Clean up crew.

[mrcrazypants05]

65gallon tank. Okay so my tank has been cycled for around 4 months now. Heres my clean up crew as of now...

1 lawnmower blenny
6 nassarius snails. (I plan to order around 50 of these guys from ebay. any recommendations?)
6 zebra hermit crabs... These guys ive had for around 3 months. one dwarfs the rest. haha he's a monster.
8 newly added blue leg hermits. These guys are pretty tiny.
6 astrea snails.
1 newly added fighting conch
1 newly added skunk cleaner shrimp

I have hair algae, bubble algae, a little cyano. brown algae which is quickly going away and being replaced by coralline. My lawnmower blenny loves the brown stuff though.

Anyway... I've cut back to 8 hours of daylight, and 10 hours of actinic. I've removed a lot of hair algae by hand... The bubble algae i can remove by hand but theres quite a bit of it. I've heard some people have been able to get emerald crabs would who eat it occasionally.

What are your ideas for additions? Or any ideas will help really.

 

[revhtree]

Do you have a phosphate test kit?

What are your Nitrates?

 

[austinsdad]

Better water movement and RO/DI water. Yeah, it'd be interestig to see your phosphate reading.

Also, I'm a bit concerned that 50 nassarius might be too much - by themselves, but even more so in a 4 month old tank. They'll likely starve I believe.

 

[roka64]

10 hours of actinic

I may be wrong, but that seems like it might be a lot. I run mine 30 mins bafore and after lights out. What kind of filter are you using? If you update "my info" with tank/equip/critters, we might be able to help better....

+++EDIT+++
Ooppss...just saw your list under your sig file...What kind of filter are you using? I have a feeling, if you have sponges/bio-ball/wheels, that might be a part of the algae.....

 

[austinsdad]

10 hrs is fine IMO. I run my blue's/actinics a whole hour before and after the daylights - and during of course. Just like yours.

 

[roka64]

10 hrs is fine IMO. I run my blue's/actinics a whole hour before and after the daylights - and during of course. Just like yours.

Cool, thanks for the info. I didn't realize you could run them that long, and with the regular lights on.

Does that help? What is the purpose of them? Just a different light spectrum?

Thanks!

 

[austinsdad]

Just a different light spectrum?

yep, and prettier too IMO

 

[roka64]

prettier too

I agree with that!

 

[Hara]

I think you are ok with your clean up crew. Manual removal of hair algae along with correcting water conditions are the best way of dealing with that. Valonia is very delicate and bursting just one bubble will reseed your tank. If you plan on manually removing it, do it by taking the rock out of the water first.

Here is something I wrote on nuisance algae control:
http://www.fantasyreef.com/showthread.php?t=478

 

[Trameltanz]

Hara, thanks for the link. I run my CoralLife 10k and Actinic from 10am-12pm. Then again from 6-9pm. I was hoping to shoot for more but after a few days I noticed brown algae on the rock.

I have a CoralBeauty, RedCorisWrasse, Singapore Angel, BlackPercula, and 2 Chromis. 4 Nar.Snail, 2 urchin, 1 brittle star, 2 choc chip star, and 2 cleaner shrimp. 55gal tank, wet/dry with mag7 that has run for 2 weeks, eheim 2213 and 2215, and uv steril. (not sure if this is necessary). The algae really pisses me off! lol I do water changes weekly but I have not invested in the RO/DI system yet. *sigh* I know any one of the mentioned factors can be a problem but if I keep the lights out for a few days it gets GORGEOUS again.

 

[mrcrazypants05]

I don't have a phosphate test kit, but I will test for nitrates tomorrow. I use RO/DI water and if my tds start to read over 4-5ppm I always change the DI resin. I probably should upgrade skimmers as well... I normally do a weekly 10% pwc. Anyway... I'll get the nitrate readings tomorrow. I'm in the process of ordering some salifert test kits.

 

[demodiki]

How old are your bulbs?

 

[austinsdad]

I run my CoralLife 10k and Actinic from 10am-12pm. Then again from 6-9pm.

I'm wondering if lights on and off each day is OK. IMO, the fish should have more normal daily light cycles. On for 8-10 hrs and off, not on, then off and back off again. Just like in the oceans.

 

[FishFrik]

Does that help? What is the purpose of them? Just a different light spectrum?

I believe actinic's wattage is also included in your lighting's total wattage, so more light for your corals. Also coralline likes the actinic spectrum.