Desperately Needing To Upgrade my CUC....

[amyandbrandon2]

I have a 55 gallon tank. 55-65 LBS of LR. 50-60 LBS of LS.
I just recently upgraded my lighting and have had the lights running a full fledged 9 hour days and found today diatoms!!

Tank Inhabitants:
1 sea star
2 blue legged hermits
1 scarlet
1 white anemone crab
1 cleaner shrimp
1 emerald crab
Coral:
red shrooms
watermellon shrooms
2 orange centered zoas
1 electric green zoa
I just recently added the coral
I have plenty of algea to eat and was thinking of expanding my CUC to 2 fighting conches and 10 cerith snails...good idea? bad idea?

 

[snakeblitz33]

I would only get 5 nass snails, and 10 more hermits.
You may be getting diatoms because of having some sort of silicate problem. Where did you get your sand from?
what kind of fish do you have?

 

[snakeblitz33]

Also, what is your turnover rate?

 

[amyandbrandon2]

I don't have any fish...I like inverts and coral more than I do fish...but I do plan on eventually having a pair of clowns, and a firefish.
I have 2 HOB filters that produce 660 gph and 2 rotating power heads that produce 230 gph each equalling 1120 gph. And a seaclne 100 protein skimmer that will be hooked up tomorrow. By fianlly adding my skimmer help with my problem?
I've read that Cerith snails do a much better job of eating algea, stirring up the sand, and eating diatoms.
If I have a silicate problem how do I fix it?

 

[amyandbrandon2]

I got my Sand from petsmart. Ocean Direct™ Caribbean Live Sand

 

[amyandbrandon2]

Anyone else have any input?

 

[amyandbrandon2]

I did forget to mention that I just got a new lighting system. I went from the stock lighting that comes with your tank, to 4 (54)watt t-5's with individual reflectors.

 

[robn70]

Did the diatom bloom occur after upgrading the lighting? If nothing else has changed I would think that it's from the upgrade. You may want to cut the lights back a little then bring them back up to the 9hrs. slowly giving the tank a chance to adjust. Adding to the cuc wouldn't hurt either.

 

[scopus tang]

Agree with Rob, the diatom bloom is no doubt caused by the increased lighting, in addition to nutrients available in the tank. Adding a protein skimmer will help, but not solve your problem. I don't know anything about the conches, as I've never had one, but I definately would increase your CUC. In a tank of your size, I would start with 5 turbos (Asteria), 5 Nassarius, and 5 Cerith snails. Then increase additionally as algae/diatom growth dictates. Just my thoughts.

 

[amyandbrandon2]

How much could I safely cut the lights back? I have mushrooms, yellow polyps, and some zoas?
I'm afraid of getting Astrea snails as I've read they can't right themselves up if they fall. Some days I'm gone from 9 in the morning till 2 or 3 in the afternoon. On Thursdays I'm gone from 5 till 9 and am afraid I wouldn't be able to get them up fast enough..

What about :
5 Trochus Snails
5 Cerith Snails
1 conch
(anyone have any input on Conch's?)

 

[scopus tang]

Originally Posted by amyandbrandon2
http:///forum/post/2490985
How much could I safely cut the lights back? I have mushrooms, yellow polyps, and some zoas?
I'm afraid of getting Astrea snails as I've read they can't right themselves up if they fall. Some days I'm gone from 9 in the morning till 2 or 3 in the afternoon. On Thursdays I'm gone from 5 till 9 and am afraid I wouldn't be able to get them up fast enough..

What about :
5 Trochus Snails
5 Cerith Snails
1 conch
(anyone have any input on Conch's?)
I wouldn't cut back on the light too much since you have corals. I personally would just deal with the bloom - try to look for a source of nutrients in your tank, they had to be present for the bloom to occur, although it takes very little phosphate (normally undectable amounts) for this to occur. The Astrea snails do have trouble righting themselves if they fall (pain in the neck), but they are also not all going to fall over and die every day either (I usually lose 1 every month or two). With only five, you're going to be able to keep pretty good track of them. I've personally found them to be the best on diatoms - you might consider Margineta or Mexican turbos, as they don't seem to have as many problems. Don't know anything about Trochus snails. Good luck

 

[amyandbrandon2]

Okay My fiancee finally has a day off so were headed to the (Not so Local) LFS to buy:
6 Cerith Snails
5 mexican Turbos
1-2 Astrea Snails
I'm going to talk to them about the Fighting Conch from what I've read the hang out in the sand and graze strickly on the sand bed. If they don't have the Conch I'm thinking about a Sand sifting star.
I'm going to do a water change on Thursday. I've bought some RO water and maybe that will help.

 

[scopus tang]

If you've been using Tap water instead of RO water to top off your tank and do water changes, I'm amazed you haven't seen a diatom bloom till now. This will definitely help. With the new lights, I would guess you're going to have to use it everytime you top off or do water changes, or the diatom bloom will be back.
P.S. have you seen the threads on sand sifting stars? Don't think I would add one in a system as new as yours. Give it a chance to stabalize (at least 6 months to a year). Just my thoughts.

 

[amyandbrandon2]

I'll def. wait on the star. Which is better RO water? Or RO/DI?
Could you suggest a good system? I've seen some people have them for their whole house? I don't think i want that. We have a Brita Water filter in our Kitchen for our drinking water. So any suggestions on a good system would be extremely helpful!

 

[scopus tang]

RO/DI is the better of the two, as for systems, I can't recommend one, because I just use the local Albertsons (They have a big system). I'm looking into getting Culligans commercial system for our school. Don't think I would want a whole house system either, I've heard those are some expensive filters and have to be changed out often.

 

[robn70]

Do a search on Typhoon III or airwater ice. Good units that alot of folks have and are priced well too. Plus their support is very good. I had one in my old house and bought a new one for my current house this past year. never any trouble with either unit.

 

[apos]

Don't buy a sand sifting star ever. Simply counterproductive (they eat beneficial critters in your sand rather than crud), and they are not good animals to support in the hobby.

 

[amyandbrandon2]

My fiancee purchased a Whirlpool RO unit today from Lowes. We also purchased 5 Mexican Turbos, 1 Astrea, and 4 Nassarius snails and I'm scheduling a water change for Saturday!
So with the water change, and the addition of more cuc will this cut back on the diatoms?