Gha in a small nano battle.. adding cuc

[Aluco]

So, I've been dealing with algae in this tank for about 6 months now. It's gha brought in I'm sure by some type of livestock. Nutrients have been kept in check but I must be getting mislead by test numbers as gha keeps growing. I've been adding cuc to this tank little by little, tank is just under 10 gallons, and just a couple days ago I was ready to tear out the rockwork and basically start over. I added 14 more hermits today and after cleaning the tank yesterday I'm starting to feel the cuc is becoming big enough to be effective. I also have a ton of snails coming, and a pitho crab. I'm not sure how many more members of the cuc I need, I was watching the new hermits today and they are all over the rock doing work. Tank has a little uv as well..

I guess I don't really have a question, just wanting to have a place I can track my progress with it and take any advice people want to leave. Thanks for reading. I continue to beef up the Bacteria population as well as giving it 2 cleanings a week minimum. Plan was to add like 16 snails on Thursday but idk if it would be too much. As of now there's prolly like 6 snails and 20+ hermits in there.

 

[TheBear78]

Hi.
Can you post your test results?
How stable are they?
Why do you keep adding more bacteria?
By regular cleaning do you mean GHA removal or full tank?
- All of these may hint at why you are struggling or offer insight into the problem.

FWIW I've been through GHA, diatoms, cyano and bubble algae over the last 12 months in my 15 month old 110 gal. For CUC I have 1 Astrea, approximately 10 Nassarius (they breed regularly so may be more), 2 black legged Hermits and 2 Halloween Hermits. I also have an orange spotted Goby to dig around.
I don't think I ever had it too bad but am cautious not to over populate with CUC in case they run out of food.

 

[Aluco]

Hi.
Can you post your test results?
How stable are they?
Why do you keep adding more bacteria?
By regular cleaning do you mean GHA removal or full tank?
- All of these may hint at why you are struggling or offer insight into the problem.

FWIW I've been through GHA, diatoms, cyano and bubble algae over the last 12 months in my 15 month old 110 gal. For CUC I have 1 Astrea, approximately 10 Nassarius (they breed regularly so may be more), 2 black legged Hermits and 2 Halloween Hermits. I also have an orange spotted Goby to dig around.
I don't think I ever had it too bad but am cautious not to over populate with CUC in case they run out of food.

No3 has been like 3 and po4 about 0.02. I just throw a few pellets in there about twice a day. In the 6 months it's been up it has been stable probably about the last 3 months, maybe closer to 4 months. I'm just adding microbacter clean and microbacter 7 in once in a while as it seemed to be helping. Usually cleanings are the glass, the rocks, back wall, water change and I clean pumps once a week. All algae I'd consider neusense algae grows on the rock and spread to the back of the tank so that's my main focus. I've pulled the rock out multiple times and scrubbed it, I've manually pulled it out, I've even tried automatic scrub brushes just to get it off the rock, it's difficult to do and always comes back. I try and get all the free floating algae after scrubbing during the water change. Varies between I'd say 20-60% water volume change each time. My rodi water reads 0 tds..

Thanks for your interest in helping. I know it's not a super emergency but it's just so dang annoying heh

 

[Aluco]

One thing that I haven't addressed is the photo period, lights come on at 8am, I don't remember exactly when main leds go off but there is light on the tank (moonlighting..) until 12am. So 8am-12am there's light on the tank..

 

[Raysup88]

What’s the temp of the tank?

 

[Aluco]

What’s the temp of the tank?

Tank is set to 78°f, it can creep up to 79 or 80° if ambient is too warm. Fairly rare tho

 

[LordofCinder]

What is the phosphate level?
Did you start with dry white rocks?

 

[Aluco]

What is the phosphate level?
Did you start with dry white rocks?

Phosphate is low at about 0.02

So, the current rock was not dry white rock, however when the tank was first set up I did use dry white rock for a couple months. This indeed started off the algae In a big way. I ended up scrapping that rock, cleaned it out and got the current rock from a lfs that has your usual tub o rocks. It's the same lfs I got my main dt rock and that tank never had a gha problem..

