my Budget 20L

[reefhustler]

Being in college really doesn't allow me to invest as much money into my tank as i like. Ik budget and reef aquariums usually don't go good together but im trying to assemble a setup as cheap as possible. My tank was set up on 1/02/2011. right now im going threw a bad hair algae outbreak, atleast it is better than the diatom outbreak i had 2 weeks ago. any advice on the algae would be helpful. also realized i added the fish alittle early.

equipment:
oddessea 4x24 fixture(ik not the best)
off brand hang on the back filter for carbon
aquaclear powerhead
homemade pvc overflow
diy 20L sump(hooked up on 02/02/2011)
3ft cc skimmer(still in the process of finishing)

pictures are all taken 02/02/2011, sorry for bad quality

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x183/bigboibobvila/Picture012-2.jpg
http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x183/bigboibobvila/Picture009-3.jpg
http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x183/bigboibobvila/Picture013-1.jpg
http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x183/bigboibobvila/Picture010-4.jpg

[reefhustler]

would leaving lights off for a week help with the algae?

[muhli]

honestly i would just leave the lights on like it would normally timed. but i would throw in a few turbo snails to chew up all that algae, plus it cleans up your tank

[JasonBJones]

I think I would have to disagree with the above and cut the lights down quite a bit. Without anything in there (coral wise) you have very little need for the lights right now. I would at least shut them off for a couple of days. I would also figure out why you have such a strong outbreak so quickly, where are the nutrients coming from?

[reefhustler]

will be going to lfs today, is cheato the best macro to get?

[BigandUgly]

What kind of water did you use?

[israel.kendall]

If you throw in a "few" Turbo snails I think they would end up starving. Maybe one large Turbo could help.

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[reefhustler]

What kind of water did you use?

distilled, not to sure if the tds could be high in it

didnt really want to use my ro unit, its just a 2 stage unit i bought off ebay a few yrs ago.

[reefhustler]

added cheato to the sump a few days ago, not sure on how long to keep it lit. is 16hrs a day to much?

[jeff1974]

i run my cheato 24-7

[reefhustler]

i run my cheato 24-7

cheeto doesnt need a night cycle?

[nickman]

I've had much better luck with a 12/12 cycle for my chaeto. I tried a 24 hour cycle for a while and had very little growth. I'm assuming all other factors were the same.

[reefhustler]

was just view my sump and noticed about 20 mini jellyfish. Im scared to put my hand in my tank right now. They look almost exactly like this picture except brown inside instead of red. also tentacles arnt that long, they are short and stubby. really i guess u can say the bell looks the same. they kinda hop around along the bottom, but when i turned the light off they started to free swim. should i be worried?

http://www.ville-ge.ch/mhng/hydrozoa/antho/turritopsis-rubramini.jpg

[reefhustler]

Update: well my tank is doing a lot better and the algae has cleared up. after i got rid of the hair algae i had a bad cyano outbreak that covered everything. I bought a ro/di system from buckeye and 3 days later i had no more cyano(so i guess its safe to say distilled water still has alot of nutrients in it).

but my tank still isnt without problems. my xenia has tripled in size in the past month that i've had it, but the main stalks polyps look twisted and not wide open. also i have this weird flot worm i cant identify.

here are a few pics, not the best quality though:
http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x183/bigboibobvila/Picture025-1.jpg

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x183/bigboibobvila/Picture022-1.jpg

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x183/bigboibobvila/Picture024-1.jpg

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x183/bigboibobvila/Picture026-1.jpg

[Meizinger67]

do you have a picture of the flatworm?

[cmac23]

pics of the jellyfish? And get rid of the xenia. It is bad to have. Will take of your tank and you will be mad

[reefhustler]

do you have a picture of the flatworm?

its the second pic, not really to sure if its a worm anymore or even alive. took my net and it broke in half, still hasnt moved in over half an hr.

pics of the jellyfish? And get rid of the xenia. It is bad to have. Will take of your tank and you will be mad

my camera isnt good enough to capture them. but i have very few left now. i think they are just some type of hydroids

[Meizinger67]

Im pretty sure theyre snail eggs and not a flatworm, I get them in my tank all the time.

[reefhustler]

Im pretty sure theyre snail eggs and not a flatworm, I get them in my tank all the time.

thanks, if it is snail eggs i think i may know the culprit. i have 2 mystery snails that look like they have a very tiny internal shell, otherwise it almost looks like a slug. Its a great algae eater though. also if they are eggs and they hatch do you know if there is a chance the larvae will make it to full size snails?

[Meizinger67]

yeah I think they're called stomatella. As for the eggs I've never actually had mine hatch.

[Meizinger67]

They look exactly like the ones my cerith snail lays, and I think I do see some ceriths in your tank lol

[reefhustler]

They look exactly like the ones my cerith snail lays, and I think I do see some ceriths in your tank lol

actually i think ur right, just researched it and it looks the exact same. sadly hardly anybody has had luck rearing them.

[Meizinger67]

yeah I was going to say that cause I thought I had read it a couple of times and I was just going back to make sure I was saying the right info

[ovrboost]

What about getting a tang for the algae.

[reefhustler]

What about getting a tang for the algae.

i have no more algae, well except for my sump but it can stay there.

also dont want the tang police called on me lol