Clean Up Crew and Crushed Coral

[gwtank]

I know this question has prob been asked before and I apologize in advance... but I could not find the answer
I have a 44gl Hex w/ crushed coral 1 perc clown / 2 blue damsels / 1 yellow tail damsel / the tank has been set up for approx 9 months and I am now having a terrible algae problem... i can't keep the glass and substrate clean for more then 4-5 days!
I have read that astra snails are good for cleaning up algae... but I have also read that they get cut up by the crushed coral (btw I should have gone DSB but did not have the knowledge at the time, LFS said CC neway). I had some turbos that kept falling off the glass and eventually they all died because I didn't turn them back over in time All my water specs are within acceptable limits... and everything is going great accept for this plauge of algae!!
Please, any recommendations you may have are greatly appreciated (i am also on a limited budget so I can't spend too much on a remedy unfortunatley)
-GTW

 

[maroonclownfan]

I have crushed coral, and have never noticed my snails getting "cut up."
Have you checked your nitrates? Probably just a build up of fish waste and food in between the CC.
Do you vacuum your CC when you water change?
If not, you should, this will remove a lot of the nitrate producing waste.
I usually vacuum the "high traffic areas" i.e. where the fish seem to hangout and get fed.
Also the the introduction of a refugium might solve the problem. Do a search on them to get more info.
HTH.....MCF

 

[beth]

I frankly don't see too many snails, except fighting conchs, milling about in the substrate, but cc is too abrasive for most reef cleaners. That said, having to clean up the glass and the sand a bit every 4-5 days is pretty normal. I have to wipe down my glass of diatoms everyday. If it is just diatoms, then this is just a part of keeping a marine tank. If the problem is worst then this or really problemmatic, you may want to add some macroalgae, which will consume the food source of the microalgaes.

 

[gwtank]

Thanks for the replies! I was wondering if this was "normal" even tho the growth does seem a bit excessive. I do vaccum the CC every time I do a WC (approx every 2 weeks). I will prob pick up some Astera snails just to help control the growth tho... if anyone can think of a better algae janitor for a FOWL tank please reply
Thanks again!
-GWT

 

[jim672]

GW Tank,
Red and blue-leg hermit crabs are good at cleaning substrate and rock. With your set-up, if the algea growth bothers you, I'd invest in 10 or a dozen of each. You can find them for around 1.00 each. Check out the U-Build It packages here......
Remember what Beth told you though......you'll always have some algea growth.
One last thing. Especially with a cc substrate, if you aren't already checking your phosphate level, I'd do that. Any phosphate at all will cause algea growth.
Jim

 

[maroonclownfan]

Astreas won't clean the substrate, but will spend a lot of time on the glass and rocks.
Hermits will help clean the substrate but MAY bother your snails, i.e. looking for a home (shell), my hermits have only bothered my astreas when they fall on their backs, which happens often, stupid snails, so there are drawbacks. But as long as there are plenty of empty shells in the tank they should get along.
Don't hold me to this 100%, hermits can be unpredictable. I use blue legs, but that is just me.
HTH...........MCF

 

[maroonclownfan]

also, instead of Astreas, you might try Trochus snails, they are supposed to be superior to Astreas/Turbos.
Just a thought.....MCF