Tank cleaner

[shiok]

Need advise on what tank cleaner should I add to my two feet tank(three years old tank). As I have lots of Detritus on the sand bed and recently unwanted green algae(grass-like)/cyano has been growing on my rock

Step taken after reading this forum

1. have increase water flow to the cyano area/reducing lighting time. Now waiting to see if there's improvement...

2. Add a sand shifting starfish yesterday. And looking forward to add a sand dollar next (that's if I can find one).

What else should I add to remove the algae(it's not a big area)? Should I add hermit crab? Is it reef safe?

Or any recomandation? Thanks

[xersion]

blue hermit is reef safe.. u can try adding abalone or turbo snail

[shiok]

blue hermit is reef safe.. u can try adding abalone or turbo snail

Will the blue hermit harms the snail? where can I buy this blue hermit? what the estimate price?Thanks.

Btw those who have the blue hermit and the Algae Blenny which is more easiler to raise? They're doing the same job right?

[xersion]

so far no problem on snails and hermit.. CF have those mini hermit snails. however not sure is it blue hermit

[johntanjm]

sorry for this super crude and upfront remark but i guess it's quite easy to understand. if u want something that basically eats 'shit' (denitirus)? and that thing will shit as well. so in other words you're just changing old shit for new shit. and hopefully this thing will in time eat its own shit and so it becomes a self sufficient creature. i dont think nature will create any creature like that.

if you want to remove algae, i recommend using tangs. yellow mimic tang is one hard worker. whack all the algae. sailfin tang when i bought it finished all green stuff in my tank within a few days. my kole tang wiped all my pipings and back tank walls free of diatoms.

besides that, run rowaphos to remove nutrients.

good luck! i run a 2ft too and hope my recommenation of tangs will be useful

[xersion]

not all tangs will eat algea.. my tangs happen in my case.. however if u wan to clean the sand bed sea cucumber is the best choice liao

[shiok]

sorry for this super crude and upfront remark but i guess it's quite easy to understand. if u want something that basically eats 'shit' (denitirus)? and that thing will shit as well. so in other words you're just changing old shit for new shit. and hopefully this thing will in time eat its own shit and so it becomes a self sufficient creature. i dont think nature will create any creature like that.

if you want to remove algae, i recommend using tangs. yellow mimic tang is one hard worker. whack all the algae. sailfin tang when i bought it finished all green stuff in my tank within a few days. my kole tang wiped all my pipings and back tank walls free of diatoms.

besides that, run rowaphos to remove nutrients.

good luck! i run a 2ft too and hope my recommenation of tangs will be useful

Yes, I understand what goes in will some comes out , the pile of denitirus piles up becos i thought i shouldnt disturb my sand bed which is about 3" thick. Till I read about the tank cleaner, so i decided to give it a try. Btw my live stock is low, I have only 1 coral beauty(3 yrs old), a common clown(2 yrs+) & 1 cleaner shrimp. Small plot of leather mushroom & 1 yuma.

Can i know what does tangs feed on other then algae, cos my plot of algae is not very big, does it eat mysis?

[johntanjm]

my experience with tangs is once they start eating your food, they get lazy and stop eating algae.

tangs got many kind lar. there's a type of tang in the bristletooth family. they eat micro algae and their mouth is shape such that it will brush the rocks as they eat. ie. kole tang, chevron tang, convict tang.

then there are the grazer tangs ie. sailfin and it will just peck peck peck all the slightly bigger algae.

my SF tang eats everything. but kole is still new so it still sticks to the diatoms that's growing around.

[mansiz]

Get a black sea cucmber, make sure you do not have lobster or crabs. They are super wonderful sand bed cleaner. They swallow sand and shit sand. I think you don't have to think too much about cleaners shitting, I think right now you are more concern about the patch of algaes as well as the detritus on the sand bed, cleaners are miracle, they won't make the place more dirty.

[Zappy Kiwi]

Hi,

IMHO. better to use a better circulation pump to increase the water flow. I tried that myself and the results are better than looking for the 'best' cleaner crew.

[shiok]

Hi,

IMHO. better to use a better circulation pump to increase the water flow. I tried that myself and the results are better than looking for the 'best' cleaner crew.

I did but cant add too many pump, cause I am not using chiller. Anyway thanks for all the suggestion, me went down Marine Life and Henry introduced Sea Hare. It's a hardworking chap clean off the rock and seabed for me.

My sand dollar also busy going left and right to clean me sand. As for the sand shifting star, it's MIA

Cheers