algea problems

[magooo2]

Does the brown algea ever really all go away??? My cleaning crew does an ok job but on occasions it seams that they get lazy. Parameters are all within normal specs ...
Salinty 1.023
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Ph 8
Claeaning crew consists of 5 turbo snails and 8 red legged hermits .I have even noticed a couple of dark green algea spots on the sand bed from time to time. There is 35# s of live rock with only a clarkiee clown and a blenny in this tank.(also a coral banded shrimp.) The lighting is a 110 w VHO.
There is a canister magnum fliter and also a hang on canister as well. Should I add a fighting conch to help clean the sand bed???
Also looking to add a protein skimmer . Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[alison]

:happyfish Ya, the brown algae never really goes away unless you have a million dollars to spend. A protein skimmer REALLY helps make a cleaner tank, and conches do clean the sand, but not that much, unless you got a ton of them. I started at your size and everything was way harder to keep level, and clean. If I knew what just going up to a 60 would do, I would have started there. Now I wanna go 180 gal. The higher you go the easier to keep level and clean. Try adding way more snails, and keeping up on maintenance. Hope I helped a little, good luck.

 

[magooo2]

thanx for the info alison. I thought that a 40 would be a good starting size but as I can read here i was wrong. I have been eyeballing a 90 recently but..(Cost) &..new seems to be the costly way to go. I have checked around locally and on e bay but nothing really of that size within a decent dollar range.
I have looked for skimmers as well ...not sure which one will be a good perchase.

 

[daredevil]

What does a simple protien skimmer cost? I don't need it ti be another filter altogether and what not. All I want is a simple one.

 

[alison]

:happyfish Well, they can really vary in price. The cheapest I've ever seen was 70$, but their crap. I love my knop. Good luck.

 

[magooo2]

I have been eyeballing a seaclone but wasnt sure if it was a gimick considering the price. I would want to stay a way from a hang on type model only because it clutters the back of the tank. Suggestions please...:help:

 

[ivanfj]

You can look at the Prizm. It's quite small but I find mine making weird noise once in a while and the instruction isn't really that clear and I had all the trouble in the world having it started. Other than that, it's a pretty good investment and it's pretty cheap as well.