I have a 60g tank with a 4inch niger trigger, 6inch lunare wrasse, a 14inch snowflake eel, a 3 inch bicolor blennie(crazy aggressive not normal for blennies IME) and a black and yellow damsel. it is a fowlr so i have a large amt of live rock around 40lb or so with about 2-3 inch sand bed i am starting to get a small algae problem not bad just some on the LR ive been able to get a large turbo snail and a fighting conch to stay alive and not get picked apart. i am wanting to get some kind of a cleaner crew together is there anything i can add lawnmower blennie, sea hare, anything like that?
cleaner options?
- Thread starter blacguy
- Start date
Your tank is overstocked. Your inhabitants are not appropriate for this size tank. A clean up crew will simply be a meal for the fish and eel. Either get a bigger tank, replace your inhabitants with appropriate ones or learn to temporarily enjoy an algae tank which will likely fail at some point in the future due to large inhabitants and aggression in a small tank.
Sorry, but if you want big boy fish, you need a big boy tank.
Sorry, but if you want big boy fish, you need a big boy tank.
Being condescending towards other hobbiast is real appropriate. This tank and a these inhabitants are well over a year old. They are not overly aggressive due to good feeding habits. I have the equipment way overrated to handle the bioload of this tank. It is also on a system with a 210g mixed reef and a 300g sump go get your own big boy tank. Don't assume things about other reefers. You should have simply said "I think your tank maybe overstocked I'm not sure what you can use." Anyone not under the age of 12 have any ideas?
jmm
New member
When I first started in this hobby (approximately 42 years ago) all tanks were pretty much fish only. Everybody thought algae was a sign of a healthy tank. Of course now it is an indication of high nitrates or phosphates and when they are way out of control they affect the fish. Not so much when they're slightly elevated. They are a curse to reef tanks because they overgrow sessile invertebrates and the conditions that allow their growth are usually detrimental to the corals, especially SPS.
A little algae in a fish only tank is not a cause for panic. Something will eat it, especially if you have rabbit fish or tangs. If not, pull it out with your hands if the eel will leave you alone. Your rocks, if there is no coral on it could be systematically pulled and cleaned (not all at once) if it bothers you.
A little algae in a fish only tank is not a cause for panic. Something will eat it, especially if you have rabbit fish or tangs. If not, pull it out with your hands if the eel will leave you alone. Your rocks, if there is no coral on it could be systematically pulled and cleaned (not all at once) if it bothers you.
Last edited:
CedzAquAddictio
New member
Even attached to other tanks and sumps, if the flow, light, and yes bioload isn't right in this one, excessive nutrients trapped in this tank will continue to be an issue and lead to algae. Can you share more details about your setup? Sounds like you are over 500 gallons in total. What size is the skimmer. Which and how many powerheads to you have in this tank? Where are they positioned? What are you feeding, and how much?
I tried to find the info in your other posts to help, but couldn't locate it. Some pictures of this setup would be helpful as well...
Thanks...
I tried to find the info in your other posts to help, but couldn't locate it. Some pictures of this setup would be helpful as well...
Thanks...
Last edited:
It's not much algae at all just a small amount of green hair algae that came in from another tank I was taking down. I have a 4ft 6bulb t5 running 7 hours with moon light leds running for 3 hours after light cycle. There is 0 outside light in the room during the day it's pitch black. I feed a mysis krill raw shrimp diet to this tank. I don't remember what model koralia power head I'm using but I don't seem to have any visable dead spots. As for getting a bigger tank that was the original idea this tank started as a holding tank for overly aggressive fish that where causing issues in my 210 reef I am making a 2500 mile move early next year and it's going to be hard enough with what I have now I don't want to add another 100+ tank right before I move. I have been able to add a turbo and a fighting conch and they haven't been touched in roughly a week I was mainly wondering if I could move over a sea hare from the other tank for a few days clean it up and be done or if it's to risky.
Bent
I got nothin'
The first post about your problem is correct, though harsh. You have a nutrient problem that's the direct result of housing fast growing, heavy feeding, messy animals in a tiny tank.
