Bottom of tank

[auditech17]

So my tank is getting this weird film at bottom from sand up the other day my hermit crab cleaned off a little section of it, but it grew right back. I can’t get my flipper too close as it touches sand. Any ideas how to clean it? Or what it is? I’m guessing jus algae or diatoms? But I’m still new at this.

 

[Saltyreef]

Normal film algae. I use a tunze care cleaner and scrape to the sand line with out issues. If your flipper wont reach, you'll need to get your hand in there with a magic eraser or a kent extension scraper.

 

[auditech17]

Normal film algae. I use a tunze care cleaner and scrape to the sand line with out issues. If your flipper wont reach, you'll need to get your hand in there with a magic eraser or a kent extension scraper.

Magic’s eraser? Like Mr clean magic eraser? Doesn’t that have bleach in it?

 

[Saltyreef]

Magic’s eraser? Like Mr clean magic eraser? Doesn’t that have bleach in it?

Yes. Yes. Not all of them.

Make sure to buy the original one that is just foam with no added bleach.

 

[auditech17]

Yes. Yes. Not all of them.

Make sure to buy the original one that is just foam with no added bleach.

Well now dumb question here do the snails and hermit crab not go for film algae? My hermit crab stays on rocks as well as my trochus and cerith. My nassarius snail jus goes up and down the glas at night.

 

[ElementReefer]

Most invertebrates are eating things you can’t see. Cerith will eat just about anything. Snails job is keep the rocks clean, glass is more your job lol.

 

[auditech17]

Most invertebrates are eating things you can’t see. Cerith will eat just about anything. Snails job is keep the rocks clean, glass is more your job lol.

So my my sand has diatoms and for the first day or so my nassarius mixed a little bit of the sand up in one area and other areas are getting worse? Any ideas on that part? Do I need mor cleaners? It’s a 40 gallon aquatop

 

[ElementReefer]

You are seeing what’s called benthic procession.

You’ve created a mini ocean (tank) and turned on the sun (light). It’s starting to populate with similar critters as the real ocean, starting with that brown diatom algae.

Then more complex algae and bacteria will replace them, fighting for any surface (Greek: benthos) they can grow on. Green, beige, sometimes red or purple. For at least the next 6-12 months, there will be all out war for that real estate. Sometimes that war gets really unbalanced and you have to intervene, sometimes not.

For now it’s time for you to add copepods, so research how to do that.

Your nassarius are nocturnal scavengers, they are looking for dead flesh, and they’re excellent at finding it. Fairly useless in a new tank, but you’ll appreciate them later. For now you could drop a pea sized bit of clam or shrimp in there one evening and they will find it.

 

[auditech17]

You are seeing what’s called benthic procession.

You’ve created a mini ocean (tank) and turned on the sun (light). It’s starting to populate with similar critters as the real ocean, starting with that brown diatom algae.

Then more complex algae and bacteria will replace them, fighting for any surface (Greek: benthos) they can grow on. Green, beige, sometimes red or purple. For at least the next 6-12 months, there will be all out war for that real estate. Sometimes that war gets really unbalanced and you have to intervene, sometimes not.

For now it’s time for you to add copepods, so research how to do that.

Your nassarius are nocturnal scavengers, they are looking for dead flesh, and they’re excellent at finding it. Fairly useless in a new tank, but you’ll appreciate them later. For now you could drop a pea sized bit of clam or shrimp in there one evening and they will find it.

I’m going back to lfs this weekend, so what introverts should I get? I’m going to get a coral or 2 and a light.

 

[ElementReefer]

Pods! Amphipods, copepods, etc. Basically little sea bugs. Most LFS don’t stock live ones, but you can bring them in on live rock and coral frag plugs.

A great example would be a couple of soft coral frags that come on a little piece of live rock, not just a frag plug. (Note: All live rock and coral frag plugs carry the risk of introducing pests, however the benefit of introducing good critters outweighs the risk of pests as long as you’re getting the products from a trusted source.)

You can also order live pods online, just search for “live copepods for sale.”

 

[auditech17]

Pods! Amphipods, copepods, etc. Basically little sea bugs. Most LFS don’t stock live ones, but you can bring them in on live rock and coral frag plugs.

A great example would be a couple of soft coral frags that come on a little piece of live rock, not just a frag plug. (Note: All live rock and coral frag plugs carry the risk of introducing pests, however the benefit of introducing good critters outweighs the risk of pests as long as you’re getting the products from a trusted source.)

You can also order live pods online, just search for “live copepods for sale.”

I got home today and I saw my back glass (black) is covered in that film algae, how do I wipe that off? Will the copepods do that too?

 

[ElementReefer]

You will have various types of film algae on the glass forever. It comes and goes. Generally if I scrape my glass it comes back 2 days later, if faster I need to do a water change

 

[ElementReefer]

But yes copepods will eat off the glass.

 

[Jay'sReefBugs]

That's called copepod candy .

 

[exnisstech]

Any ideas how to clean it?

I’m going back to lfs this weekend, so what introverts should I get?

I'm sorry but if you want your glass clean you are going to have to scrape it all the way to the sand line. I have literally hundreds of CUC members including multiple types of snails and hermits. They do nothing more than make trails through the film on the glass.

 

[ElementReefer]

Here’s my glass today, after a couple days of not cleaning it. As you can see the snails have tried their best. I will be spending the next 1-2 hours scrubbing that off.

I’m kidding, it takes 2 minutes.

 

[auditech17]

Here’s my glass today, after a couple days of not cleaning it. As you can see the snails have tried their best. I will be spending the next 1-2 hours scrubbing that off.

I’m kidding, it takes 2 minutes.

Yeap that’s exactly what mine looked liked! I grabbed my flipper and wiped it off. It’s not too bad!

 

[MrGisonni]

That's a really deep sandbed. That come with both good and bad. At the bottom anaerobic bacteria will be processing your nitrates, but if you disturb it, methane and sulfur will quickly be released into the tank. Not good! IMHO