Two Questions please?!?!

[Jaco Schoeman]

Hi guys.

If you have replied to my previous posts and you remember me - I would just like to give you a quick update on whats happening.

Okey okey, I'm getting rid of my Canister filter and by this weekend I will have a sump below my tank - I'm moving to the tank off of the TV Cabinet (yes yes I know BAD IDEA...:nono I am actually already runnig a sump with a trickle filter for about a week now together with my canister.

Anyway, my water is 100% fine - although I am not sure whether my Ammonia tests are right. According to my Red Sea test, my NH3 NH4 is at about 0.01/2. Other tests (dip stick) shows 0 though. Question 1, how do I really know? All my other elements are all on 0 and my pH is at 8.2.

Question 2: My gravel is about the size of Rice Crispies. Is there any fish / invert that would clean it? I have a snail and 3 hermits and a cleaner shrimp, but the gravel get a brown color quite fast. Any advice appreciated.

 

[Tobes]

How long has your tank been running?

 

[Mike]

To answer Q2, your tank is new, the brown dusting is diatoms, it is part of the new tank syndrome, keep your water perameters spot on and these irritating algaes will burn out.

 

[jacquesb]

Hi Jaco - best bet to double check your test kits, is to take some water to a LFS. Where's you closest LFS? How often do you get to Pretoria?
If you can get to Pretoria, I am more than sure that either Moolis (Pet Stop) or Dorry Pets (Lanzo) will test the water for you.

Regarding the gravel - rice crispies sized gravel is a little bit big....
I do not know of any fish that will clean it. All/most fish that "cleans substrate", requires sugar fine sand/substrate....

 

[Jaco Schoeman]

Thanks. I am moving my tank this week as you read. Do you suggest that I rather get fine coral sand / gravel? Will this not affect my current water conditions if I change to other gravel?

I am also bombarded daily with a green algae on the glass. This is not the slime type of algae - if I wipe it off with the magnet it's like green dust. I am between a rock and a hard place on deciding whether a UV Sterilizer or a algae trap is best here. Will this not also help the brownish algae on the gravel?

 

[Mike]

Jaco, we all get the green algae on the glass, how long are you lights on for?

 

[Jaco Schoeman]

I've got two Glo Fluorescent Tubes running. I run both of them from about 7 am until about 8-9pm when I switch them off completely through the night.

Algae there will be I understand, but is it normal for me to have to clean the glass every second day? Will the UV Sterilizer not kill these free swimming algae?

 

[RiaanP]

Try a Golden Head Goby.
I got rice crispy size crushed coral. Thin layer, about 2-3cm. He grab a mouthfull, sif it, and drops it all over. Moves the substrate around quite good.
Just make 100% sure that he can not dig underneath your LR pile. And that all the big rock pieces are standing on the glass bottom and not on the substrate.

Give him one small flat piece of rock where he can dug his hideout.
check out my PlayStation

His dugout is the small one on the left. And the substrate was flat. He moved it like this.