 

[LordofCinder]

I know many will disagree with me, but since you are at the point of starting over, I would consider vibrant. When I use it, I only use 25% of the recommended dosage, its enough to get the job done (without hurting anything)

 

[Aluco]

I know many will disagree with me, but since you are at the point of starting over, I would consider vibrant. When I use it, I only use 25% of the recommended dosage, its enough to get the job done (without hurting anything)

I may try more inverts for about a week then reconsider. If an urchin runs out of food you can feed it nori yea?

 

[Raysup88]

Maybe try dosing microbacter7 keep adding good bacteria in it and let the bacteria war commence lol

 

[Aluco]

Maybe try dosing microbacter7 keep adding good bacteria in it and let the bacteria war commence lol

Yea my algae was almost gone and that's when I added corals but when I ran out of microbacter clean it came back quick. Could be coincidence but maybe not

 

[diwit]

So, I've been dealing with algae in this tank for about 6 months now. It's gha brought in I'm sure by some type of livestock. Nutrients have been kept in check but I must be getting mislead by test numbers as gha keeps growing. I've been adding cuc to this tank little by little, tank is just under 10 gallons, and just a couple days ago I was ready to tear out the rockwork and basically start over. I added 14 more hermits today and after cleaning the tank yesterday I'm starting to feel the cuc is becoming big enough to be effective. I also have a ton of snails coming, and a pitho crab. I'm not sure how many more members of the cuc I need, I was watching the new hermits today and they are all over the rock doing work. Tank has a little uv as well..

I guess I don't really have a question, just wanting to have a place I can track my progress with it and take any advice people want to leave. Thanks for reading. I continue to beef up the Bacteria population as well as giving it 2 cleanings a week minimum. Plan was to add like 16 snails on Thursday but idk if it would be too much. As of now there's prolly like 6 Acrylic on short nails and 20+ hermits in there.

View attachment 3143628 View attachment 3143629

It's great to hear that you're taking steps to address the algae issue in your tank. Building up a diverse and effective cleanup crew (CUC) can certainly help control algae growth. Here are a few suggestions and tips to consider as you continue to work on improving the situation:

1. Monitor nutrient levels: Even though you mentioned keeping nutrient levels in check, it's a good idea to regularly test and ensure that parameters like nitrate and phosphate remain within appropriate ranges. Algae growth can be fueled by excess nutrients, so maintaining proper levels is important.
2. Balance lighting and photoperiod: Evaluate the lighting intensity and duration in your tank. Algae growth can be influenced by excessive light or prolonged photoperiods. Adjusting the lighting schedule or intensity may help control algae growth.
3. Consider additional cleanup crew members: While hermit crabs and snails are known to be effective algae eaters, adding other CUC members such as cerith snails, turbo snails, or emerald crabs can provide additional assistance. Each species may have its preferred type of algae, so diversifying your CUC can help cover more ground.
4. Manual removal: Continually removing visible algae manually, especially during water changes or regular maintenance, can help keep algae populations in check. By physically removing excess algae, you can prevent it from spreading and help restore the balance in your tank.
5. Be patient and consistent: It may take some time for the cleanup crew to establish a balanced ecosystem. Continue with your regular tank maintenance routines, monitor the progress, and make adjustments as needed. It's important to be patient and consistent in your efforts.

Remember that every aquarium is unique, and it may require some trial and error to find the right combination of cleanup crew members and maintenance practices that work for your specific tank. Regular observation, testing, and adjustments will help you achieve a healthier and more balanced environment. Good luck with your efforts to control algae growth!

 

[Aluco]

Hard to tell in this light but algae is soooo much better since adding 14 more hermits and 16 more snails. And the pitho crab goes along cleaning the sand, and hopefully the peppermint in there will eat the aiptasia.. but if they run out of food ima have to start feeding tank nori or something

 

[Aluco]

Ok, there's no more algae on the rocks. It's amazing. Ever since I added those hermits they destroyed it.

Also took the canister filter offline and put in a reactor with gfo and purigen. I think this setup will keep things well under control. I'll prolly need to start moving these cuc to main dt

 

[Aluco]

Kk I stacked like 3 filters over my phone camera so you can actually see what the rockwork, tank looks like. Corals are really brightening up, I hope they will do well and grow