Kijori Posted October 5, 2004 Share Posted October 5, 2004 i'm new to marine aquarium. i want to know which type of hermit crab is good at controlling algae and where can i find it? i'm kinda tired with this problem. don't know how come so much. my NO3 is 0 and PO4 is near 0. still i find them on my sandbed, glass, rocks... you name it, they are there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRC Member Vinoth Posted October 5, 2004 SRC Member Share Posted October 5, 2004 Which test kit you are using to measure PO4? Do you run rowaphos/contraphos? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRC Member Clownfish Posted October 5, 2004 SRC Member Share Posted October 5, 2004 u got to specify wat type of algae.... cyano? quite common in new tanks.... mostly occur on the lowest level of ur tank... this is due to an accumulation of nutrients there.... solution: circulate ur water well with powerheads... add 1 that blows on the surface of ur sandbed... if u mean coralline algae... then the more the merrier! btw, wat brand of test kit u using? some test kits r more suitable for freshwater n will give false readings... Quote My Personal Blog My Wedding Website Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kijori Posted October 5, 2004 Author Share Posted October 5, 2004 it's those greenish-brown layer of slimy algae. once they cover the sandbed, it looks like a green carpet. i don't know the name for it. and then on the rocks, i get those dark brown ones. you can literally peel them off the surface of the rocks. don't worry, it's not coraline algae. by the way, i use the Sera test kit. should be ok right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRC Member DragonGoby Posted October 6, 2004 SRC Member Share Posted October 6, 2004 Sounds like diatoms. How long has your tank been set up? Like what clownfish said, it's common for new tanks to have algae blooms earlier on. If your PO4 and NO3 are low, it could be silicates. What kind of water do you use for top-up? After using DI for mine, most of my diatoms went away. . . only have to clean the glass about once every 5 days or so. Hmm .. and you might want to try another test kit Sounds dodgy to have such low PO4 and NO3 yet have extensive algae problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRC Member cjh Posted October 6, 2004 SRC Member Share Posted October 6, 2004 wat abt those brown algae on the live rock now my whole rock becomebrown in cllour... how to remove them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRC Member XPeriment 626 Posted October 6, 2004 SRC Member Share Posted October 6, 2004 in fact, correct me if i'm wrong, it's unusual for a new tank to have zero nitrates as the DSB (if you have one) takes some time to mature... Quote Be teachable always, nobody has a monopoly on wisdom. But learn to distinguish "fact" from "opinion". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRC Member XPeriment 626 Posted October 6, 2004 SRC Member Share Posted October 6, 2004 anyway turbo snails, algae blennies and sally lightfoot crabs all help to eat algae. Quote Be teachable always, nobody has a monopoly on wisdom. But learn to distinguish "fact" from "opinion". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRC Member patrick123 Posted October 6, 2004 SRC Member Share Posted October 6, 2004 I find that snail or hermit crabs are only good if you have small amount of algae, but if you have an algae bloom, unless you buy tons of them, it is not going to help. The water parameter is still the key. If you have zero PO4, zero nitrate, zero silicate, then the algae got no chance to grow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kijori Posted October 6, 2004 Author Share Posted October 6, 2004 Sounds like diatoms. How long has your tank been set up? Like what clownfish said, it's common for new tanks to have algae blooms earlier on. If your PO4 and NO3 are low, it could be silicates. What kind of water do you use for top-up? my tank has been up and running since the begining of the year. by the way, it's those 1.5 ft tank. i put it on my desk in the office. the NO3 is low because i use the Tetra Minus Nitrate granules. i have not tried any PO4 remover yet. i use the pipe water that runs through a filter system for top-up. for water change, it's filtered sea water. by the way, what causes PO4 to build up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRC Member DragonGoby Posted October 6, 2004 SRC Member Share Posted October 6, 2004 Usually from food, or top-up water. In some cases, certain additives and carbons are known to leach PO4 too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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