Algae - What kind and is it ok.

[kattired34]

I have a 90 gallon tank with 3 damsels, 1 nemo, royal Gramma, 1 hermit crab (thanks to my BCS), 5 snails (that only crawl on the glass), 1 banded coral shrimp, and 1 pink tipped hatian anenome. The water quality is fine, some live rock and some neutral rock. The florescent lights are on for about 10 hours a day, on a timer. I do bi-weekly water changes of about 10% but don't have RO water yet.
I have had this tank for about 6 months and recently I have been getting this black slimey, gross algae on everything. How do I get rid of it? It is even growing on the sand.
My BCS has been killing all my algae eaters and he will be going to the fish store on Sat. to be replaced with some more hermits and turbo snails. Maybe some cleaner shrimp. Will this get rid of the problem?

 

[happyvac]

My first advice is to trade in that anemone. Fluorescents are generally pretty inadequate for anemones, and they pollute your water pretty badly when they kick the bucket.
I've never heard of anything eating what you have, which is I assume either some strange algae or cyanobacteria.
I'd encourage using some form of macro-algae like chaeto to absorb the excess nutrients that sustain this. Also, make sure you're skimming regularly and in the future opt for RO water. Good luck.

 

[kattired34]

Don't have a skimmer, LFS told me I didn't need one yet. I have had the anemome for a few months now and it is happy and growing.

 

[mrdc]

I would get a skimmer! You wouldn't believe the junky crap mine pulls out of the tank every few days. Really nasty stuff! I would also upgrade my clean up crew. I have a 120g and I have about 15 hermits, 30 or so snails, 2 brittle stars, a sand sifting cucumber, fighting conch (great sand cleaner BTW), 2 emeralds, 1 coral banded, 2 pistol shrimps and more...

 

[kattired34]

Will work on getting a skimmer, budget allowing. I had a pretty good clean up crew but my Banded Coral Shrimp has become quite aggressive and has killed most of them.
I just put a starfish in the tank the other day and he killed in one day. Pulled it into many pieces. He has also killed all the hermits but one. I don't dare get anymore cleaners until he goes. He is going to the LFS on Sat. they will give me credit for him.

 

[mrdc]

Originally Posted by kattired34
Will work on getting a skimmer, budget allowing. I had a pretty good clean up crew but my Banded Coral Shrimp has become quite aggressive and has killed most of them.
I just put a starfish in the tank the other day and he killed in one day. Pulled it into many pieces. He has also killed all the hermits but one. I don't dare get anymore cleaners until he goes. He is going to the LFS on Sat. they will give me credit for him.

If he is killing things like that then yes he should go! There are too mant non agressive cleaners that may help. My coral banded is small and never leaves the cave. I wonder how he even lives. I just shined my light on the cave and caught a glimse of him so he's still there.

 

[kattired34]

This BCS has molted about 10 times and is getting very large. He has gotten so aggressive he even comes out to chase the fish away from his cave when the light is on. I was read an article on them somewere and it said that BCS males are more aggressive than the females. I guess I got a male.

 

[rusting]

It sounds like you have cynobacteria. You may need to add 2 small powerheads to water flow. Do you use RO/DI water? Do you have CC or sand bed?

 

[kattired34]

Sand bed, about 3". I have 2 filters hang on the tank type that move the water pretty good. One has no media in it so that the water does not slow down.