help with cuc

[gmr48]

my 90gal reef tank is ready for the crew to start cleaning

, i have a small amount of green hair alge on rocks and sand, whats a good crew for a reef tank? i hear hermits are a no no! so what should i shop for

 

[mr_x]

some will tell you that mexican turbos, or algae blennies, will eat hair algae.
i've not seen anything that eats it.
i think you should work harder at nutrient export, via waterchanges, a quality skimmer, and a refugium, in conjunction with manual removal, to conquer hair algae.
btw- hermits are only a no-no if you keep snails.

 

[gmr48]

what would you put in if it were your tank? you are the goto guy inall

 

[mr_x]

what's in "my tank" right now? just fish? if so, i'd do some massive waterchanges, turn the light out for a week straight, and rip out all the hair algae i could before i covered the tank with a blanket(for the entire week, removing it just to feed, maybe more if needed).
if you have corals already, i'd implement a refugium ASAP, manual removal, and do massive waterchanges exporting as much nutrients as possible. i'd feed the fish about once a week for a while as well. it won't kill them. it might kill the hair algae though.

 

[gmr48]

this is a new tank that just finished cycle, no fish or anything just lr and ls

 

[mr_x]

were you running the lights on a cycling tank? do the manual removal and waterchanges/blanket method for a couple weeks to kill all the algae.

 

[gmr48]

yes lights were on, about how much water should i change, about 30gal?

 

[mr_x]

do two 30 gallon changes, and remove as much hair algae as humanly possible.

 

[gmr48]

all the green hair algae is gone!!! with a 30gal water change and kept lights off for a week, i added my clean up crew today, i do have another question, on the live rock was a hitcher and it was a hermit crab, well when i added the crew today the hitcher hermit came right down the rocks and looked to as if go after the other hermits, whats his deal should i take him out?

 

[adictedtoswf]

X,
Would a masive water change recycle the water? I have the same issue with my tank but I also have Acans, Duncans, and polyps. No fish!

 

[mr_x]

about the hermit- what did he look like? some hermits are nasty suckers! take a picture of him. without seeing him though, i'd isolate him and wait for an I.D.
cranberry can probably help in the hitch hiker section.
no, a massive waterchange will not re-cycle the tank. the bacteria is on/in the live rock and substrate, and any other surfaces, changing the water can only help.