Aquarium ugly phase

[Philliesphan]

Hey guys! I attached some pics below. I am going through the "ugly stage" in my 10 gallon aquarium. I have green star polyp, and a hammer. Along with 1 clown. I have a 60 gallon that I went through this ugly stage with, but the 10 gallon seems to be getting affected worse. I just picked up 3 nassarius and 3 margarita snails along with a conch. Is there anything I can do to clean. It up a bit? Thank you all in advance!

 

[Formulator]

That’s not really that bad honestly. You can vacuum the sand with a siphon if it bothers you. Increasing flow can help keep it clean too. The conch and nassarius snails you got will help. I would have recommended against the margaritas because they are a cold water species and don’t belong in our tanks, despite being advertised for us. They slowly cook to death in about 6 months.

 

[kvansloo]

Get some copepods, isopods, and start dosing phytoplankton.

 

[Philliesphan]

That’s not really that bad honestly. You can vacuum the sand with a siphon if it bothers you. Increasing flow can help keep it clean too. The conch and nassarius snails you got will help. I would have recommended against the margaritas because they are a cold water species and don’t belong in our tanks, despite being advertised for us. They slowly cook to death in about 6 months.

Oh shucks I did not know that... I appreciate the information going forward!

 

[Philliesphan]

Get some copepods, isopods, and start dosing phytoplankton.

What do each of those do?

 

[Formulator]

Oh shucks I did not know that... I appreciate the information going forward!

No worries! A lot of people buy them and they will do a great job cleaning up algae. They just don’t live long as they’re native to temperate waters of the northeastern pacific. It’s kind of a shame they are still marketed for use in our hobby.

 

[Formulator]

What do each of those do?

The copepods and amphipods, less formally referred to just as “pods”, are detritus eaters. They help manage waste in the tank and help recycle nutrients. The phytoplankton can help with nutrient (nitrate and phosphate) export from the tank which can starve out nuisance algae. Phyto is a great coral food and will also be eaten by the pods you add. Personally I wouldn’t recommend starting phyto until the tank is more established. Too much can become a pollutant and have the opposite of the intended effect, raising nutrients as it dies off. But if careful, it can be beneficial. In general I just don’t like to add too many variables to a new tank with such a fragile biome already.

 

[kvansloo]

The copepods and amphipods, less formally referred to just as “pods”, are detritus eaters. They help manage waste in the tank and help recycle nutrients. The phytoplankton can help with nutrient (nitrate and phosphate) export from the tank which can starve out nuisance algae. Phyto is a great coral food and will also be eaten by the pods you add. Personally I wouldn’t recommend starting phyto until the tank is more established. Too much can become a pollutant and have the opposite of the intended effect, raising nutrients as it dies off. But if careful, it can be beneficial. In general I just don’t like to add too many variables to a new tank with such a fragile biome already

Not trying to discredit you but, I added pods to my tank right after the cycle and started dosing Phyto the same day 15 years ago I still dose Phyto and don't have anything but mushrooms and fish never had the ugly stage. I think it was because I was ahead of the problems. I now have small amounts of hair algae here and there as I have slowed down on the dosing of the Phyto so my tangs have some natural food, also the fish eat the pods so I don't have to feed as often.

 

[Formulator]

Not trying to discredit you but, I added pods to my tank right after the cycle and started dosing Phyto the same day 15 years ago I still dose Phyto and don't have anything but mushrooms and fish never had the ugly stage. I think it was because I was ahead of the problems. I now have small amounts of hair algae here and there as I have slowed down on the dosing of the Phyto so my tangs have some natural food, also the fish eat the pods so I don't have to feed as often.

I don’t feel discredited at all. I agree they are great for a tank and may help with the ugly phase. I just wanted to add a word of caution about going slow, because phyto overdose can spike nutrients. As long as its done carefully, phyto is excellent for the tank.