Sand and Worm Issue

Too Sweet

New member
First question: How do I control the algea growth on my sand? I have to stir it up everyday because of the growth.

And I have about seven worms in the tank that are round and bristly and are getting bigger by the day... is this good or bad? they are pinkish white
 
you might need more flow, or your parameters might be out of wack. as for the worms, they are good for the tank, help clean up un-eaten food and such. if they get too big, you could always take them out...just use gloves..
 
I don't think stirring the sand is helping your problem, the algae will rot under the sand and release the phosphates and nitrates it had absorbed. I say vacuum it instead. As for worms there are several animals that will eat them, but they're beneficial to your tank, I'd personally keep them
 
A picture of the worms might help, but I think they're likely good to have.

Stirring the sand probably is making the situation worse. I'd look at the feeding levels. How long has the tank been running?
 
If the "algae" that is growing on the sand appears slimy, is red in color and has bubbles trapped within it then it is cyanobacter and you need to focus not so much on circulation, but on your parameters/levels of nitrates.
 
Too sweet, Do you think it's cyano bacteria? I guess that pictures would help. if it is cyano more light and flow will take care of that.
 
Also it is generally accepted that bristleworms or fireworms have a negative impact on marine systems as they prey on invertebrates (both sessile and motile) and reproduce rapidly. from your description these are probably what you've got in there.

There are traps you can buy and traps you can make yourself with pantyhose and krill. I'll let someone else chime in on the best DIY trap as the aforementioned variety is kinda hit and miss.
 
Sisterlimonpot: Thats just my guess as I have not seen pics. it sounds to me like cyano given how quickly it develops on sand. We will have to wait for a reply from the thread starter to find out.... or I can speculate more!

its been a few years since I've kept a reef (I'm showing signs of a new infection from the reef bug) but back then nobody wanted bristleworms.... has conventional wisdom changed/wisedup?
 
its been a few years since I've kept a reef (I'm showing signs of a new infection from the reef bug) but back then nobody wanted bristle worms.... has conventional wisdom changed/wised up?

I think it sounds more like the thread starter has diatoms. If that's the case, cerith snails eat it.
As far as bristle worms go, they are beneficial. They eat leftover food and stir the sand. All that said, pics would help.
 
its a brownish color algea that is growing. I will post a picture when I get home from work. I am positive there is on the sand. Also the tank is 5 months old. Tested yesterday my amonia was a tad off. Planning on doina a water change tomorrow.
 
if it is cyano bacteria - that tends to be pretty obvious, in that it is definitely more red than anything else. It covers rocks/sand or what have you with a red film. A lot of people can't simply add more lighting (which helps) but can certainly add more water flow (which most people can do). Try siphoning out the cyano also. There is a lot of posts on this subject if you think you have Cyano.
 
Picture of Algea

Picture of Algea

picture.php


Hope this helps
 
Diatoms...don't worry about them. You never mentioned the age of your tank. If its fairly new (within a year or so old I would say) then they are absolutely nothing to worry about.
 
Leave it alone, they are diatoms not algea and it just means your tank is maturing. They will go away on their own. Hope that helps.
 
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