algae eaters

[waterperson]

Need the help of fellow reefers to suggest some livestock that helps to control diatom and cyano. The algae i got are all brown. I got some of them on the sand and rock. Got a sand sifting goby but doesn't seem to help. Maybe it needs more help. Does hermit crabs or yellow tang help?

Thx

[Edmund Koh]

I just got a tailspot blenny. Fantastic algae eater. It was eating like it hadn't eaten for days.

[asg]

Nothing will eat cyano...

[waterperson]

Thanks for the replies.

I will look into the tailspot blenny. i already have some snails and might get some 1-2 hermit crabs to help out too. Seems from reading online, the diatom seems inevitable. They die out themselves after 1-2 weeks. Is that true?

[tofubox]

Yes it's true. But a cuc will speed it up. Diatoms during cycling is inevitable.

[Edmund Koh]

diatoms will be there for at least the first few months. Especially if u feed ur lifestock a lot.

[dinGdinG]

My snails dont touch the diatoms at all.. what i did was to do some manual brushing of the rocks and siphoning of the sand during weekly water change..

[pcw]

I use red/blue Par38 leds to grow chaeto and a 6500k cfl to grow algae on an ATS. At first the ats only grew lots of cyano. Within a week the cyano in the DT disappeared. Its now growing a small amount of green algae though. But anyway, the problem is usually due to issues with water quality and arguably these methods do not tackle the problem at its root.

[waterperson]

Seems like the consensus is that diatom is inevitable. Sigh. Guess nothing can replace diligent husbandry. Big thx to all bros for the comments.

@dinG: won't siphoning cause the sand storm? Or u shut down ur wave makers?

[Edmund Koh]

I would usually turn everything off when doing water change. This allows me to fully focus on removin dirt instead of having to worry that the water level is too low and my wavemaker and return pump start throwing out lots of air bubbles.

Diatoms will be around. But we have control over where it will go. That's why people are using algae scrubbers (not the usual glass cleaners) which are designated areas away from the display where algae growth is being encouraged. The more algae grow there the less algae growing in your display.

[waterperson]

Just googled algae scrubbers. Time to build one.

Oh well, it's weekend n time for water change again.

Ps: other than activated carbon n UV sterilizer, are there any other ways to improve water clarity?

[dinGdinG]

Seems like the consensus is that diatom is inevitable. Sigh. Guess nothing can replace diligent husbandry. Big thx to all bros for the comments.

@dinG: won't siphoning cause the sand storm? Or u shut down ur wave makers?

Hi bro, i turn off my return pump and wave maker during wc and im also using a siphon with gravel cleaner attached at the end of it. But you still need to hold it at the same spot where u siphon the sand and let it settle down nicely back on the sand bed. So far so good, no sand storm..

[waterperson]

Hi bro, i turn off my return pump and wave maker during wc and im also using a siphon with gravel cleaner attached at the end of it. But you still need to hold it at the same spot where u siphon the sand and let it settle down nicely back on the sand bed. So far so good, no sand storm..

I too am using the gravel cleaner but probably siphoning too fast. Guess I'm too impatient. Need to slow down.

[dinGdinG]

Yes bro, take it easy. It took me about 3 to 4 wc to clear up the affected sand bed..

[mitchell.liang.9]

Another alternative which i use is to get a canister filter and fill it up with all the filter pads. Use a turkey baster to flow all the detritus from the sand and rocks while at the same time use the suction end to suck up all the debris. The return end go back to main tank. And if you want to be 100% sure you can get all the debris can put a filter sock at the return end. At least by doing so you can take your time to completely rid your tank of detritus before doing a water change

[waterperson]

Another alternative which i use is to get a canister filter and fill it up with all the filter pads. Use a turkey baster to flow all the detritus from the sand and rocks while at the same time use the suction end to suck up all the debris. The return end go back to main tank. And if you want to be 100% sure you can get all the debris can put a filter sock at the return end. At least by doing so you can take your time to completely rid your tank of detritus before doing a water change

This really sounds like a great idea. It should improve water clarity as well. Thx for the tip.

[dinGdinG]

Damn.. thats a damn good idea! Shall try it tmr! Haha

[mitchell.liang.9]

Damn.. thats a damn good idea! Shall try it tmr! Haha

all the best. You will feel dam good specially when you see all the detritus get suck up and when cleaning the canister filter. One thing though the canister will stink quite bad

[mitchell.liang.9]

Another way is to increase copepods population. They do graze on them. When my population of pods increase i notice my diatoms go down. Specially at night when they start feasting. By morning i dont see much diatoms. Unfortunately from what i saw online diatoms decreases the reproductive rate of copepods. Give and take i guess

[waterperson]

Another way is to increase copepods population. They do graze on them. When my population of pods increase i notice my diatoms go down. Specially at night when they start feasting. By morning i dont see much diatoms. Unfortunately from what i saw online diatoms decreases the reproductive rate of copepods. Give and take i guess

But my pods are all in the refugium. Dun see them in main display. Probably the fishes got them. How u get them there?

[Edmund Koh]

I have lots of them in my display too and they are multiplying like crazy.

Time to get some mandarins.

[mitchell.liang.9]

Ones a week when the lights are turned off i take my chaeto out and wave it around in my main tank. Soon enough they will start populating.

[Edmund Koh]

Haha! That's a cute thing to do. Mine gets pumped into the display tank by my return pump.

[waterperson]

This forum is great. Never tot of using the chaeto in this way. Will be trying out later in the nite when lights off. Lol

[ahchris]

But my pods are all in the refugium. Dun see them in main display. Probably the fishes got them. How u get them there?

pods in the refugium get to the display tank via the return pump. There is a lot of room around the impeller for those tiny guys to go thru. but i think some may not make it.