Hello! I recently went through a break up and my Ex was nice enough to leave me a 30 gallon salt water fish tank. I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing..... The tank consist of two clown fish, a shrimp, a hermit crab and a snail. I purchased a water testing kit and refractometer ( don't know how to read testing results). Within the last week, green seaweed began sprouting everywhere! I have no idea what to do. Please Help......
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Redfoxtang
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Welcome to R2R!!! Sounds like you have some green hair algae growing. To check salinity on your refractometer, Left side should read SG so 1.026 and right side 35 ppt. If you have salt I would mix new salt water with RODI water and then test to 35ppt. This will help bring nutrients down and hopefully nip the algea in the butt. Plus I would go get some snails to help control the algea from returning.
P-Dub
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We would need to know a lot about your system to be of any real help and if you know nothing it is time for a crash course. Lots of reading will need to be done so you can familiarize yourself with some of the equipment and be prepared to answer some questions we will have to help. Hope your plans this coming weekend are to read and learn. Get the basics in your head and then we can better assist. If you could start off by taking a number of photos and post them here. Photos of the whole tank from the front, both sides, the back, as much as you can, the stand, the inside of the stand and any other components that are part of the tank, filters, heaters, etc. We'll get you through this.
Thank you so much for replying! I'm going to test the water now. I have salt, just have to get RODI water. I'm gonna stop by the fish store to see if they can test the water for me and grab some snails , while I'm there. Thank You!
SMSREEF
Valuable Member
welcome to Reef2Reef.
You got some good advice already.
When you go to the reef store to get RODI, bring some of your water and see if they can test it. Sometimes they do testing for free and sometimes it’s a couple bucks.
Test following if possible:
salinity
Phosphate
Nitrate
And, If you have or plan corals, clams or anemones:
Alkalinity
Calcium
Magnesium
Make sure they test the salinity so you know your refractometer is calibrated right. Mine was off for months and I had no idea until I had my water tested at the store.
Also, if you have long green hair algae, the snails I have had don’t eat it, you need to clean off manually and then snails work great keeping it from growing back. Just to know how many you need, I have 4 snails and an emerald crab in a 10 gallon. The snails have been with me for over 2 years. Emerald crabs work great on bubble algae and are work horses as well.
Have fun this weekend reefing
You got some good advice already.
When you go to the reef store to get RODI, bring some of your water and see if they can test it. Sometimes they do testing for free and sometimes it’s a couple bucks.
Test following if possible:
salinity
Phosphate
Nitrate
And, If you have or plan corals, clams or anemones:
Alkalinity
Calcium
Magnesium
Make sure they test the salinity so you know your refractometer is calibrated right. Mine was off for months and I had no idea until I had my water tested at the store.
Also, if you have long green hair algae, the snails I have had don’t eat it, you need to clean off manually and then snails work great keeping it from growing back. Just to know how many you need, I have 4 snails and an emerald crab in a 10 gallon. The snails have been with me for over 2 years. Emerald crabs work great on bubble algae and are work horses as well.
Have fun this weekend reefing
Braves Fan
Valuable Member
First off ,, and this is the most important advice you will get ,,, you have to decide if you want to be in this hobby ,, read that part again 
I am not trying to discourage you ,, I want you to be in the hobby ,, we want you to be in the hobby there will be a lot of research to be done on your part to go forward with your tank ,, a yes answer to this question would require some of your free time to do this learning research ,,
Tell us about your lights also ,,, your lighting cycle ,, this is a big deal ,, are there any corals in the tank ,,, we need to get your tank to a state will algae won't over run your tank and discourage you from the go to not get into the hobby while you are learning ,,
I am not trying to discourage you ,, I want you to be in the hobby ,, we want you to be in the hobby there will be a lot of research to be done on your part to go forward with your tank ,, a yes answer to this question would require some of your free time to do this learning research ,,Tell us about your lights also ,,, your lighting cycle ,, this is a big deal ,, are there any corals in the tank ,,, we need to get your tank to a state will algae won't over run your tank and discourage you from the go to not get into the hobby while you are learning ,,
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