Cleaner Crew Q

[WannaRace]

Didn't mean for that to rhyme :)

Anyway, I seem to have a lot of hair algae growing on the sandbed. There is also a lot of brown algae. Or maybe they are the same, just growing tall. I added Phosban to an empty filter (no media to spike nitrates) about 2 weeks ago. Algae keeps returning all over my glass, sand, and rocks. I am not using dry foods. Frozen mysis shrimp and marine snow only. Tank has been established 2 months. I was wondering if there was a cleaning crew that may eat this type of algae. While I realize I have to get this under control, I'd like a temporary solution. Nitrate readings always come out to 0 so I am assuming there is a pretty large amount that it won't read accurately. I am looking to add Mangrove plants inside the display tank as I have no sump/fuge. Any other suggestions?

 

[reeffreak]

I know Mexican Turbo snails will take care of hair algae on the rocks and glass.For the sand bed my Queen conches eats algae on the sand bed.Two Turbos and two conches may help.

I wouldn't try the mangrove in a display tank,its a rooted plant needing some miracle mud and only the trunk is usually under water.If you want to keep the DT algae free and a safe place to grow macro-algae then a HOT fuge is the best way to go.I seen soap dish hung inside of a tank use as a fuge.I do believe they even sell a fuge that hangs inside of a tank.You may even be able to convert a filter into holing some macro like chaeto.

 

[WannaRace]

BTW, I already have a brittle star, 5 nassarius snails, and 4 turbos.

 

[WannaRace]

Will a queen conch kill a turbo for its shell?

 

[Bifferwine]

No, a queen conch is another type of snail. The shell is a part of the snail's body and it grows with the snail. They can't leave their shells.

 

[reeffreak]

If you have 4 true Mexican Turbo snails and they are not taking care of the hair algae then you may have bryopsis,a hair algae that most cleanup crew won't touch.Then maybe a sea hare maybe your only option.I would wait for someone else top chime in,since I have no experience with seahares.

 

[yote]

I've not seen any type of algae that a sea hare wont eat.
I have personally watched mine eat hair,bryopsis,cyno,algae sheets.You name it,a hare will eat it.

 

[WannaRace]

Well, the Turbos are taking care of the algae on the glass walls and rocks, that's for sure! It's the sand that kind of gets to me because I like it to look neat and clean. So maybe I will try 2 queen conches first and see what happens. I will ditch the Mangrove plant idea per reeffreak's suggestion. Maybe a de*nitrate chemical. I have been doing 15% water changes every week to try to fight this problem.

 

[Doc]

ok, you all have been talking up sea hares SO damn much, I will go and buy one. The had better do the job tho, ever since that coral beauty got gang-raped, I have had an increasing cyano problem.

-Dr Marco :sfish:

 

[Bifferwine]

Sea hares rule!!! I love them. UNFORTUNATELY all my algae died off naturally through water changes (believe it or not), so I have no reason to get myself a new one. But I really like them.