CUC Question

[Neoz]

I have some light algae starting to come in. See pic below. Tested and all my test come back good. No ammonia, Nitrate, or Nitrite. Calcium is 440pm. PH is 8.3. Salinity is 1.025. Working on bringing that up slowly.

I'm wondering if I would be ok to add just a few snails or crabs? Whatever will work on this alge. I'm going to leave the lights off for a few days to see if that helps. I just don't want it to get out of control is all. So throw me some names out please.

Second I know I dread the LFS. But is it ok to buy snails and crabs there? I'm not planning on making a run to ABC Reefs till next weekend.

Thanks..

 

[flamron]

Looks like Green Hair Algae - Normal part of cycling. I'd wait to add anything until about six weeks (even though your readings are zero). Patience is a big key in this hobby.

If you've been cycling for about six weeks and have had zero readings for a couple weeks, then I would say go ahead with the CUC. I would add some nassarius (sp?) snails, along with some turbo snails. If you want crabs, that is fine too. I'd recommend either scarlets or blue/red legged crabs. I've had good luck with emerald crabs, but have read that they can be nasty on occasion.

You could probably start out with 15 or so snails and about the same with crabs and see how they do. If you see they are doing a good job, but it isn't quite enough, then you could add that many again.

HTH,

 

[daveverdo]

IMO, If you are still cycling there is no need to have the lights on.

Was you LR "live" when you put it in or was it dead and dry. If the rock was directly from the running tank you bought or if it was cooked you may never see an ammonia spike and can add you CUC any time.

Dave

 

[sedor]

If the rock was directly from the running tank you bought or if it was cooked you may never see an ammonia spike and can add you CUC any time.

If the rock was cooked which it looks like it wasn't true live rock, then your going to want to go to the LFS and get a piece of nice, cured rock so you can start to seed yours.

 

[Neoz]

The Marco Rock was precycled and dry when I received it. The other rock was from DrBronx tank. I posted a picture of one of the rocks from Jerrys tank.

I do plan on leaving the lights off and see if that helps. I figured this was normal I just didn't want it to run wild. I have seen some horror pictures were the hair algae was 5" off the rock

 

[daveverdo]

Did you "seed" the tank with anything besides the one rock from Jerry?

As I mentioned, somewhere else, if you feel like taking a ride to Horseheads I have a few small rocks and some rubble to help jump starts things.

Pods, worms, critters of all kinds. Some nice neon green polyps on a few, possibly who knows what else. A few bucks or you can own me a frag depending on how much and what you take.

Dave

 

[Neoz]

Yeah I believe I got 60lbs or so from Jerry. Dave you have PM coming...

 

[Piazzon12]

algae is no big deal, it's coming no matter what you do... so don't panic. you seem to be keeping the polyps alive just fine so I'd say your tank is in good shape, and the rock from Dr. B should seed your tank just fine. you could add a CUC if you wanted at this point, but not totally necessary. You want to be sure the critters dont starve so I wouldnt get too many. CUC's are normally much cheaper online if you plan to buy alot. I'd wait and just place a large order once you get a little more algae. Also, I'd still run the lights, just not for a full period and SG of 1.025 is just fine... I keep mine around 1.024-025 as a guard in case it drifts up or down... as SG measurement can be tricky, even with a refractometer.

 

[reefscape15]

I was going to say the same thing as Adam did about your SG. 1.026 is where I try to keep mine at, but it varies I'm sure. I'd wait till you go to ABC, or a few weeks until you can get back up to Finnyas to get your CUC. The algae is just something that happens in new tanks, and there's really nothing you can do about it. Once the algae starts leaving the tank, that is when the lovely pinks, purples, greens, and reds (and if your lucky, oranges) start to colonize the rock. 60lbs of LR mixed in with the dry rock you have is more than enough to start colonizing the dry rock, but it is best to grab as many small pieces from different HEALTHY tanks as you can. This way you will be getting a little bit of everything instead of a lot of only maybe a few things imported on the rock.

 

[nwrogers]

Don't stress about the algae. Everyone's tank has it. Its just that in most tanks you never see it because the tangs keep it eaten down to nothing. Algae is a necessary part of a reef tank. It keeps the crabs and herbivores fish fed. The fact that algae is growing is also a very good sign that your tank is doing well. You may already know this but corals get their color from a symbiotic algae called zooxanthellae that lives inside of them. If you weren't able to grow algae you wouldn't be able to keep corals. Anyway moral of the story is if Drbronx took his tang and his foxface out of his tank for one week he would have so much hair algae you wouldn't be able to tell it was the same tank (same goes for me and most others). In other words be happy about the hair algae! Cherish it and hope it grows long and delicious. Your tangs, corals, and inverts will thank you for it!!

 

[reefscape15]

Very well put Nate!

 

[Neoz]

Sounds like good information from people who know more then me . I'll hold off on getting any CUC at this time. I'll also run the lights but I will cut back the duration.

I will be making a run to ABC Reefs next weekend to pickup a few things, if anyone needs anything give me a shout. Be more then happy to pick it for you and save you a trip up.

 

[livingstone]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15415393#post15415393 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Neoz
I will be making a run to ABC Reefs next weekend to pickup a few things, if anyone needs anything give me a shout. Be more then happy to pick it for you and save you a trip up.

That's kind of like saving me from having a wonderful meal at a great restaurant. But worse!