someone told me that i should use snails because if they die you might not sea it and then they can cause ammonia and nitrate spikes.
has this ever happend to any of you?
na i always go over board with new tanks on the snails. if a few die no big they will not cause a spike.
so what will help with diatom algae? its just a fowlr.
snails
would any other stars work? maybe a choc chip? i just dont want anything that will go all predator on me and start going after fish like i read some brittle stars do? i also read that brittle stars can get as big as a dinner plate ..
i dont like choc starts for reasons stated above. the little white sea stars are good, i like gobies for turnning over the sand myself. the sleeper banded gobies are great for this,just get one or they will starve.
if i were to get shrimp how many would i need to get? and what kind?
shrimp will just help with the detritus, which in turn does help with the algea but i dont think you see any noticable difference.
my lfs also sells some kind of sea cucumber. will they eat green/brown agae?
they are good for the sand but you dont want these guys dieing in the tank they release some very toxic stuff when they die.
here is what i suggest for your cleanning crew.(keep in mind you dont have to get them all at once.)
25-cerith snails
25-nerite snails
15-trochus snails
10-20 margarita snails
6-tonga nassarius snails or 12-nassarius snails (they look the same only tonga is bigger.
1-tiger serpant (ture some brittle stars eat fish "the green ones" but not these) the ones that do eat fish have the real spiky legs, serpants like the tigers legs look more like the typical bristle worm.
**that crew list is a minimum personaly i would go with double the number of everything but the nassarius.
above all if this a new set up "PATIENTS". algae blooms are normal and a sign that your tank has started to mature. skimmer, good water flow, reg water changes, blowing off the rocks every now and then, good cleaning crew and you dont over feed it will go away on its own. less lighting during the bloom will also help keep it in check, then cycle your lighting in slowly.
well hope this helps let us know how it goes.