[Kluivertfan2]

I have three questions,
First is there a reef safe natural way to dispense of the red cyano-bacteria? Id prefer a creature rather than chemicals, and since I am hoping to move into corals with time, It would need to be reef-safe.
Is there a similar creature that can eat aiptasia, but will leave other anemonies alone?
Second, I have a slender, milky white (Or it could be translucent with the sand behind it showing through), 2 inch long worm that is in my sand. It isnt a bristle worm. Im just wondering if anybody has any ideas as to what it is.

 

[daytonight]

it might help others to know the the tank size, filters used, how long it has been set up, lights and stuff like that

the worms in the sand are ok probibly like a spagetti worm or something like it sand critters ok for the most part
randy

 

[Kluivertfan2]

The tank is a 65 gallon, it has just finished cycling. The filters used are an aquaclear hob, and whisper hob (just some molly fry in the tank right now) It also has a 20 gallon refugium. Lights are just 2 20 watt flourescents (just for now, im looking into getting either MH or power compacts).

 

[daytonight]

give it some time ur gonna get some stuff from just getting the cycle done u can try a cleanup crew hermets and stuff but it will go away as the tank starts to mature some dont rush the tank
randy

 

[Kluivertfan2]

OK thanks. Im not too worried about it. The only thing that worries me is that it is starting to expand to where the live rock has some zooanthellae (sp) and I diodnt want them to get smothered.

 

[daytonight]

were u located at???

 

[Kluivertfan2]

Berkley/ Royal Oak

 

[daytonight]

well if u ever neeed help with the tank or ?? let me know i am over in royal oak everyweek

 

[Specialk]

Since the tank is a new you can expect alage outbreaks like this.

You can try sucking some of the cyano out. If it is only in a certain area try some extra flow in that area and it should help.

Aiptasia I think you may have to take care of that. Everything I have read says that it spreads fast. Try some peppermint shrimps as part of your clean up crew and hopefully they will take care of the aiptasia. Some times the peppermints work and sometimes they don't but its worth a try.

I would leave the worm for now it is probably ok, if you can get a pic of the worm that would help.

Kaye

 

[Newts]

As Spacialk said try to remove the cyno. manually, either by siphoning it ,or sometimes you can use your hand and lift it out when it's on sand. Make sure you keep up on water changes, that's also when you can siphon it. Use a small diameter hose.

Yes, don't let Aptasia get too bad. If peppermint shrimp don't work get some kalkwasser or Joe's juice to inject them.

 

[Kelly]

cyano

I live in the same area as you. I've got a 50 gal reef thats about 8 months old now, so I know what your going through. I didn't think it would ever go away. But it will. You do have to be carefull with the crabs though, get the wrong ones and they'll end up eating things you don't want them to. I ordered some from Indo-pacfic sea farms, they stay small and make a good clean up crew. If you want to compare notes some time you can PM me.

 

[Planecrazy]

Do you have a protein skimmer? Extra skimming will help with cyano also. I thought that molly's were freshwater?!?

-Aaron

 

[Kluivertfan2]

Mollies are typically sold as freshwater, but are actually from brackish to salty conditions. They do best in brackish but can do well in pretty much anything. My saltwater tank used to be a brackish tank, but I decided to go Marine, gradually raising the salinity from 1.014 to 1.024. I kept the molly fry in the tank in order to keep a bioload so the bacteria in the filters wouldnt die off. I also figured they could be live food to anything I put in there once the tank was done cycling.
I have a protein skimmer, but havent hooked it up yet. It didnt come with a manual, so I have no idea how to connect it to the tank.
When I do my water changes I will try to pull some of the slime off.
Im gonna pick up some peppermint shrimps today, how many is good for a 65 gallon?
Thanks for all the info.

 

[Kelly]

What kind of skimmer is it? You may want to through in some crabs and snails along with the shrimp. The shrimp may help with the aiptaesa but they won't help with the cyano or algae.

 

[Newts]

Try three peppermint shrimp. If your close to Deep Blue Reefs their peppermints were really cheap, like $5 or $6 a piece.

 

[Kluivertfan2]

i picked up 3 peppermints taday at Moby Dicks, I also got 10 blue legged hermits at Aqautic Discoveries. Hopefully this will help a bit.

 

[C.S.]

if your cayno problem dosent go away with the halide system then you probly have a source of neutrints in your sand bed(i assume this is where it is growing) that can be taken care of threw getting some sand sifter and doing WC with going threw the sand bed. you can also talk with chad at moby dicks he is just amasing when it comes to what he knows.

 

[Specialk]

if your cayno problem dosent go away with the halide system then you probly have a source of neutrints in your sand bed

Your tank is to new to have nutrient problems in your sand bed.

that can be taken care of threw getting some sand sifter

If you do get sand sifters they will quickly deplete the life in the sand bed, I would avoid them. There would be no reason to have LS in a tank with them when the life is depleted out of the sand bed they will starve. With sand sifters you need to continuously repopulate the life in your sandbed and over time this will get costly and IMO a waste of money.

Kaye

 

[Newts]

If you do get sand sifters they will quickly deplete the life in the sand bed, I would avoid them. There would be no reason to have LS in a tank with them when the life is depleted out of the sand bed they will starve. With sand sifters you need to continuously repopulate the life in your sandbed and over time this will get costly and IMO a waste of money.

If your talking about sand sifting stars then I agree, but this is not the case with sand sifting cucumbers, like tiger tail cukes. They take in the sand and clean the sand then poop it out, clean. If I remember right I think they may live off the bacteria and stuff like that, that coats the sand. This is not a bad thing as the sand will quickly recolonize the sand, in doing this new bacteria filters better as bacteria filters as it is colonizing. I'm not sure if I explained this right, but maybe someone else can make it clearer or correct some of what I'm tring to explain. Reguardless they will help turn over the sand and help to keep the algae from completely covering sand.

I have several cukes in my tank. I started out with three, and now have many more. They multiply pretty good. Make sure you get the light tan colored Tigertail cukes, they seem to be the hardiest. I've tried the black ones and they never lasted long for me. Also make sure not to get the colorful pink and yellow filtering cukes. They may last for a while(6-8 months), but will eventually die from starvation. This is what I've learned from experience and have read about many with the same .