Dave Stewart
New member
I need a few MEXICAN turbos for a 29 gal tank with a bad case of red hair algae. I read somewhere that the Mexican variety are the best solution. Any local stores have these? Thanks.
Mexican Turbos
- Thread starter Dave Stewart
- Start date
aquatictec
.Registered Member
mexican turbos
mexican turbos
Mexiacn turbos do not eat cyanobacteria
nothing eats cyanobacteria except (insert something you dont like here)
stronger water circulation helps to get rid of it as well as improving your water quality. If you have sand or gravel clean it.
Once or 2x weekly manualy remove it from your system and you will be harvesting whatever it is that is making it grow well.
Greg
Aquatic Technology
mexican turbos
Mexiacn turbos do not eat cyanobacteria
nothing eats cyanobacteria except (insert something you dont like here)
stronger water circulation helps to get rid of it as well as improving your water quality. If you have sand or gravel clean it.
Once or 2x weekly manualy remove it from your system and you will be harvesting whatever it is that is making it grow well.
Greg
Aquatic Technology
Dave Stewart
New member
I don't think it's cyano. Isn't cyano green? The site I looked at called it Asparagopsis taxiformis. It's red & fussy in appearance. Hairs are short & tight packed blanketing the rock. Maybe I'm wrong...
itZme
New member
Cyanobacteria is red but it is a slimy red film, not a thick bushy red like the stuff you linked to. I have tons of that stuff and was going to order some Mexican turbos to attempt to clear my tank of this junk.
I found them at eTropicals.com and if you order $60 or more they ship free. If you are interested in 6 or more I would like a dozen. They are $3.50 each and 18 of them is $63 delivered.
I will definitely take 12 but don't really need 18 or more. I am about 30 minutes west of Akron and could meet you somewhere if you wanted to go in on an order or if you are going to the next meeting I could bing them there.
-- Kevin
I found them at eTropicals.com and if you order $60 or more they ship free. If you are interested in 6 or more I would like a dozen. They are $3.50 each and 18 of them is $63 delivered.
I will definitely take 12 but don't really need 18 or more. I am about 30 minutes west of Akron and could meet you somewhere if you wanted to go in on an order or if you are going to the next meeting I could bing them there.
-- Kevin
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Dave Stewart
New member
Sure, I'll buy 6 of them. I can come to the meeting if you think they'll be here by Friday. Just let me know. Thanks Kevin.
I went to Aquarium Adventure and bought a 40 gallon breeder tank. I looked over there live stock and did find some turbo (not
Astraea) for 4.99 each. All live stock is 50% off, so I got 4 for 10.00. Not sure if are Mexican. Some to think about if you close and want to try the turbos for your algae.
And I did not find one bit of bubble algae on any snails.
Phil
Astraea) for 4.99 each. All live stock is 50% off, so I got 4 for 10.00. Not sure if are Mexican. Some to think about if you close and want to try the turbos for your algae.
And I did not find one bit of bubble algae on any snails.
Phil
itZme
New member
Well I picked up a dozen from Greg at Aquatic Technology yesterday and today when I got home I found them doing their job nicely on that nasty red cotton candy algae. Check out this trail of clean 
Dave Stewart I guess that means I won't be going to order any online. But you could get them from AT and it's worth the 45 minute drive from Kent.
-- Kevin
Dave Stewart I guess that means I won't be going to order any online. But you could get them from AT and it's worth the 45 minute drive from Kent.
-- Kevin
Dave Stewart
New member
Ibought 6 at Aquatic Tech yesterday. $2.99. Hope I get the same results as Kevin...
Mantis
Active member
If anyone is having a problem with the red cotton candy algea,
it really thrives in high silcates.
I had let my Silcate busting DI resin go WAY too long, and it was dumping a boat load of silicates back into my system via my top-off water, the cotton candy algea was going gang busters and I couldn't figure it out.
PO4 was reading .01 on a Hanna meter and nitrate was 0 with a LaMonte test kit. Like most of us, I wasn't testing for silicates, because there really isn't a reliable test.
Anyway, I figured it out and got rid of the exhausted DI, and the algea has now complete vanished with the help of some Mexican Turbos. I just wish the Mexican Turbos could handle the warm temperatures in our systems better. They really don't last very long.
it really thrives in high silcates.
I had let my Silcate busting DI resin go WAY too long, and it was dumping a boat load of silicates back into my system via my top-off water, the cotton candy algea was going gang busters and I couldn't figure it out.
PO4 was reading .01 on a Hanna meter and nitrate was 0 with a LaMonte test kit. Like most of us, I wasn't testing for silicates, because there really isn't a reliable test.
Anyway, I figured it out and got rid of the exhausted DI, and the algea has now complete vanished with the help of some Mexican Turbos. I just wish the Mexican Turbos could handle the warm temperatures in our systems better. They really don't last very long.
Be careful about them starving to death: sometimes they can do their jobs a little TOO well, and they often get overstocked. You may end up having to actively feed them to keep them alive.
I have just one zebra in a 55 gal tank, and it handles most of the algae all by itself, with my few other snails handling areas it wont fit into.
It's also my understanding that Zebra Turbos in particular handle warmer reef temps much better than regular Mexican Turbos, since they come from slightly warmer waters. Is that true?
I have just one zebra in a 55 gal tank, and it handles most of the algae all by itself, with my few other snails handling areas it wont fit into.
It's also my understanding that Zebra Turbos in particular handle warmer reef temps much better than regular Mexican Turbos, since they come from slightly warmer waters. Is that true?
Good.
When I first started, I unwittingly bought orange turbos thinking they would be good for a reef tank. They ate and ate... but didn't last more than a few months in 78degree water. I felt terrible, but it was too late by the time I realized that this was likely the problem (my nitrates are still non-zero, but this doesn't seem to have hurt my other snails).
Unfortunately, it seems like some of the snails best suited to reef tank temperatures are less available than those which aren't.
When I first started, I unwittingly bought orange turbos thinking they would be good for a reef tank. They ate and ate... but didn't last more than a few months in 78degree water. I felt terrible, but it was too late by the time I realized that this was likely the problem (my nitrates are still non-zero, but this doesn't seem to have hurt my other snails).
Unfortunately, it seems like some of the snails best suited to reef tank temperatures are less available than those which aren't.
itZme
New member
Thought I would update you on this situation. Here's a picture from 2/10/08. I know, I know I let it get WAY worse than I should have before doing something. I was trying to pull it as it grew but it was a losing battle.
I added 12 Mexican Turbos from Aquatic Tech ($36 + tax) and this is a picture from today. Most of the algae is wiped out and there is a pocket of it in the back they are working on. I will split them up between the 4 tanks when they are all done cleaning this one and there should be enough algae growth to sustain the 12 of them. I might even sell off a few when they aren't needed anymore.
Picture is kinda washed out but you should get the point. Now maybe I can get some coraline growth on those rocks. My other tanks are all purple but this is fairly new. (6 months or so)
-- Kevin
I added 12 Mexican Turbos from Aquatic Tech ($36 + tax) and this is a picture from today. Most of the algae is wiped out and there is a pocket of it in the back they are working on. I will split them up between the 4 tanks when they are all done cleaning this one and there should be enough algae growth to sustain the 12 of them. I might even sell off a few when they aren't needed anymore.
Picture is kinda washed out but you should get the point. Now maybe I can get some coraline growth on those rocks
. My other tanks are all purple but this is fairly new. (6 months or so)-- Kevin
