My 90 G has been up and running for about 3 weeks. I was using PurpleUp for a couple of weeks and began growing a lot of brown and green algae in the last couple of days. I discontinued the PurpleUp and bought a cleaning crew of 25 hermit crabs, 5 turbo snails, and 6 astria snails. Is this an adequate clean up crew? Is this a sign that the tank has not yet completely cycled? How do you know when the tank is completely cycled? Water flow is now up to ~ 2,700 gph. Thanks in advance for the advice.
Algae/Tank Cycling Question
- Thread starter jdm01
- Start date
I would say that your tank is probably not completely cycled at 3 weeks. Tanks take a while to mature, sometimes as long as 6 months. In my 92 I have about 2 time that many hermits and about 5 times that many snails, but I have a high bioload. I think you will definately want to get more astrea snails though. I seriously doubt that the Purple up is the cause of your algae problems since it is mainly calcium based. HTH
PatMayo
New member
This is a normal part of the new tank. You may go through several algae blooms while the tank is aging.
I think you would have been better off getting fewer hermit crabs and more snails. They will actually do a better job of cleaning algae than hermits. Hermits will eat the dietrus better than the snails.
I think more information would be helpful. For instance do you have live rock in your tank? Cured or uncured?
If so did you cure the rock in the tank or outside the tank?
Do you have test kits to test the ammonia, nitrite and nitrates? Using these tests will ensure that you tank cycled completely.
You water flow is just fine. I would just wait out the algae blooms but I think I would reverse the amount of clean up crew. My hermit crabs eat my snails. You may not have enough for the hermits to eat in your tank right now and they will go after your snails.
I hope this helps, give some more facts about your tank and others can help as well.
Regards,
Pat
I think you would have been better off getting fewer hermit crabs and more snails. They will actually do a better job of cleaning algae than hermits. Hermits will eat the dietrus better than the snails.
I think more information would be helpful. For instance do you have live rock in your tank? Cured or uncured?
If so did you cure the rock in the tank or outside the tank?
Do you have test kits to test the ammonia, nitrite and nitrates? Using these tests will ensure that you tank cycled completely.
You water flow is just fine. I would just wait out the algae blooms but I think I would reverse the amount of clean up crew. My hermit crabs eat my snails. You may not have enough for the hermits to eat in your tank right now and they will go after your snails.
I hope this helps, give some more facts about your tank and others can help as well.
Regards,
Pat
Thanks Pat!!! That's what I get for listening to the LFS. I have 116 lb of rock in the tank about 50/50 between fully cured live rock and base rock. I have a substrate mix of live marine sand, crushed coral, and puka shells. I do have the test kits you mention and most of the parameters are in good shape. I may need to check the Ph again. I can always drop in a little zooplankton if that would keep the hermits happy.
PatMayo
New member
I don't know if zooplankton will help the hermits. Someone else may have a better answer for that.
I don't quite understand what you mean by base rock? I can tell you that I used fully cured rock in my tank and never had a cycle. I just added the cleanup crew of about 4 hermits and 10 snails. I only have 7 snails left because the hermits took out 2 and my seio powerhead took out another. I also added 2 clowns at the get go. The tank has been up for 67 days today. At the end of April I plan on adding some easy soft corals. I will wait another 30 days and then add a few more corals. I'm also thinking I will add about 3 or 4 fairy wrasses and that will be the total fish load.
Regards,
Pat
I don't quite understand what you mean by base rock? I can tell you that I used fully cured rock in my tank and never had a cycle. I just added the cleanup crew of about 4 hermits and 10 snails. I only have 7 snails left because the hermits took out 2 and my seio powerhead took out another. I also added 2 clowns at the get go. The tank has been up for 67 days today. At the end of April I plan on adding some easy soft corals. I will wait another 30 days and then add a few more corals. I'm also thinking I will add about 3 or 4 fairy wrasses and that will be the total fish load.
