Help w/ algae on sand

[royy]

I currently have a light green and brown algae growing on my sand. It is not long strands, but short fuzzy looking algae. I was wondering if anyone knows of any animals, or any other way, to rid me of this algae. I seem to be at 0 nitrites, nitrates, and ammonia so I don't know how it is getting its nourishment. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
Roy

 

[Anonymous]

How old is your system? If it is new it is normal to have a few bouts of algea. Diatoms (brown film), green hair, and slime algeas are common. These bouts usaully go away by them selves.

Do you have snails, hermit crabs, cucumbers, fighting conchs, etc.?

What do you use for make-up water? RO or tap? Tap water often contains phosphates and silicates, which cause algea.

Louey

 

[SPC]

I use 1 cucumber + 2 queen conchs + 10 cerith snails to clean the algae on my sand bed for my 180.
Steve

 

[royy]

My system is 4 months old. I have 3 emerald crabs, about a dozen assorted snails, and a cucumber. I use RO water also. I also only have about 150 watts of lights, so I don't know why the algae is coming on so strong. I plan to go up to 440 watts once the tank breaks in. Oh, and I have a 90 gallon tank with no sump. I use a protien skimmer for filtration.

 

[2poor2reef]

I use conchs, cukes and ceriths also. But I often have algae on sand at times during the first six months of a new tank. Not sure if it's just normal when a tank is new or if it takes that long for the infauna populations in the sand bed to do their part. I do believe that good pops of worms, particularly spaghetti worms, help keep the sand bed functioning properly. If you didn't seed with live sand it may take significantly longer to build a fully functional bed in my experince.

 

[Anonymous]

Remove what you can by hand or syphon. This will stop them from leaching nutrients back into the water. It is a source of nutrient export. Like saud before,it is common for people to experience this within the first six months or so. The reason your readings are zero,is that the algae and diatoms are consumming the nitrates and phosphates before you can read them.

 

[royy]

If I siphon the sand won't I loose the small critters that are beneficial to the sand bed? I thought I read somewhere that you should not siphon the sand bed? I also was wondering if there conch would get too big. Are we talking the same animals I collect massive shells from when I go to the islands?

Thanks
Roy

 

[Bucktronix]

sand sifting gobies work great.

 

[SPC]

Roy, the fighting conchs only get to about 4", the queens get quite large as you have said. Do not use sand sifting gobies if your aim is to have a healthy DSB, they sift the sand in order to eat the critters.
Steve

 

[rgardiner]

Think about exporting nutruients - since you don't have a sump, maybe a hang-on refugium in which macroalgae can grow and be regularly thinned.

 

[Anonymous]

Push the sand with your fingers into a pile. After piling it up syphon it up. Yes you will lose a little sand but not many critters. If you have to fight a long battle you will have to add some sand occasionally.