BEST CUC FOR ALGEA ON ROCKS?? IDENTIFY??

[PeterB113]

Ive been trying to fight this algea on my rocks in my 20g long but nothing seems to eat it. I have 1 peppermint shrimp, 1 trochus snail, 2 nass snails, a purple pin urchin and 4 blue leg hermits. I also have a 5g tank with emerald crabs but im scared they might go after my LPS in the 20g... As of now ive just been pulling it off with tweezers and removing from the tank manually.Please let me know if you guys know any good CUC members i should add. Btw propbably giving my urchin to LFS later today because he constantly redecordates my tank by moving frags lol.

 

[dvgyfresh]

Phos / nitrate levels? I think it looks like too many nutrients and algae taking advantage , also I have pencil urchin cuz I also hate urchins becoming the tank designer lol

 

[Rickybobby]

This may sound weird. But for me. My flame angel poppy does not a speck of green survive anywhere in my tank. She’s amazing. She barely leaves morsels for the snails

 

[PeterB113]

Phos / nitrate levels? I think it looks like too many nutrients and algae taking advantage , also I have pencil urchin cuz I also hate urchins becoming the tank designer lol

I thought pencil urchins were not reef safe? And i test my parameters weekly. Leves as of yesterday was

Temp 78°
Salinity 1 026
Ph 8.1
Nitrate 5-10
Phos 0.5
Nitrite 0
Ammonia 0
Calcium 450
Magnesium 1450
Dkh 10.1

*dkh, salinity, nitrate, calcium alll tested with hanna checkers
Ammonia with api
Ph with digital tester from amazon.

Tank is 4mos old i feed reefroid and mysis mix every few days *not alot of reef roids at all* and 1 mysis cube.

 

[dvgyfresh]

I thought pencil urchins were not reef safe? And i test my parameters weekly. Leves as of yesterday was

Temp 78°
Salinity 1 026
Ph 8.1
Nitrate 5-10
Phos 0.5
Nitrite 0
Ammonia 0
Calcium 450
Magnesium 1450
Dkh 10.1

*dkh, salinity, nitrate, calcium alll tested with hanna checkers
Ammonia with api
Ph with digital tester from amazon.

Tank is 4mos old i feed reefroid and mysis mix every few days *not alot of reef roids at all* and 1 mysis cube.

They do the same thing as all urchins so it is reef safe but not algae safe haha , given yr tank only 4 months probly just uglies parameters seem pretty good, I would lower phosphate a bit , seems the feeding schedule will gradually build it up , I have to use GFO because of reef roids

 

[PeterB113]

They do the same thing as all urchins so it is reef safe but not algae safe haha , given yr tank only 4 months probly just uglies parameters seem pretty good, I would lower phosphate a bit , seems the feeding schedule will gradually build it up , I have to use GFO because of reef roids

Do you think if i put a emerald crab in there itll go after my corals??

 

[dvgyfresh]

Do you think if i put a emerald crab in there itll go after my corals??

Id say emeralds are reef safe as urchins , I have 4 of them and they just use BTA as cover and eat algae. But you never know, I think I provide enough easy to get algae so the crabs are unbothered by the corals. I don’t think they would when you have algae all over, why would they work harder for a meal

 

[PeterB113]

Id say emeralds are reef safe as urchins , I have 4 of them and they just use BTA as cover and eat algae. But you never know, I think I provide enough easy to get algae so the crabs are unbothered by the corals. I don’t think they would when you have algae all over, why would they work harder for a meal

Ok maybe ill put one of the smaller emerald crabs in and see how it works out.

 

[davidcalgary29]

Do you use phytoplankton? I thought the idea was crap myself at first, but my nuisance algae really started to disappear in my IM40 after I started daily doses. I'm still not sure if it's a solution in itself, but I'm getting better results with it and my CUC than I did with Vibrant.

 

[Pistondog]

Ok maybe ill put one of the smaller emerald crabs in and see how it works out.

 

[victor818818]

You can put a small emerald crab no problem just keep a eye on it when it gets bigger but your tannnis young you need to
Keep up your water changes and keep cleaning after a year or 2 the most your tank will stabilize you pho’s guard assist well just lower your phosphates and things will get in order

 

[musaabi]

Do you use phytoplankton? I thought the idea was crap myself at first, but my nuisance algae really started to disappear in my IM40 after I started daily doses. I'm still not sure if it's a solution in itself, but I'm getting better results with it and my CUC than I did with Vibrant.

Phyto seems to be a blessing. I’ve been having dinos cause my water is too clean and I’ve been letting nutrients up but they left almost all my sand brown. I just dosed live phyto and bacteria from algae farm last night and I want to say about half the sand cleared up.

 

[BYU]

tuxedo urchin worked amazing on my tank
makes it look like i scrubbed the rock but this guy cleaned the rock in 1 day

 

[victor818818]

Wow I’m going to go get me a tuxedo urchin today

 

[BYU]

yeah i couldn’t believe it
when i asked the guys at the lfs he suggested it
i didn’t think it would work
my tank is pretty clean now
this guy kicks but !!!

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Pencils i found to best acclimation wise.
Your at the point of taking rock out and putting in sw buckets and scrubbing with a toothbrush. Put your.corals on a frag rack.
Wc
Carbon.
Up your.filtration and flow.
D

 

[fcmatt]

Hate to say it but time is the answer. Do water changes, don't over feed, have some healthy snails, clean the glass after putting a clean filter sock in for a day or two, make sure skimmer is running optimally, etc.. and just wait.

 

[BYU]

 

[musaabi]

Tuxedo urchin and emerald crab. I have the same issue. Also some snails will eat the hair algae.

 

[PeterB113]

Do you use phytoplankton? I thought the idea was crap myself at first, but my nuisance algae really started to disappear in my IM40 after I started daily doses. I'm still not sure if it's a solution in itself, but I'm getting better results with it and my CUC than I did with Vibrant.

Yes i feed marine snow phyto.