Mixed input from LFS and other sources about the size of a clean up crew.
My 55 reef tank I've been fighting to some degree a red algae (some say it's cyano, other say it's red turf algae, it looks like green hair algae but is shorter and is red) for 6 months. If I pick it off as much as possible during PWC it helps but I can't get rid of it.
My ammonia is 0, nitrites 0, nitrates about 20 or slightly less.
The LFS said my CUC is too small, consists of a sand sifting star, serpent star, 8 snails (not sure what kind, cone shells), and 3 or 4 blue leg hermits. The LFS convinced me I needed a dozen scarlet hermits and they would take care of it. I'm a month later and still in the same boat, just have a dozen scarlet hermits in the mix now.
Stock I have a yellow tang, 2 clowns, 2 striped eel catfish, 1 red shrimp. I feed 1 frozen mysis cube a day and the tang gets a little dried algae too.
PWC are 10% each week with 1 30% change a month. Is this not enough or is my CUC not enough? Do I need a couple 50% changes in consecutive weeks?
I want to solve the problem not fix it temporarily.
I'm considering a HOB refugium if I can't get this problem solved.
I read the documentation on this site and tried everything other than keeping the lights out for a couple days to starve it out. I have some corals and didn't know if that would harm them as much as it would harm the algae?
My PC lights are on about 7 hours a day and the bulbs have been replaced during this process.
Not sure what to try next but am tired of watching the red hairy algae creep across the rocks.
EDIT: I also use RODI water
thanks
My 55 reef tank I've been fighting to some degree a red algae (some say it's cyano, other say it's red turf algae, it looks like green hair algae but is shorter and is red) for 6 months. If I pick it off as much as possible during PWC it helps but I can't get rid of it.
My ammonia is 0, nitrites 0, nitrates about 20 or slightly less.
The LFS said my CUC is too small, consists of a sand sifting star, serpent star, 8 snails (not sure what kind, cone shells), and 3 or 4 blue leg hermits. The LFS convinced me I needed a dozen scarlet hermits and they would take care of it. I'm a month later and still in the same boat, just have a dozen scarlet hermits in the mix now.
Stock I have a yellow tang, 2 clowns, 2 striped eel catfish, 1 red shrimp. I feed 1 frozen mysis cube a day and the tang gets a little dried algae too.
PWC are 10% each week with 1 30% change a month. Is this not enough or is my CUC not enough? Do I need a couple 50% changes in consecutive weeks?
I want to solve the problem not fix it temporarily.
I'm considering a HOB refugium if I can't get this problem solved.
I read the documentation on this site and tried everything other than keeping the lights out for a couple days to starve it out. I have some corals and didn't know if that would harm them as much as it would harm the algae?
My PC lights are on about 7 hours a day and the bulbs have been replaced during this process.
Not sure what to try next but am tired of watching the red hairy algae creep across the rocks.
EDIT: I also use RODI water
thanks
