Scum Question

[InxayonFinland]

As most of you know, i've had a nano going for about 2 months now. I have found that there is some scum or something growing on the sand and it seems impossible to get rid of it. I finally got a camera that can produce somewhat good pictures ( its actually my phone ) so i have some pictures for better idenification. If anyone knows how to get rid of this, that would be great. Thanks!

AND I GOT A PICTURE OF MY HUGE SHROOMS AND ONE OF MY CLOWNS!!!!

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[Serpentman]

Looks like cyanobacteria (aka algae).

 

[InxayonFinland]

What can I do to get rid of it?

 

[Serpentman]

Let me state first that I am not an expert. However, a couple of things to do are to make sure your nitrate levels are within proper parameters and that your phosphates are low. You should also consider a cleaning crew (snails, etc.) that will eat the algae.

You might also want to investigate a refugium to grow macroalgae which will draw on available nutrients to reduce nitrates and PO4.

 

[roka64]

How long do you run your lights?
I agree w/the cleaning crew. My sand looks like that, but I am in the process of removing my CC and replacing w/sand, so I haven't added my cleaning crew yet....

 

[InxayonFinland]

I run my lights from 7:45 A.M. to about 10:00 P.M.

What kind of snails should i get to help remove this algae from the sand and a little bit on the glass? Do banded trochus do well? Because i already have a cleaner shrimp, 5 margarita snails, and 2 hermit crabs.

 

[Serpentman]

The margarita snails probably won't last long as they are a temperate species and cannot tolerate long exposure to high temps (~78-80). There are a lot of websites out there that will sell packaged crews. Personally, I think you should select a variety of organisms and specifically design your crew for your own needs.

I found the following article very enlightening on the subject of cleaning crews:

http://www.reefland.com/rho/0305/medprod3.php

 

[seaham358]

IMO and from dealing with cyno from time to time there are NO inverts that will eat cyno. I have tried crabs, snails and none would eat it to the point that it is gone. I don't even think they ever ate it at all.
Test for phosphates and post numbers, what type of water are you using? how much flow is in the tank? what type of lighting and how old are the bulbs.
read up on cyno bacteria and red slime, there are tons of posts on the site.
I run a Phosban reactor 24/7 now to keep any po4 out of the system. Even with my ro/di having 0 po4 and not over feeding it still finds a way to get into the tank.

 

[Ayesha97]

Serpentman, thanks for the good read. Lots of interesting points.

 

[roka64]

You can probably cut down on your lighting. I run my lights for 10 hours a day. 12-10PM, just so I can get a few hours of seeing them when I get home from work, and I got out of the habit of feeding them every day! LOL, a noob thing, at least it was for me. Now I feed them every other day (a few times I waited two days, was trying to get my cleaner shrimp to clean), although I think I still feed them a tad too much. (I am feeding and watching the clock to see about how much they eat and how quickly, so I can adjust the amount).