Diatoms aaaaaaarrrrrrrghhhhhhh

[slouiscar]

29 gallon eclipse 3, up and running 4 1/2 weeks, water parameters are dead on. But my glass, substrate and rockwork are BROWN. I have 6 hermit crabs, a domino damsel and a lipet. Also a powerjet. I am going to order 1 mexican turbo snail, 10 turbo snails next along with a few more crabs, a blood red fire shrimp and 2 clowns.
Will the snails and the crabs catch up with the brown crap growing on my rockwork? I have some nice colorful fiji live rock and this is pissing me off. Should I vacuum the rock? Rub it off by hand? Do nothing and wait?
Any input would be greatly appreciated.

 

[beth]

Hermits+snails=dead snails. They will inevidably try to eat and or snatach your snails' shells, whether they fit in them or not. You best bet in this regard is to get rid of all hermits.
Is this a new set up? What are you using for source water and what is the nitrate and phosphate level of that water? Eclipses, quite honestly, do not provide the best filtration....I know my QT is an Eclipse. IMO, you are getting too many snails; they will starve and die due to lack of food. Not all snails eat diatoms.
Give some details about your set up, sand type, age and water readings, including phosphate.

 

[slouiscar]

This is a new setup. I am using distilled water. I have not tested the source for phosphates. My tanks readings are temp:79, pH: 8.1, sal: 1.024, Amon: 0, Nitrites: 0, Nitrates: 0.
The write up posted on this site states that the turbo's I mentioned both eat diatoms. It also suggested 1 mex turbo per 20g and 1 turbo per 2 gal.
As for the hermits. I have empty shells in the tank. I would rather spend the $10 on the snails, have them eat the diatoms and then get eaten, than have a constant brown filth on my rocks and glass!

 

[zeromus-x]

I was having a major problem similar to yours in my 36g. I bought six turbo snails and the next day, the majority of the problem was completely gone. They weren't kidding when they said "turbo"!! I was really amazed.
Now I'm worried there's not enough growing back for them to eat!
The six of them keep my tank pretty much spotless, though.

 

[slouiscar]

I think I am going to go with the snails.
15 may be too many so I'll cut that down a bit.
Anyone else heard the 1 turbo per two gallon rule? Is that off?

 

[wbilton]

I'm not sure, but it sounds like a lot of snails I have 5 in 80 they do a great job I could probably use 3 or 4 more.