What's a good algae to have in tank to help w/cyano?

[HClH2OFish]

Ok, I'm almost ready to rip the whole thing apart and start over!
I've got a 10gal tank that's just for my upside down jellyfish.
Very low flow (RedSea Nanofilter pulling through a sponge to keep from sucking up the jellies)
I have a *terrible* cyano problem. Reddish brown sheet all over the bottom of the tank. I've tried siphoning it off (after gently moving the jellies aside) but it keeps coming back.
Only other critters are pods and a small amt. of bubble algae (not enough to really do anything)
I need to keep this stuff down! My tank looks like a sewage plant with this crud! It's so bad I'm even getting bubbles on the sand!!

Help!!

 

[Anonymous]

If all that is in there is upsidedown jellyfish, seems like just about any macro algae or marine plant would help. I understand they live in shallow mangrove bays. So perhaps some mangroves would be appropriate.

 

[Tackett]

If you have only jellies, as far as I know they dont need a lot of light, get a small 1 or 2 watt LED light from radio shack and fix it so it shines in the water. Its the same thing as what is on the expensive orbit and satellite power compacts. The lack of light should kill the buggers out.

 

[HClH2OFish]

They need more light than that....MH's from what I've been hearing (they survive mainly from zooxanthallae as they mature)

I dunno if I can get a mangrove...bit tall for their location...
What's a good macro I can plant in there w/em?

 

[Anonymous]

I was fooled at first thinking they were jellyfish instead of coral like. Glad I did a google search.

I would try some caulpera profilera. It is a very well behaved caulpera. And does not attach to rocks.

If you could partition the tank with an egg crate then I would recommend that with a 3" wide section for chaeto between the glass and egg crate. And light it up with a NO pointing at the glass. That has really worked well in my 55g and doesn't take too much display volumn.

 

[HClH2OFish]

Cool....I think I'll get a bunch from my LFS today..partitioning will be good too as I can keep the filter on that side, along w/all the rubble for my pods

I'll be heading to Home Depot today!

 

[Anonymous]

pssssssst it's in the ceiling tile section not the lighting section. (black looks better if you can get it)


let us know how it works. mine also covered up the filter stuff also.

Bob

 

[HClH2OFish]

Will do...needed to stop anyway and get some of the silver eggcrate to put over my tank....tired of cleaning the glass top all the time

 

[Anonymous]

Depending on how new your set-up is, this might just be normal cycling algae. Jellyfish may be a large nutrient producer as well, I'm not sure. But instead of going the "refugium" route on such a small water volume, I'd use a small canister filter, or a penguim HOB filter with phosguard. Change the phosguard every tow days or so, and do it for a bout a week. You'll be amazed at how fast this will scavange out the phosphate and silicates, and cause the cyano bloom to crash.

 

[Anonymous]

Depending on how new your set-up is, this might just be normal cycling algae. Jellyfish may be a large nutrient producer as well, I'm not sure. But instead of going the "refugium" route on such a small water volume, I'd use a small canister filter, or a penguim HOB filter with phosguard. Change the phosguard every tow days or so, and do it for a bout a week. You'll be amazed at how fast this will scavange out the phosphate and silicates, and cause the cyano bloom to crash.

 

[HClH2OFish]

Tried some smaller filters -- flow rates are too high and sends the jellies flying (not good)
The tanks is about 6months old. Was originally just used to cure LR, but got some jelly hitchhikers so I'm raising them now.
I think it's mainly due to me having my lights on too long during the day combined with low water flow.
I'm going to cut back on the lights a bit and if I can't fix it soon, I'll likely transfer my guys to a diff. 10gal tank....I'll probably just use fine sand on the bottom w/little bit of LR and start off with Catalina water and seed the tank from one of my other tanks so I don't cycle.

Once we move, I'll likely set these guys up in a larger tank setup w/mangroves.....maybe link it to my 25gal and use as a display 'fuge

 

[Anonymous]

This is completely normal in an upside down jelly tank. The conditions present in a reef tank where nuisance algae is kept to a minimum--high flow, low dissolved nutrients--are not good conditions for Casseiopeia.

The tank we used to keep Casseiopeia in had this thick green mat of nasty algae with bubbles in it...gross looking. Of course, the jellies were reproducing in it, so go figure. Just be patient, remove it by hand, and go with some macroalgae. I don't think it really matters what kind.

So do you still have LR in this tank? I think you should remove it if so. All you need is sand, water, and light, basically. The rock is just sharp stuff to rip the jellies.

 

[HClH2OFish]

No more rock in there....have 1/4 of the tank w/crushed aragonite for the pods to produce in separated by a fake coral decoration (no sharp edges) The rest is sand.
I think I'll get the other tank ready w/some newer sand and get the macroalgae going in that (the sand in this tank just looks foul, top to bottom) and then transfer the jellies over once I'm sure it's cycled enough Oddly, I found my jellies seem to really thrive when there are higher amounts of nitrates in the tank - 15-20 range....I think it may have to do with the zooxanthallae using it as a nutrient perhaps???

If I don't setup the 10, I've got a contact that has 3 30gal plexi tanks...blue background and they're separated by 3 dividers, so essentially it's 3 10 gal tanks...I can cut slots in one side and create a fuge on the left...knock the other baffle out and have a 20gal 'squishy' tank with a 10gal fuge on the side...maybe get a 130w PC w/moonlights for it...these guys fluoresce under moonlights

 

[HClH2OFish]

If you have only jellies, as far as I know they dont need a lot of light, get a small 1 or 2 watt LED light from radio shack and fix it so it shines in the water. Its the same thing as what is on the expensive orbit and satellite power compacts. The lack of light should kill the buggers out.

Cassiopeia sp. require some *major* light since the majority of their food is produced by zooxanthallae. They are able to capture/consume other prey, but majority is their little algael buddies.
Regular jellies require special tanks called kreisel tanks to be kept properly...very advanced, high $$ tanks too.
IMHO any jelly but the cassiopeia should only be kept by scientists/researchers, or those with *LOTS* of experience...but that's just me.