Regards,
Pat
I have a total of 116 lbs of rock. One half of the rock is fully cured live rock. The other half was dead. Sounds like the 5 turbos and 6 astria are enough. I was toying with adding 3 more turbos given the amount of green and brown algae. I may add a couple of damsels this weekend. I have a couple of coral frags from my grow tank that I may add - one is a feather duster. Thanks for your help Pat!!!
yeah my hermits eat anything, i also reccommend stomatella snails for they are excellent algae grazer and they reproduce alot......now i would have to say about the cycling , is that every tank is different, i have about 100 lbs of cured figi and another 80 lbs of marshall island that was in a system that was going for 5 yrs...also about 50 lbs of refugium snails on top of about 40lbs of live sand..my tank cycled for 4 months at least and now everytime i add something different like new lights or something, that it goes through alage blooms and it looks almost as its recycling again.....i think what helped my tank was my refugium....
i have seen many people have there fuges in there sump, just as long as you have a light on the fuge part 24/7, and they dont require anything more than an 18 watt flurescent for every 20 gallons...but the more lighting the fatser it grows, and the faster your tank will establish and the faster your micro algea goes bye byes, oh and the better your nitrates will be, matter of fact it will rid all your nitrates as long as you have enough flow from the main tank cycle through the fuge before it gets to your sump....just keep in mind fuges dont need alot of current, just enough to move water through it, too much then the macro wont attach and end up in your main tank, and depending on what type of macro your gonna be using this could be a bad thing since you dont want macro growing in your main tank.... heres a pic of mine after one month in a 29 gallon with 4 flurencent bulbs on it, and the bulbs arent nothing special, just regular cheap 5 dollar bulbs
in this pic you can see after i cut it, the macro started turning brown, thats because of the nitrate spike mini grape calerpa gives off and some of it turned brown for about 3 days.....mini grape is the most noxious, whcih could crash a tank if you dont know what yoru doing.....i would reccomend cheato for begginers, but the mini grape works the best for removing excess nutrients from the water
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e19/spoonyluvr25b/DSCF0215pipe.jpg
in this pic you can see how thick it gets in a hurry also, and you can see the life the pods and critters throughout each branch on this stuff, my cam didnt see them but if you close up close to the tank then you can see life everywhere within a matter of 3 weeks....that pic was 4 weeks after i started the fuge....i had one quart to start with....i must trim it once every monnth in order for it to keep doing its job and not to reproduce asexually and become a problem for me....
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e19/spoonyluvr25b/Dscf0135.jpg
in this pic you can see after i cut it, the macro started turning brown, thats because of the nitrate spike mini grape calerpa gives off and some of it turned brown for about 3 days.....mini grape is the most noxious, whcih could crash a tank if you dont know what yoru doing.....i would reccomend cheato for begginers, but the mini grape works the best for removing excess nutrients from the water
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e19/spoonyluvr25b/DSCF0215pipe.jpg
in this pic you can see how thick it gets in a hurry also, and you can see the life the pods and critters throughout each branch on this stuff, my cam didnt see them but if you close up close to the tank then you can see life everywhere within a matter of 3 weeks....that pic was 4 weeks after i started the fuge....i had one quart to start with....i must trim it once every monnth in order for it to keep doing its job and not to reproduce asexually and become a problem for me....
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e19/spoonyluvr25b/Dscf0135.jpg
NeuroLarry
Premium Member
You may or may not see a nitrogen cycle with live rock, you may see a little bump in the ammonia and nitrites if you put a couple of cocktail shrimp in to get the cycle going. After 3 weeks with that much live rock you have probably completed the initial cycle. Remember your tank will cycle everytime you add a new bioload.
The algae you see is typical of the algae cycle you will get as well. The brown diatoms followed by the green algae are to be expected. If your parameters are good yuou can start stocking.
The algae you see is typical of the algae cycle you will get as well. The brown diatoms followed by the green algae are to be expected. If your parameters are good yuou can start stocking.
Thanks NeuroLarry. The water had been crystal clear. It is not that bad I just get tired of the algae. I keep reminding myself that if the water parameters are good, the algae will take care of itself. Next up a few extra snails and a couple of damsels. Will probably add a couple of homegrown frags as well.
I forgot to mention that I just checked the water again and all of the parameters are well within acceptable. I checked nitrate, nitrite, alk, ph, and ammonia. Ph may be a little low but I can get that boosted. I will check calcium this weekend. Will probably stick with aragamilk until things settle down. With the crushed coral, will I even need to add a calcium supplement?
NeuroLarry
Premium Member
A word of advice don't add any damsels! They will terrorize anything else you add and will be impossible to catch and get out. Believe me you will want to get them out. I would suggest some green or blue green chromis to start. They are hardy but very peaceful and make a nice shoaling group if you add a few. Odd numbers are best you could easily add 3 to start.
