Algae issue & lazy snails

[Reneeslane]

My 72 gallon tank/sump is only about 2 weeks old. Have about 34lbs of LR so far and about 10 dry. Have about 6 Turbo snails and 5 little guys, 1 coral. There is a brown/green algae forming on the sand and on the rocks and glass that doesn't seem to be getting eaten by the snails, or at least not fast enough. It alsoseems be browing, kinda grass like. Is this a natural part of the tank cycling and will subside or the beginning of a bigger problem. I've cut back the lighting to 8 hours. Would appreciate feedback before I advance with more LR or would this help. Do I get more snails or something else? Thanks

[skip2142]

Sounds like diatoms to me. Perfectly normal. Mine went away on its own.

[wildman6809]

+1 on diatoms you can use a turkey baster and gently blow it loose into the water but it should go away on its own, it is part of a new tank

[DT's_Reef]

The algae is normal when you're tank's trying to get balanced.

But, I recommend adding some common Mexican hermit crabs (grey legs, red/orange antennae) as in my experience they do a much better job of keeping your rocks clean than snails. They're good to have period.

Although your algae cycle is normal, you might want to make certain that your protein skimmer is consistently foaming and collecting gunk in the cup. Manage your light cycle, and it's better to feed less than more....but don't starve your fish of course.

Lastly, make certain your magnesium level is 1300-ish, and that your alk is 8-10, but stable, and your calcium is 400-ish. The more your corals grow, the more they compete with algae.

[Reneeslane]

I don't have a skimmer yet. So now is the time to get that running? It also looks like the algae is growing on the snails and hermits I have-that can't be normal.

[emoore]

Your tank is 2 weeks old. You will go thru many algae outbreaks. I would not worry about it too much right now.

[Blownsvt]

i use large nassarius snails and they eat a ton. I had/have the same issues you do and they do a great job.

[Reneeslane]

Well I'm feeling a bit better after hearing back from people. Last question (for now :) ); should I continue at this point getting all the LR that I had intended to, probably another 20lbs and some DR or hold off till tank settles down a bit?

[Blownsvt]

i am new to this hobby so keep that in mind. But i would think add it now rather than later unless you plan to cycle the dry rock in a seperate container until it is cured. new rock can cause an ammonia spike which you do not want in a tank with a bunch of critters in. It can also leach phosphates which will contribute to algae growth.

[DT's_Reef]

I would add a protein skimmer. A low cost strong skimmer is the Vertex IN-100 ($200).

I would only add as much rock as you need so that it is aquascaped the way you want. I wouldn't add too many of any kind of critter at this point given that your tank is only 2 weeks old. Nassarius snails are nice, but they're only good if you have a sandbed. Also, they really need a decent amount of food/detritus to stay alive for the long-term. Since your tank is new, I wouldn't add them. I'd stick to hermits and snails. Hermits vary tremendously in terms of how well they groom your rocks, so make certain you're getting the right type.