getting rid of algae

[adeliel]

how do I get rid of green algae on my argonite substrate?? I have a about 15 hermits, an algae blenny, but to no avail..help please

 

[woodstock '69]

I expect there are many and better ways, but I just take my finger, or my 12" long stainless planting tweezers and make little circles in the substrate. Mine is an inch or less so I guess it's ok? Hopefully you eventually figure out how to inhibit the algae, or it just fades away on it's own.

Michael

 

[sir_dudeguy]

whats your nitrate and phosphates at? Those are what feed it. Usually just having a good cleanup crew (which imo hermits are not the greatest by far anyways) isnt going to stop algae from growing...just eat it as it grows. To stop it you need to get rid of the nutrients that its using.

And is it a new tnak? new tanks go thru algae phases for the first few months so if its new dont worry too much. But i'd get some cerith snails and maybe a sand sifting gobie (i dont think that algae (aka sailfin blennies) sift sand...but i could be wrong)

 

[3rotorFD]

turbo snails

 

[adeliel]

it's been up since August do you think old lighting has something to do with it? I haven't checked my water parameters in a few weeks, but it could be it..if my Nitrates and Phosphates are high what should I do?

 

[adeliel]

i have about 5 Turbos..the love my LR...hardly ever leave the LR

 

[adeliel]

I also have about 5 Nassarius Snails 5 olive snails

 

[adeliel]

What else can I do? Is Aragonite substrate good? Or is sand better? Can I stratify it, or is that a bad idea?

 

[Chappy]

RODI water. It's the best investment I ever made for my tanks. I have done several tanks, fish only and reef. When they get algae problems, it almost wants to make you quit. And I have taken whole tanks down because of it. My current tank has only had RODI and not a spot of algae other than a tiny bit on the glass that turbos take care of.

If you can get a sand sifting star, it will help.

 

[Whisperer]

Sand sifting diamond goby was a nice addition for me. He keeps my sand clean. My cucumber is too slow for the job. For me, sand is aesthetically more pleasing than the coarse aragonite. JMO

 

[sir_dudeguy]

Is Aragonite substrate good

sand is aragonite...(at least the stuff we use is)...so i'm guessing you mean that you've got crushed coral? If so, then yes get that out of there. It will be bad in the longrun (stuff gets trapped, rots, etc...)

and also turbos wont go in the sand like you say, but nassarius wont really eat algae either, and in any case, they mostly stay under the top layers of sand anyways.

Cerith snails are the best for that type of thing (if you got sand that is), along w/maybe a fighting conch or something (dont get queen conches tho...they'll die fast in a tank less than...very large lol)

 

[adeliel]

Yeah it said Aragonite, but it's not as fine as sand..so I don't really know?? Yeah I really have to get RODI unit, so expensive though!