anyone know how to keep the bottom clean?
- Thread starter fditty
- Start date
squidd
Active Member
Is this a sand bottom? Any Live sand or Live Rock to seed it with pods and worms and stuff?
Any crabs or snails in the tank to help out?
What kind of dirt, fish waste, snail waste,chunks of food,algae?...brown or red?
For the most part a sand bed full of "infauna" and a clean up crew
should be self cleaning...
Often in an aggressive setup, lacking a full complement of cleaners you will have to "help out"
In my aggressive tank I use a "bubble vac" which DOES NOT disturb the sand bed, it just gently sucks up the uneaten food,flakes and waste that accumulate from time to time.
If it's diatoms (brown) or cyno (red) you need to look for the cause and 'fix" that...
Any crabs or snails in the tank to help out?
What kind of dirt, fish waste, snail waste,chunks of food,algae?...brown or red?
For the most part a sand bed full of "infauna" and a clean up crew
should be self cleaning...
Often in an aggressive setup, lacking a full complement of cleaners you will have to "help out"
In my aggressive tank I use a "bubble vac" which DOES NOT disturb the sand bed, it just gently sucks up the uneaten food,flakes and waste that accumulate from time to time.
If it's diatoms (brown) or cyno (red) you need to look for the cause and 'fix" that...
squidd
Active Member
If it's "green" it's probably algae due to an excess of nutrients in the tank (nitrates,phosohates,etc) possably from overfeeding your fish?
How "old" is the tank (how long has it been set up) A "new" tank will have out breaks of algae untill it becomes established...
Part of becoming "established" is the growth of levels of "infauna"...that's the copopods.isopods,worms,etc. that generally come with "Live" rock and sand...or you could get a scoop from an established tank or the LR "curing" tub at the LFS.
Don't forget the snails and crabs...
I don't have experiance with the SFE/Anemone "combo" but it shouldn't be a problem as long as you can provide for the "lighting" requirements of the anemone.
How "old" is the tank (how long has it been set up) A "new" tank will have out breaks of algae untill it becomes established...
Part of becoming "established" is the growth of levels of "infauna"...that's the copopods.isopods,worms,etc. that generally come with "Live" rock and sand...or you could get a scoop from an established tank or the LR "curing" tub at the LFS.
Don't forget the snails and crabs...
I don't have experiance with the SFE/Anemone "combo" but it shouldn't be a problem as long as you can provide for the "lighting" requirements of the anemone.
beaslbob
Well-Known Member
Try turning your lights off for a couple of days and see if the green on the bottom is reduced.
It sure sound like algae or possibly bacteria (if there is such a thing as green cyano). Probably the bioload got ahead of your system's capacity to process the nitrates. Plant life is the most effective thing in reducing nitrAtes. But then your fish or eel may eat the plants.
It sure sound like algae or possibly bacteria (if there is such a thing as green cyano). Probably the bioload got ahead of your system's capacity to process the nitrates. Plant life is the most effective thing in reducing nitrAtes. But then your fish or eel may eat the plants.
kittykitty
Member
In my aggressive tank I use a "bubble vac" which DOES NOT disturb the sand bed, it just gently sucks up the uneaten food,flakes and waste that accumulate from time to time.
Bubble Vac? Where'd you get it? How's it work? Never heard of it. Sounds like a dream come true.
Bubble Vac? Where'd you get it? How's it work? Never heard of it. Sounds like a dream come true.
polarpooch
Active Member
I use a vac that attaches to my Magnum powerfilter. Best thing I ever bought. The powerfilter sucks up the scum without having to wait for water changes. I think it ran somewhere around $30 for the hose and attachment. Of course, you need the Magnum first, and those are around 50.00.
OK, now we're at 80 bucks...so if you don't want to spend the dough, I would suggest the cleanup crew. My turbo snails and blue legs last quite a while before any of my eels figure out they are there.
If it's green, turn off the lights for a few days, and check your bulbs. Also, do a nitrate test---do you have a nice skimmer attached?
OK, now we're at 80 bucks...so if you don't want to spend the dough, I would suggest the cleanup crew. My turbo snails and blue legs last quite a while before any of my eels figure out they are there.
If it's green, turn off the lights for a few days, and check your bulbs. Also, do a nitrate test---do you have a nice skimmer attached?
jon.316
Member
I have the same prob with my tank when I overfeed my fish. Check the nitrates and see where you're at prob at 20-40 which is too high newayz ( u need to be at 0) and do water changes that will make a big difference. Cover up any windows that may give the tank direct sunlight and get a timer for your lighting. And lastly get some fish or critters that will nibble at the algae and help keep it under control!!!
jon
jon