Algae (?) question

[rtlimpus]

This is probably been answered a million times- so I apologize ahead of time.
But..........There are these little green feathers all over my glass today. I havent noticed them before today, so I scraped them off (best as I could) with my magnet. I know that CUC's take care of most issues, and I have snails (about 5) and hermits (also 5). I also have 2 peppermint shrimp. I found a HUGE turbo snail at LFS I was thinking about, but I only have a 29 nano cube. Which CUC member would be best suited for the green (presumably) algae?

 

[mkroher]

Is it a new tank? Is there plenty of water flow?
Don't buy your snails/hermits at a local fish store. It's too expensive. Unless of course money is no object to you. You can get a group of 10 critters from this site for the price of one at that store.
From experience, my turbo snails only stay on the glass or rocks. The only snails that traveled on the sand were my nassarius snails. My hermits clean both rocks and sand.
My hermits ate all the nassarius snails too.

 

[geoj]

I think Trochus snails would be better than the large Turbos...

 

[ibanez]

I just was looking back on some of the nano threads, and.... I remember you from that. How is your anemone doing? Did it make it with the switchover?

 

[bizzmoneyb]

ive heard mexican turbos are great for algae.

 

[rtlimpus]

Originally Posted by IbanEz
http:///forum/post/3243416
I just was looking back on some of the nano threads, and.... I remember you from that. How is your anemone doing? Did it make it with the switchover?
My anemone is making it so far so good- thanks for asking. I was so excited when he ate his first silverside!

After lots of research I have found that he is very "bleached" and not a healthy guy, so I feel happy he is doing as well as he is. I dont even know what he is. Maybe a BTA? My little clown is sure checking him out now.
I also still have the annoying aiptasia, one right next to him. (For the record, the boiling water seems to work at killing them) but there is one so close to my nem that I am afraid to do anything to it.
This "algae" has shown up in my new nano, which is (re)-established and about 4 months old now. (Yes- I know now that it is a young tank- probably too young for the anemone. But..... I bought before I knew) So I guess I need work on my CUC. I am here every day learning and researching........

learning and researching. So any help on the green stuff would be appreciated!

 

[rtlimpus]

Originally Posted by mkroher
http:///forum/post/3243388
Is it a new tank? Is there plenty of water flow?
Don't buy your snails/hermits at a local fish store. It's too expensive. Unless of course money is no object to you. You can get a group of 10 critters from this site for the price of one at that store.
From experience, my turbo snails only stay on the glass or rocks. The only snails that traveled on the sand were my nassarius snails. My hermits clean both rocks and sand.
My hermits ate all the nassarius snails too.
Oh- and lots of water flow. Two built in and a coralia 1.

 

[ibanez]

At the time you first got here you didn't have the profile picture, that is what threw me off. That is good to hear about the anemone, stuff happens but it looks like it is hangin in there. It is open and that is good.
I have had issues with that form of algae before. It sure is ugly, but it wipes off easy. I am not sure what ate it in my tank. Could have been a mexican turbo. It was just there one day, gone the next. It has been a long time ago so I am not sure, but I seem to remember my mexican turbo hanging out on the glass near it a lot.
If you get a turbo, I would only get one, and a smaller one. Also the trochus or two, maybe 3 ceriths, which my ceriths occasionally venture onto the glass, but are good sand sifters, and a couple margarita snails which are on the glass all the time, keeping it looking good. It is a fine line between having the right clean up crew, and having to many because they will starve. A little algae present in a system is good, because it is food for your CUC. Other than the anemone(which can create a lot of waste depending on how much you feed him) you don't have a real heavy bioload right now so algae may be fairly slow to grow.