cloudy tank

[cgarr017]

so scarlet red hermit vs blue leg hermit. any notable differences? they won't bother sps corals or any others? can you keep both kinds of hermits safely?

also we deterred from the main issue of cloudiness...i really doubt it can be from overfeeding cause it's only been twice that i have fed brine now in addition to flake. and the large cleanup crew slowly dying off has never before given me a problem

 

[demonsp]

Hermits are great scavangers. They can get in areas that other CUC cant reach and as a tool in water quality with very low needs.

 

[downhillbiker]

blue legs are way cheaper and they are smaller, so they dont cause as much problems. scarlets are supposed to be the most reef safe, but the blue legs are totally reef safe. a single blue leg will eat 4x as much as a single scarlet that is 2x the size of the blue leg. the scarlets are very slow and almost lathargic in their activity.

have you checked your skimmer? what is it up to? when did you last change your carbon? i run carbon in a canister filter, because carbon works better under pressure. i also use the filter media and change it every other day to keep from phosphates building up. did you dose with any calcium or kalk or anything?

 

[cgarr017]

skimmer is doing ok produces decent amount of foam i don't use carbon, phosphate lvls have never been detectable. just maintaining calcium lvls with tropic marin bio calcium

i have heard bad things about hermits maybe just diff species but have heard about hermits nipping SPS, eating beneficial worms and irrating clams all of which i have

 

[demonsp]

If you have to many or your tank is under fead then any food source can look good.

Its all about balance. Stock ,feeding , waste , lighting , ect..

 

[cgarr017]

well like you said only feed what the fish can eat in a couple mins and not to overfeed, then you suggest hermits. But whats to say the hermits don't get tired of eating algae and never really get any of the fish's food so they start eating my small clam?

 

[downhillbiker]

i have many hermits including blue leg, scarlet, and bigger ones, and none of them pick at anything, that i have seen. i think you would be fine.

carbon is used to not only pull bad stuff out of water, but also as a water polisher. it just clears up the water, i would look into it, and its cheap.

 

[demonsp]

Hermits dont eat algea or if they do its not there main diet. Uneatin food , dead pods , fish waste , and other hermits sometimes but not algea. Nass snails are like hermits but care for the SB only. Turbos , some fish , margs , cierth , and conch snails love algea.
But algea is better controlled by flow and water source and powerhead placement and LR placement and feeding scedule and stocking and lights and tank maintance and equipment you have or dont have and need.

 

[downhillbiker]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12422783#post12422783 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by demonsp
Hermits dont eat algea or if they do its not there main diet. Uneatin food , dead pods , fish waste , and other hermits sometimes but not algea.

that is 100% false. i watch my hermits pick algae all day every day.

algae is best controlled by source, phosphates. but also clean up with tangs, lawnmower blennies, rainford's goby, sandsifters, HERMIT CRABS, emerald crabs, turbo snails, ect.

 

[demonsp]

They are scavangers and will eat anything.So 100% false is wrong. They will eat algea but wont control and better used as a scavanger. THey are a all purpose critter.

Sorry about the not there main diet remark. My thought is if you have algea problems then dont expect them to control it.

 

[demonsp]

I need to be much more specific i guess.Though i did say they would eat algea.

 

[downhillbiker]

agreed.

 

[cgarr017]

alright well back to the original problem of a cloudy tank. assuming that it is in fact a bacterial explosion, what can i do to fix it and in the time being will it potentially harm any of my livestock?