just a couple of questions.

[annataxxxi]

So i started my tank about half an year ago, and not a lot of things have died, haha which is good.

my questions are
1. what is a correct way to clean live sand with water changes, like to get all the dirt and poo out of there. Using a vacuum tube obviously doesn't work, but i would like to keep it clean. The way i do it now is, mix it around and try to suck out all the floating debri with a tube, but i don't really know how efficient that is.
2. i started my tank with tap water, and now i'm running into algae problems. on my glass i have this very hard algae, it's sort of hard to scratch off with a razor blade. Now i'm planning on using distilled water, or whatever you guys recommend for water changes. So do you guys think it will help my tank to start using not tap water for water changes? and whats the best way of doing that?
3. Also do you guys recommend any filter media that also helps algae problems?

 

[Jmck]

1. you dont want to do that, you may as well just use a siphon because mixing it around into the tank can cause an ammonia spike and even cause a mini cycle. be careful of that.

2. Buy an R/O filter and use that for your water changes and fresh water top ups. That should start cleaning out your water in your tank and make it much easier to manage with algae.

3. In the do it yourself section there is an algae scrubber which is quite amazing. I personally havent used it but a lot of people on this board have had great success.

 

[steelcity]

What jmck said. Lightly stir the top layer of sand with your "python" or whatever other siphon tube you have. This will get your sand white and pick up the top layer of crap. You dont want to go all the way down to the glass.

Get a RO/DI unit to your future water. You can or should be able to buy it from your LFS. If your LFS is a serious/reputable reef store they should have a massive unit that allows their customers to pick some up.

 

[Sharkie]

welcome to the forums!

Do you have nass. snails for your sand bed? they will help keep the sand stirred and cleaned :) another thing to have is maybe a sand sifting star just to do a bit cleaning and then take him back to the LFS. Cleaning your sand by hand altho probably most of us have done it is a bad thing. It will stir up lots of garbage and cause your ammonia and nitrates/nitrites to spike which could kill your fish.

What color is the algae? is it a hard purple? if so congrats because thats coraline algae and is good :) if its green you should get some turbo snails and they should be able to help that. Can you post a picture of your tank so we can see what you're working with? Depending on your tank size there are fish that can help with the fish... I would suggest staying away from any tap water. Get a RODI unit installed... its better water for you and for your fish. I started my first tank off with tap and realized the problems with it and changed everything out.

:)

 

[annataxxxi]

I have a 55g tank and I do have one sand sifting starfish, a couple of the nass. snails and two turbo snails. The algae thats only really on the glass is green, there are parts that grow some of the reddish, purplish algae, but not much at all. The green aglae thats all the glass is really hard, and i can see the marks that the snails leave when they go over it, but they don't really put a dent in it.
I am definitely considering getting the RODI unit.

thanks so much guys!

 

[Sharkie]

Do you have a magnetic cleaner? those things work wonders! :D I'm getting ready to get me a larger one because i just upgraded tank sizes...

the brown is dinoflaggelnets which are probaby caused from using tap water, i would assume that is where the harder algae is from.... we had stuff like that on my 20 that we couldn't get off and I just determined it was from my tap water as well. how many is a few nass snails? in my 75 I am hoping to have about 50 here shortly, they are really small so its better to have them in mass quantites :)

 

[annataxxxi]

i probably have about 5 of the nass. snails and i'm definitally gonna get more, and i'm definitely going to stop using tap water for water changes.

I do have one of the magnetic cleaners, and it doesn't do much at all.

 

[reeffreak]

I never quite understood why people think they shouldn't disturb the sandbed.Maybe it originated from people who has deep sandbeds.If there is detritus in the sand,how is suspending it in the water column somehow makes it worst?It is still in the water no matter what.Use a fine net like a brine shrimp net or pantyhose over the siphon end to prevent sucking up sand.I blow around the rocks and sand,suspending debris and do my waterchanges just as you are doing.

Yeah,stop using tapwater.You can buy RO/DI water from many LFS and grocery stores.Your LFS may even have saltwater already made out.In the long run,it is cheaper to buy an RO unit and make your own water at home.

Like Josh said,an algae scrubber and/or a refugium that has macro-algae will help keep algae out of the display.