Waste

[Anonymous]

This may be a silly question, but here's my issue. I had an outbreak of the typical brown algae. I purchased 20 hermit crabs, and 15 snails, all of which worked great in removing the algae. However, their waste is now settling around the tank. What eats this? Of course you can "filter" this out, but from an eco/bio viewpoint, whats the best animal for the job?
I would like to know your opinions, and what worked for you.
Thanks in advance.
~wings~

 

[BRose]

1st thing I'd ask is how old is your tank?
You also need to look at the size of the tank vs the number of crabs & snails (again dependant on the age of the tank and the present bio-load)
Some general thoughts:
In a well-established tank there's usually a lot of fauna in the sand bed that will 'consume' this type waste. If you have an old style, bare bottom tank or an very thin sand bed you may need to help the system by filtering as you say.
A couple of the more common types of Spaghetti and Medusa worms as well as the small brittle stars will reduce the waste. Questioned by some but commonly used by others, the common Red/Black bristle worms also help reduce it.

 

[Len]

There are many animals that will consume others' wastes. These are commonly known as detrivores. Perhaps the best large detrivore commonly available for this task is sea cucumbers. Cukes act like substrate mops. Lots of worms are also detrivores, like brose says. A healthy sandbed full of such critters usually can deal with reprocessing this material, although organic silt will still eventually accumulate over time.

 

[ebosshard]

With live sand in a reef tank is it suggested to not siphon through/clean out the sand bed for fear of getting rid of helpful critters in there along with detrius?

 

[Anonymous]

Thank you all for your replies.

Just to fill you in:
55 Gal, with w/d sump (~17G, custom built to fit inside the cabinet)
Oceanic skimmer model 4
4X65 coralife PC (1/2 A and F)
45lbs Figi LR
about 2" LSB

Added 20 Hermits, 15 snails, and they really "cleaned up the joint".
No fish ...yet.
Tank is 2+ weeks old...I know, very new.

Hope this helps.

Ebosshard, not quite sure I understand your Question/Comment¿¿¿
~wings~

 

[BRose]

ebosshard,
Particularly in a new tank this is generally true. Personally I've found that using an airline size tube to lightly siphon ditritus from rocks and the top of the sand bed doesn't hurt a new tank. Particularly in a brand new setup it's extremely helpful. Just don't siphon into the sand bed.
In a 'young' tank you want the bacteria and 'criters' to multiply and populate the sand bed and rocks. In a well estblished tank it's not as critical. As Len indicates, eventually you'll still get an organic silt build up. A couple of the more common approaches to help eliminate this are the "Deep Sand" or the "Plenium" approach which still have lots of debate over type, style, etc. Or you can do what I tend to do in my smaller tanks.
For tanks less than 60 gallons that are over 2 years old, I remove and replace about 1/4 of the sand every 3 or 4 months. I do this for a year and then wait a year. Basically it replaces the sand bed with new sand over a years time every other year. I'm sure many would debate this approach but it works for me and has for over a decade.

 

[BRose]

Wings,
That's a Really new tank! Hopefully the LR was fully cured. (?) Usually it takes at least 4 to 6 weeks for a tank to establish biofiltration. Often it takes 6 to 8 weeks or longer. At 2 weeks your tank probably hasn't even reached it's ammonia peak.
Hopefully the LR is cured and is already giving you basic bio-filtration. I'd suggest getting a piece of Hard Line (air line size hard tube), attach a piece of airline hose and lightly siphon the ditritus out of your tank daily. Don't distrube the rocks or sand. Just lightly siphon the waste out for the next week or so and see what happens. Try to remove as little water as possible. Generally, the more you remove, the longer the cycle will take.
Len, you're probably more current on recommendations for starting Beginners tanks. Can you suggest some reading for Wings? TIA

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks BRose for the information. As with any new tank, I'm most likely jumping the gun. But just to let you now, I have purchased John Tullock's book on the "Natural Reef Aquarium", which IMHO is exceptional in detail.
Question for you: Would a high ammonia content allow for the growth that I'm seeing in (brown) Algae?
I especially like your idea of using a small siphon tube, understanding NOT to disturb Rocks/LR. I can do this during the next water change too.
Oh, just to let you know, my LR was cured from a different tank given to me from a friend, so the cycle time is most likely greatly reduced.
Thanks!

~wings~

 

[BRose]

Wings,
Yes, new tanks typically go through various stages including algae growths. It's normal and for the most part there's not a whole lot you can do to prevent it. Usually the best you can do is minimize it with basic 'Good House Keeping'.
In the post "change" Len wrote,

. . . . If you'd like to know the details about setting up the tank, just ask There's a good amount of info online and in books that details how to set up a reef tank.

Here's a good set of books we recommend for beginners. Most of them have very good, insightful tutorials on how to set up a reef tank step by step.
http://www.reefs.org/library/reading/be ... inner.html

This is a good read if you haven't seen it yet:
http://www.reefs.org/library/newbieguide.htm

Let us know if you've got any questions Welcome to this terribly addicting and fascinating hobby!

Using cured LR definately helps the cycle but even using Live Sand and Cured LR I've found there's usually still a small cycle while everything in the tank settles. Purchased LS has the various bateria, etc. but seldom has a very good selection of fuana - i.e. Worms, etc. Given time these will multiply as they come out of the LR.
The most common way to jump start this is to get a few pounds of LS for a fellow aquarist that has a well established tank. Take care to know the person and their tank. You don't want to add problems to your new tank.
There are several places that sell Starter Kits with packets of these 'criters'. Personally I've purchase some of the Indo-Pacific Sea Farms packages years ago and was pleased with the diversity. http://www.ipsf.com/
I'd suggest you test your tank for ammonia & nitrites. When they're at zero you can add some of these types of amphipods, worms, ministars, etc. That will help lower the organic build up and make for a healthier tank.

Enjoy!

 

[Anonymous]

You guys are awesome! Thanks so much for your replies! I appreciate it very much!
~wings~