You have a Niger trigger, that gets upwards of a foot long, in a 60g. It eats like a pig and makes huge amounts of waste. There's nutrient problem number 1.
Then you have a SF eel, that gets upwards of 2' long. It eats like a pig and makes just as much waste if not more, than the trigger. Though I don't necessarily agree that a 60g is too small for one, it's certainly not helping your nutrient issue combined with the other guys. Problem number 2.
Then the Lunare Wrasse also gets about a foot long, and has the same above problems combined with needing a heck of a lot of swim room.
Your fish choices are borderline cruel, and you will not be able to keep your algae under control given the amount of nutrients they release. It's the equivalent of putting a Rottweiler in a 4 foot kennel and being unable to clean up after him.
You have a Niger trigger, that gets upwards of a foot long, in a 60g. It eats like a pig and makes huge amounts of waste. There's nutrient problem number 1.
Then you have a SF eel, that gets upwards of 2' long. It eats like a pig and makes just as much waste if not more, than the trigger. Though I don't necessarily agree that a 60g is too small for one, it's certainly not helping your nutrient issue combined with the other guys. Problem number 2.
Then the Lunare Wrasse also gets about a foot long, and has the same above problems combined with needing a heck of a lot of swim room.
Your fish choices are borderline cruel, and you will not be able to keep your algae under control given the amount of nutrients they release. It's the equivalent of putting a Rottweiler in a 4 foot kennel and being unable to clean up after him.
Last edited:
Dkuhlmann
New member
Welcome to RC Glad to hear it's just a holding tank and not their regular home. Sadly you will have the aggression with those particular species more often than not unless you have a HUGE tank, which even your 210 doesn't qualify as HUGE.
Try Nassarius snails they will mostly stay in the sand and pop out to feed when you feed the tank. Otherwise they will feed at night and clean glass and rocks as well as the sand. There are small Nassarius and then the large Tonga nassarius snails. I've got some of each. Those little guys can get into all kinds of tight places.
Try Nassarius snails they will mostly stay in the sand and pop out to feed when you feed the tank. Otherwise they will feed at night and clean glass and rocks as well as the sand. There are small Nassarius and then the large Tonga nassarius snails. I've got some of each. Those little guys can get into all kinds of tight places.
Last edited:
Yeah was not meant to be a long lasting situation the trigger Blennie and wrasse were all originally meant for my 210 reef but wrasse liked my shrimp trigger liked my mandarins and Blennie attacked anything that moved. So they ended up in holding. Snowflake is newest to the tank he is a rescue had a family member pass away after the burial I was told there was a large saltwater tank they needed to clear out they didn't think much was still alive In the tank no one had fed or done anything with it for a few weeks. It was way overgrown and I didn't see anything alive when I started to help tear down hence some lr with algae I now have but came across the snowflake when we were tearing down he was weak but now is healthy and active about a month or so In this situation. The lfs wouldn't take him said he was a goner. Once I move he will get his own tank with the trigger they swim and eat together.
Blacguy, I wasn't being condescending. Although reading it back could be interpreted that way. If you were sitting across from me you wouldn't have interpreted it that way. My apologies. 
Nevertheless, IMO, this setup is only going to get worse. Algae is going to grow where the waste is regardless if it's hooked to other systems as this tank will be the area where the most waste is located in the system. 1 year old inhabitants are still basically juveniles. The fish you have in this tank are going to get big and aggressive.
I too wanted big boy fish and so I bought a big boy tank. 8 feet long to be exact. I knew I couldn't keep most tangs, etc in my 90 gallon.
Nevertheless, IMO, this setup is only going to get worse. Algae is going to grow where the waste is regardless if it's hooked to other systems as this tank will be the area where the most waste is located in the system. 1 year old inhabitants are still basically juveniles. The fish you have in this tank are going to get big and aggressive.
I too wanted big boy fish and so I bought a big boy tank. 8 feet long to be exact.
I knew I couldn't keep most tangs, etc in my 90 gallon.
