Algae control

D

Dusk to Dawn

Member
I have 2 kinds of snail and a couple of shrimp--they keep the rocks clean but not the walls. I just ordered an Algae Control product from Drs Foster and Smith. Do you think it would be safe for my tank? I have 3 seahorses, soft coral, green star polyps, a Mandarin goby, and. a ton of snails. I also have a peppermint shrimp on the way.

Almost forgot the two feather duster worms.
 
Creekview

Creekview

Member
What is the exact product? Why are you using it? I don't think most folks would recommend using a chemical control.
 
goma

goma

Well-Known Member
RS STAFF
PREMIUM
Good point above? What exactly are you trying to control? How old is the tank? What kind of mechanical filtration are you currently using (GFO, ChemiPure Elite, etc.)?
 
DianaKay

DianaKay

Princess Diana
RS STAFF
What are your nitrates & phosphates testing at?
I would say to NOT add any chemicals to kill algae as some algae is important to a healthy tank.
With a mandarin dragonet you do not need to take a chance that you would kill off any of your pod population.
Just BE CAREFUL, good you are asking BEFORE you add something that might have a negative side effect.
 
ReefingFun

ReefingFun

Member
Like said above, be very careful what you use. I quickly checked the Dr. Foster and Smith site to check what algae control they sell, and for the marine aquarium there are only 3 if I'm not mistaking. Two of them cannot be used in your tank for sure. The Marineland Algae Eliminator says in the notes below the description: "Not for use in aquariums with invertebrates or crustaceans". The second one - Tetra No More Algae Tabs - also states in the note: "Not for use in aquariums with live plants, snails or other invertebrates".

So that only leaves the AlgaeFix from API. While it seems good, it also has downsides. Been going over the reviews and some popped up that peeked my interest, like this one:

Some of my soft corals have had negative effects; my cabbage coral hasn't opened since the first dose over a month ago. My buttery yellow toadstool coral that used to have green tips is now 2 different shades of brown.

I stopped dosing a few weeks back, and hoping the corals recover.
Click to expand...

Personally, I would use it only as a very last resort, focusing on the "non-chemical" solutions first.
 
D

Dusk to Dawn

Member
That is the one--Algae fix. Wow. I'll trash it. Thanks guys. I have a 50 gallon aquarium, about 8 mos old, and use an Aqueon filter. It runs the water through 2 cartridges. I really, really hope the the Peppermint Shrimp likes wall algae. Any other suggestions? I have Turbo Snails and Banded something-or another Snails and a couple of shrimp. The snails move around on the glass, but the algae stays in place.
 
DianaKay

DianaKay

Princess Diana
RS STAFF
Most algae can be controlled by removing nutrients through wetter skimming & water changes.
What are your nitrate & phosphate tests showing? :fishy:
How much & how often are your WC's?
Over feeding could be an issue also. Your best :help: would be to start a tank thread so we could :read: & know more about your tank situation. A tank thread with pictures would be nice ;)
 
Creekview

Creekview

Member
Yes, please! Photos would help so much. Also, what kind of Aqueon filter? Lots of advances in filtration and tank chemistry. You may not have sufficient bacterial action to process excess nutrients. How much live rock do you have, what kind of substrate?

I think you'll find everyone here willing and able to help. I bet there are a couple thousand years of aggregate knowledge and experience here. Most of us have made every mistake possible at one time or another. Learning how not to do what others have tried and failed at will save you much anguish and loss of your critters.
 
goma

goma

Well-Known Member
RS STAFF
PREMIUM
This is most likely caused by high nutrients so you will need to increase water changes to get your levels under control. Please post your Nitrate and Phosphate levels. It seems you are not running a skimmer so your Aqueon filter may be contributing to the issue.
 
D

Dusk to Dawn

Member
DianaKay said:
What are your nitrates & phosphates testing at?
I would say to NOT add any chemicals to kill algae as some algae is important to a healthy tank.
With a mandarin dragonet you do not need to take a chance that you would kill off any of your pod population.
Just BE CAREFUL, good you are asking BEFORE you add something that might have a negative side effect.
Click to expand...
Thanks. Did you say a mandarin dragonet would help with the alge?
 
D

Dusk to Dawn

Member
goma said:
This is most likely caused by high nutrients so you will need to increase water changes to get your levels under control. Please post your Nitrate and Phosphate levels. It seems you are not running a skimmer so your Aqueon filter may be contributing to the issue.
Click to expand...

I do a 10% water change once a week. My Nitrate and Natrite and Ammonia are all at 0. I don't know how to test for phosphates. You think a protein skimmer will help? I'm gonna ask a really idiotic newbie question--what is a protein skimmer?
 
D

Dusk to Dawn

Member
DianaKay said:
What are your nitrates & phosphates testing at?
I would say to NOT add any chemicals to kill algae as some algae is important to a healthy tank.
With a mandarin dragonet you do not need to take a chance that you would kill off any of your pod population.
Just BE CAREFUL, good you are asking BEFORE you add something that might have a negative side effect.
Click to expand...

When you say Mandarin Dragonet are you talking about my Mandarin Goby?
 
D

Dusk to Dawn

Member
I got a scraper and looked at protein skimmers on the web. They mystify me. How do you set them up? Do they go inside the tank? Sorry I am so clueless. You really think it will help with the algae? Any recommendations on brand?
 
Snid

Snid

Active Member
Mandarin Gobies and Mandarin Dragonets are the same thing... They generally hunt and peck at Isopods and Amphipods all day as their main food intake. This is why it is strongly recommended not to have one until the tank has a certain level of maturity. Most recommend to wait a year before even considering it, and even then it really depends on the tank's ecosystem. Some people have them trained to eat other foods, but it is generally difficult to get them to do so. Some people have success with keeping them even though their tank's ecosystem cannot sustain many Pods by constantly supplementing Pods, which can get pricey. They require a fairly well trained eye to determine if they are well nourished or not. Because of all these factors, they are considered a difficult fish to keep and it is recommended that people only keep them after they have had some experience with keeping other, simpler marine fish.
 
D

Dusk to Dawn

Member
The guy at the fish store talked me into him. If I could catch him I would take him back, but with all these rocks it is impossible. What are pods? Where do you get them? He eats frozen brine. I have live rocks and sand in my tank. I'll go by the other fish store and see if I can find an appropriate food for him.
 
D

Dusk to Dawn

Member
Pics
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tank2.jpg
 
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