CUC recommendations?

[J-dog]

Hello all, I am currently getting a light dusting of brown and green algae growing on my live rock. My current CUC doesn't seem to be doing the job, so I wanted to ask what everyone thinks would be good for cleaning this type of algae. I currently have nerite, cerith snails, along with some hermits and an emerald crab. I used to have some turbo snails that were great, but they were serious bulldozers that knocked over everything (they also all died when I had a dino outbreak). Please let me know what u think would work the best, thanks :help:

 

[returnofsid]

Since you have the snails that I would recommend, as long as you have an appropriate number of them, I'd look at other options, instead.

Are you using RO/DI water, to make your saltwater and for top off water?
What types of foods are you feeding? How much? How often? If feeding frozen foods, are you rinsing it, before feeding? Most foods are loaded with nitrates and/or phosphates.
How often are you doing water changes? How much are you changing?
What all do you dose? How much? How often?

I'd look at ways to reduce nitrates and phosphates. Even if your test results appear to show good results, you do have nitrates and/or phosphates, or you wouldn't be getting algae growth.

 

[J-dog]

Since you have the snails that I would recommend, as long as you have an appropriate number of them, I'd look at other options, instead.

Are you using RO/DI water, to make your saltwater and for top off water?
What types of foods are you feeding? How much? How often? If feeding frozen foods, are you rinsing it, before feeding? Most foods are loaded with nitrates and/or phosphates.
How often are you doing water changes? How much are you changing?
What all do you dose? How much? How often?

I'd look at ways to reduce nitrates and phosphates. Even if your test results appear to show good results, you do have nitrates and/or phosphates, or you wouldn't be getting algae growth.

I hope I can answer all of your questions.....

I do use RO/DI water for mixing my salt and for topping off (TDS meter reads 0)
I usually feed 5 times per week, using Spectrum pellets, frozen PE mysis, or a homemade batch of frozen from a fellow reefer. I don't rinse any of the frozen, but I've never had any trouble in the past without rinsing either
I do water changes every 2 weeks, about 8-10 gallons (my tank is 65 gallons)
I dose 2-part from BRS (alk, cal, and mag) trying to keep my numbers at alk=10, cal=400-450, mag=1500

I do have a dual reactor running with GFO and carbon. I test for phosphates 1 time per month, and since I got the reactor, my Hanna meter tests 0.00

Another thing that happened was I lost a lot of snails when I had my dino outbreak a while back. That crap must be poisonous to snails because all of my turbo snails died, along with some of my crabs and other smaller snails. I really think I need a bigger CUC, but if u think something is wrong with how I'm running my tank, please let me know so I can fix it. Thanks again for the advice

 

[returnofsid]

Everything sounds good! Dynos will definitely kill snails, as well as herbivorous fish, if they eat enough of it. Since you've lost a lot of snails, that may be the cause of the increased algae. You might be right, in ordering a CUC refresher.

 

[J-dog]

Everything sounds good! Dynos will definitely kill snails, as well as herbivorous fish, if they eat enough of it. Since you've lost a lot of snails, that may be the cause of the increased algae. You might be right, in ordering a CUC refresher.

Would u recommend any type of snail? I had turbos, but they are so big and bulky they knocked everything over (but they did a great job cleaning!). Others have told me to get trochus and astreas, but I'm not sure which are best for cleaning rocks and glass.