alternative clean up crew

[fergo]

Hi again,

Well it appears that i cannot keep trochus snails in my tank. See this post for more information trochus snail help.

The third one died last night, for no apparent reason.

the conch snails, and hermit crabs are doing wonderful and the turbo snails seem to be doing ok.

Can you extremely knowledgeable people advise me of an alternative clean up crew. I have an algae problem, and getting rid of the nutriants is not an option (i go away and my room mate feeds, but ALWAYS over feeds, i have talked to him but it keeps happeneing).

so any ideas, oh also i cant have shrimp as i have a lion fish and he likes them

please help guys, sick of cleaning it myself

[leebca]

There are still other options for controlling nutrients. It will cost. One way is to fit the system with phosphate and silica removing 'things' (pads, media, reactor, etc.).

There may be a chance that one or more of your other snails are 'killer snails.' Maybe there is something else in the aquarium that likes snails? Hermit crabs should be banned from the aquarium. Many will kill snails. Thought I'd mention this possibility. The last article in the list below mentions the role hermit crabs play in the home aquarium.

No mention is made of the size of the aquarium nor system. Hard to suggest all the possibilities. But, if you follow these article's advice as to the 'safe types' and the size aquarium they need, you won't go far wrong:
The Grazing Snails, Part I - Turbo, Trochus, Astraea, and Kin by Ronald L. Shimek, Ph.D. - Reefkeeping.com
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-06/rs/index.htm
The Grazing Snails, Part III: Conchs, Ceriths, Cowries, and Columbellids by Ronald L. Shimek, Ph.D. - Reefkeeping.com
and
Aquarium Frontiers Library

[fergo]

thanks for the links.

Details about my tank its 5 foot, 370L, with a wet dry trickle filter as well as a internal powerhead filter. IM not sure of the protien skimmer in the filter but it seems to be doing very well.

i have about 150Kg's of live rock, i have a black lion fish, large copper banded butterfly and a checkerboard wrasse.

the tank has been running for about 6 months now and i have always had this algae problem (due to room mate).

the algae is green and is on all surfaces (substrate, live rock, glass).

I also had a small outbreak of hair algae that came in with some live rock, but thats undercontrol now.

i have looked at some buffers and media options but would love something a bit more permenant due to my work and needing to be away. (if i cant trust my room mate to feed appropriately i doubt he could manage maintence of media and buffers.

any livestock that you would recommend?

[leebca]

A Yellow Eye Tang (Ctenochaetus strigosus) would do well in keeping algae under control. Still your tank is in the finishing stages of maturity. Make sure you quarantine the fish first and get it to eat aquarium foods, get used to you, and to make sure it doesn't bring a disease into your aquarium.

i travel extensively for business (I'm in Paris, France right now). My neighbor feeds my fish. Controlling volume? Not a problem. Each feeding is measured by me, put into the little snack plastic bags and left in the freezer. One bag per feeding.

[fergo]

hiya guys.

well i went to a new store today and he had some wonderful stuff.

I ended up with a Scribbler Angel fish. he is a beauty and seems to be getting stuck into the algae immediatly.

i will get a tang or two as well, but he seems to be doing great.

thanks for all your advice