Ways to make my tank dirtier?..

[onlyreefers]

(I have a 90 gallon display and a 30 gallon sump, only run a skimmer for nutrient export, 10% water change every 2 weeks)

I know this may be an unpopular take, or a dumb question, but I have 4 mexican turbo snails (large), a few other snails and crabs, 6 clowns, a diamond goby, and a tang now. I want more algae growth in the display, without a crash. Curious of what can be implemented.

I’m feeding more than I’m comfortable with, yet phosphates and nitrates aren’t skyrocketing. They system is “working”, but I’m concerned that the snails are starving and will die. I did have a hair algae bomb, but now it’s practically bone dry. I can see the little spurs of hair algae wanting to growth, but they don’t stand a chance. I want the tang to be able to graze.

These turbos are absolute beasts, I want to keep them, but maybe the 90 is too small for 4. These things cleaned my gyre 4k off to be brand new (it was flooded with GHA), going out of the water and on top of my return nozzles. Goby keeps the sand spotless, but I’d like to see more life in the sand.

Literal tennis balls on top of each other looking for food.. I use to clean the glass every day, but nothing. I bought a 25W UV for clarity, but figure that’ll be the last nail in the coffin.

 

[Jasonak]

Hi
You can turn off your skimmer. Stop doing water changes.

 

[onlyreefers]

Hi
You can turn off your skimmer. Stop doing water changes.

So can I trust that the algae will be the one to consume the excess nutrients, while maintaining a balance? Then skim as needed?

 

[Spare time]

I think you will be fine. How long are the lights on?

 

[onlyreefers]

I think you will be fine. How long are the lights on?

12 hours. A part of me thinks that the baby sprouts of algae that try to grow are enough for them, but they, to me, seem to be going far beyond what I would expect. My dream would be that it’s the perfect amount, but that’s hard to come across

 

[Spare time]

12 hours. A part of me thinks that the baby sprouts of algae that try to grow are enough for them, but they, to me, seem to be going far beyond what I would expect. My dream would be that it’s the perfect amount, but that’s hard to come across

I mean I have more than you have but in a 48 gallon

 

[Jasonak]

So can I trust that the algae with be the one to consume the excess nutrients, while maintaining a balance? Then skim as needed?

Im not sure of what you all have going on in your tank. I had to turn off my skimmer and remove most of my algae from my sump to keep my Nits up. I had got to the point I was dosing nitrate. Coral's were just sucking it all up

 

[Jasonak]

I would just start by reducing water changes.

 

[onlyreefers]

I mean I have more than you have but in a 48 gallon

You talking bio load or clean up crew, or both?

 

[Spare time]

You talking bio load or clean up crew, or both?

Snails

 

[Nate Chalk]

you could poop in the tank

 

[MnFish1]

It would be nice to know what else is in your tank. It's also completely possible that its fish and other conditions that are causing a lack of algae. It would be difficult to answer this without knowing what your parameters are. Snails don't just eat algae - they eat fish food, etc - and the fish will eat algae. Until you're having a problem with dying snails - I would keep doing what you're doing.

 

[Nate Chalk]

It would be nice to know what else is in your tank. It's also completely possible that its fish and other conditions that are causing a lack of algae. It would be difficult to answer this without knowing what your parameters are. Snails don't just eat algae - they eat fish food, etc - and the fish will eat algae. Until you're having a problem with dying snails - I would keep doing what you're doing.

i couldnt help myself

 

[onlyreefers]

Im not sure of what you all have going on in your tank. I had to turn off my skimmer and remove most of my algae from my sump to keep my Nits up. I had got to the point I was dosing nitrate. Coral's were just sucking it all up

I just have 2 mushroom abundant rocks, some torches, softies and about 10 sps frags.. no colonies

 

[MnFish1]

.

 

[onlyreefers]

It would be nice to know what else is in your tank. It's also completely possible that its fish and other conditions that are causing a lack of algae. It would be difficult to answer this without knowing what your parameters are. Snails don't just eat algae - they eat fish food, etc - and the fish will eat algae. Until you're having a problem with dying snails - I would keep doing what you're doing.

Yea I know the snails eat more than just algae. They scour everything but the sand, presumably not much food falls on the rock, at least not that the hermits or tang don’t heist. Goby polices the bottom. No death, just proactive thought, shooting for visible food to tackle for them I guess

 

[onlyreefers]

you could poop in the tank

You’re so funny… thank you for your admirable, intelligent and respectable contribution..

 

[Nate Chalk]

You’re so funny… thank you for your admirable, intelligent and respectable contribution..

You are most welcome buddy.

In all honesty my tank also has the same issues. I dose calcium nitrate and trisodium phosphate daily. I am more than happy to share the calculations with you and where i source the labgrade chemicals.

 

[onlyreefers]

You are most welcome buddy.

In all honesty my tank also has the same issues. I dose calcium nitrate and trisodium phosphate daily. I am more than happy to share the calculations with you and where i source the labgrade chemicals.

All in good fun. I’m open to info, but not sure if I can implement/dive into the reef chemistry rocket science rabbit hole to resolve it. I’m an aspiring intermediate level. I’m just going to do more plug and play with feeding and watch phosphates. I may just not have enough nutrients. After adding the tang, I noticed what looked like a baby mini cycle, but it’s erradicated. I guess bacteria getting used to the new bioload. I’ll keep researching.

 

[Nate Chalk]

All in good fun. I’m open to info, but not sure if I can implement/dive into the reef chemistry rocket science rabbit hole to resolve it. I’m an aspiring intermediate level. I’m just going to do more plug and play with feeding and watch phosphates. I may just not have enough nutrients. After adding the tang, I noticed what looked like a baby mini cycle, but it’s erradicated. I guess bacteria getting used to the new bioload. I’ll keep researching.

The chemicals add nitrate and phosphate. just like the brightwell products that add those very nutrients.