diatoms?

[jadeguppy]

I have a brown dust getting all over the sand and rocks. Is this diatoms? If so, what eats it/ how can I get rid of it?

thanks!

 

[sonic1634]

i dont know exacly what diatoms...however i do know that a gobys,fighing knonck(sp()i know that not right),lawn mower blennie i think and serpents starfish i think all are cleaners and will eat that brown stuff

 

[jadeguppy]

I should have mentioned that it is a 5g nano. I like goby's, will any of the fish yuo mentioned do well in a 5g?

 

[sonic1634]

the fighting conch well probly be ur best bet....or the starfish i think that one or the other will do fine the counch like a small shell i really like mine check those out first but on the other hand the starfish is really cool too

 

[faulkincanyon]

your gonna have diatoms anyway....just let it do its thing and it should soon subside...it wouldnt hurt to put a few snails in.

 

[jadeguppy]

I have 2 snails, but they stay on the glass. Is there a particular type that eat the diatoms and clean the rocks? If I need to, I can glue down the corals.

 

[kau_cinta_ku]

stick to nass. snails they burry in the sand and will clean it up well. a conch will get to big for that tank and a star fish will starve and i even think the gob't that do sand sift would get to big for that tank.

 

[faulkincanyon]

snails that are good for the sand bed are the Nassarius snail or cerith snail..ceriths tend to go on the glass and rock a little as well where as nessarius kind of stick to the sand bed

 

[jadeguppy]

Thanks guys. I'll call the store Monday. It hasn't gotten too bad yet, so hopefully one will do the trick. I am trying to keep the bioload down, but I do need the proper cleaners.

 

[sonic1634]

couldnt you just feed the star shrimp as well