Don't know what else to do for clean up crew?

jfingers088

jfingers088

Member
I have a 90 gallon and its been running for 6 weeks. For a clean up crew i have 2 Mithrax Emerald Crabs, 5 mexican turbos, 10 Nassarius snails, 5 Margarita Snails, 2 cleaner shrimp, 10 assorted hermit crabs and a lawnmower blenny. My rocks have a pretty good about of algae on it but that doesn't bother me its the sand that bothers me. I mean the whole thing isn't covered in algae but mostly the front of the tank and i just can't get rid of it. Should i wait because my tank is kind of a newbie or should i double or more on my Nassarius snails or should i get something else that can do a better job on the sand? (The algae on the sand is reddish)
 
debdeb

debdeb

Member
It sounds like your tank is going through a normal cycle of algae/diatom outbreaks. Just take a turkey baster and blow it off of the rocks and sand and siphon it out. Then keep up with your normal water changes and it will disappear soon. Keep an eye on your nitrates (should stay under 20, preferrably zero) and phospates (should stay zero).
Are you using RO/DI water? Tap water will cause algae blooms and all kinds of other problems.
 
gmford1979

gmford1979

Member
i'm no professional, but i had the same problem about 4 months into my aquaruim. it covered the floor, rocks, filters, powerheads, everything. i cut the light down to about 2 or 3 hours a day max, and its been over a year since i have seen it. once it was gone, i now run my light about 6 hours a day. that stuff grows rapidly from the light. so i would cut back the light. it takes a good 2 or 3 weeks, but once it starts to leave, its quick.
 
debdeb

debdeb

Member
As new as your tank is, I would hesitate to add more bio load with the extra snails and crabs. Even though they are cleaning the tank, they still eat and well, you know. The red algae is a normal part of the tank's aging. If you just siphon it out with your regular water changes and keep an eye on all of your levels, it will go away. I think it took a couple weeks for my 37g to clear up. Then don't be surprised if you see the brown diatoms show up. Again another "normal" phase. It takes a year or more for the tank to finally mature chemically and stabilize. Add any new livestock slowly and only 1 fish at a time or a few snails at a time. Wait a month before adding again. I made all kinds of mistakes early on and paid for it. The biggest gift this forum has given me is the ability to be patient.
 
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