Algee question

[Dubge]

OK I had this brown algee on the sand bed and on some of the decor in the tank, it was there for 2-3 weeks. When I got in from work yesterday it was 90% gone? The sand bed was clean and most of it was gone from the decors in the tank. The only thing I have added is 4 very small hermit crabs. Is that normal for it to clear up like that is a 12 hour time? The water also looks a little cloudy, no skimmer on the tank yet because I am trying to buy a good one that I can put in my wet/dry

thanks
Ray

 

[Canada]

I have seen that happen in my tank too. As I am sure the hermits are eating some, I am more convinced that the algae has just let loose of what it was on. Do you have alot of movement in the tank. I had a red slime algae problem a while back and whenever it seemed to get really bad it would just dissappear. But it was really just breaking loose and getting distributed to where I couldn't see it. In the nooks and crannies in the live rock and in my filter.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[DaGoldenChild]

I've had that same thing happen to me i too only have 5 very small hermit crabs and im almost positive they didnt eat it all because i have a 55 gallon tank, it was always a mystery to me so if someone can answer this question i think it will help us all out

 

[ChrisRD]

The brown stuff you're seeing is diatoms. It's a normal part of the several algae cycles you will see in a new tank and will generally disappear as quickly as it shows up. Some critters do eat them (mostly snails) as well.

In much the same way, a bout with cyano is also a normal part of your first year algae cycles. Again, it will often build-up and then "crash" and just disappear. There are some hermits and at least one species of snail that I know of (Cerith) that will eat cyano as well. Cyano can often come and go cyclically in your tank until it is mature enough, or nutrient levels are low enough that it's no longer a problem. Good circulation also discourages cyano growth.

HTH

 

[Jolieve]

Chris, I have never seen my ceriths touch cyanobacteria. Maybe this is something that only some cerith snails do? I had a rather bad infestation of cyano a while back, took over the whole sandbed and the lower portions of my rock, and my ceriths did not touch it, they huddled on the top of the rock structure and avoided the sand like the plague. My queen conch made more of a dent, but not by eating it, more by having to move through it in between water changes.

 

[Anonymous]

Very few things eat cyano, if they touch it at all.

 

[ChrisRD]

Chris, I have never seen my ceriths touch cyanobacteria. Maybe this is something that only some cerith snails do?

I'm sure that's possible. I definitely had a group of snails that were eating it in a system I had about 5 years ago. IIRC correctly they were Ceriths. Baja Red Leg hermits were also eating cyano in that system. Haven't had a cyano problem in quite a few years (since then actually), so I'm going by memory...

 

[radcast2]

IME the best thing for cyano and diatoms is a Fighting conch, Cerith snails.
Chris is correct about the cyano but just a little FYI..cyano is a bacterial infection of the tanks water. Usually goes away with water changes, and IME a fighting conch. If your sandbed is completely covered with it you can try to rake it up to a small pile then syphon it out. Cyano can take over your tank very quickly and cause a crash.