont have room for both..

 

[divedeep1689]

why dont you think about investing in a sump tank it gives you room for all of your equipment.

 

[mhart032]

why dont you think about investing in a sump tank it gives you room for all of your equipment.

I am, im buying a 10g sump from a guy thats parting his tank out. im waitting for him to sell his fish and corals..

 

[mhart032]

Update: PH is back down to normal range. everything else is good too.

 

[divedeep1689]

good sump tanks are a great investment makes life alot easier lol

 

[mhart032]

OK after continuing my research on Diatoms it seems 85% of people that have had them use tap to start and are getting or have gotten it. i used LFS saltwater made from RO/DI water and Instant Ocean mix with kents superbuffer added. Also i haven't been able to find a round about how long it will take before they burn out. i am getting 2 margarita snails tomorrow and 6 more hermits from the LFS... Also with the sump/fuge will i need the skimmer and filter?.
Thanks
Matt

 

[thincat]

DT=Display Tank..Since you don't have a sump it's your main tank. I would not get more hermit crabs. Buy the snails instead. Your crushed coral "sandbed" is fueling your diatom bloom. It harbors nitrates which is a major cause of algae blooms.
Also the skimmer is the way to go instead of the other filter..
Happy reefing

 

[mhart032]

Another Update: i added the skimmer and found a way to use both for now to get more flow, i also added another korillia. I have found that i am having green algae i see it growing now its very little but its their. i turned the lights off for now maybe ill just leave the moonlights on for 2 days or so. i checked my water again. its the same
amm - 0
nitrite - 0
nitrate - 5
ph - 8.1
phos - 0
temp - 80
KH - 11
Salinity - 1.024
it all looks ok and i test everyday since day 1
am i stressing about nothing? i just dont want things to die..
im posting some pics sorry their from my iphone..

 

[thincat]

Looks Okay to me. Nice mushroom rock! If you watch you food intake to your tank and do pwc as needed you won't have any major problems. Don't look at it and say "it's my fault", No, it's all part of the cycle. So just enjoy the ride and monitor each phase of your tanks growth....
PS: is that 11dkh? on the KH reading?

 

[AMDPhenomX4]

How many fish do you have? I feed half a cube of mysis every 2 days and my 2 clownfish, Coral banded Shrimp, Cleaner shrimp, and Misc other creatures are fine and growing.