My 55g

[youtoo54]

Just had my LFS test my water
Ammonia 0
Nitrate 0
Nitrite 0

But I have tons of brown crap (im assuming algae of some kind) all over. I have to scrape it off the glass every day. I have pulled all of my snails out except a couple very small ones I missed. So I guess I am asking WTF is going on now???

 

[Reef Nutz]

Whats your phosphate reading? How long the tank been up again?

 

[youtoo54]

Its been up about 5 months. Had a little problem last week tho.

 

[Dana42078]

diatoms are usually brown...whats your CUC like? How old r yer bulbs? 5 months? what kind?.....what kind of filter/skimmer/algae scrubber? r u running? more info the better

 

[youtoo54]

I have a light fixture that has 2 54 watt T5 bulbs. Filtration I have a HOB fuge that has some of biffs chaeto in it and 6 inches of sand and has the skimmer box on the top of the inlet side. Its gathering alot of stuff every day. I also have an Emporor 400 filter running. The lights have been in use for about 2 months. The tank its self has been up and running for 5 months. I dont have much of a CUC at the moment. I pulled them all out when a few of the mexican turbo's died. Right now i have 10 or so hermit crabs and a few tiny snails.

 

[Bifferwine]

Please remind me, what kind of water are you using for water changes and to top off evaporation? Sorry if you've mentioned this before.

 

[Reef Nutz]

I have a light fixture that has 2 54 watt T5 bulbs. Filtration I have a HOB fuge that has some of biffs chaeto in it and 6 inches of sand and has the skimmer box on the top of the inlet side. Its gathering alot of stuff every day. I also have an Emporor 400 filter running. The lights have been in use for about 2 months. The tank its self has been up and running for 5 months. I dont have much of a CUC at the moment. I pulled them all out when a few of the mexican turbo's died. Right now i have 10 or so hermit crabs and a few tiny snails.

Ok, don't get mexican turbos, they don't have any kind of life span. You will get one that lives for a year, but most won't last at all. Throw your clean up crew back in there, you'll be ok with them. Diatoms on the glass? Keep cleaning the glass, if it diatoms they will work themselves out wuick enough, even if you are using tap water.

 

[Bifferwine]

Ok, don't get mexican turbos, they don't have any kind of life span. You will get one that lives for a year, but most won't last at all. Throw your clean up crew back in there, you'll be ok with them. Diatoms on the glass? Keep cleaning the glass, if it diatoms they will work themselves out wuick enough, even if you are using tap water.

I think you are talking about margarita snails, which are normally collected from cold waters and rarely last longer than a month or two in the warm waters of our reef tanks. Mexican turbo snails normally live a long time -- my two have been in my tank for 5+ years. I had one that passed away last year that had grown to be the size of a baseball. I had had her for several years as well.

If you are using tap water, diatoms might not work themselves out -- in many places, tap water contains silicates, which will only fuel the diatoms. If your water is high in silicates, you will have continuous problems with diatoms no matter how many water changes you do.

 

[Reef Nutz]

I think you are talking about margarita snails, which are normally collected from cold waters and rarely last longer than a month or two in the warm waters of our reef tanks. Mexican turbo snails normally live a long time -- my two have been in my tank for 5+ years. I had one that passed away last year that had grown to be the size of a baseball. I had had her for several years as well.

If you are using tap water, diatoms might not work themselves out -- in many places, tap water contains silicates, which will only fuel the diatoms. If your water is high in silicates, you will have continuous problems with diatoms no matter how many water changes you do.

Nope, I'm talking about trubo snails. You have the lucky bunch. I had one for years, and a mess of them for just weeks or months at a time. Had Bumble Bee Snails all of them for 5 years running.
He will not have continuous trouble using tap water. I got away with it for 10 years in my 125g tank. Using Arizona's hard water even. With nothing special hooked up to remove anyting extra.