Brown spots on sand, glass, and rock after 1 month. Do I wait for CUC or get them now/asap?

Ettercap

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Im seeing these brown spots on the sand, glass, and rock. From other posts, it looks like the beginning of diatoms and the "ugly phase" which is no problem. The question I have:

1. Do I get a CUC asap?
2. Or should I wait for more algae to pop up so the inverts have more algae eat?
3. If I try to QT inverts... how long do I wait for inverts.

brown-spots1.jpg
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My water parameters are as expected and have been holding steady with only two clownfish. I was thinking about adding a third first soon but Im building up a QT tank now for the third fish. Is it standard to QT the CUC too?
 

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Yes, CUC asap.
No.
16 days fishless QT for inverts, not standard, but recommended if possible
 

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Diatoms are a brown algae that typically appear in a reef tank that has just completed its cycle but they can also appear in an established reef tank. They can cover sand, rock, pumps, glass, you name it. Diatoms look ugly but in most cases they are harmless so the key is to not panic when they appear.
Diatoms feed mainly off of silicates but also consume dissolved organic compounds, phosphate and nitrates. Unfiltered tap water can contain silicates and is a good way to jump start a bloom if you use it to mix salt or to replace water that evaporated from the tank. The best way to prevent this from happening is to filter water through a RODI unit, although you can still get a diatom bloom when using RODI if the cartridge that removes silicates expires.
Diatoms are typically harmless to a captive reef and can be beaten once their food source expires. Once you put the kibosh on the source, the outbreak should last a couple of weeks so just be patient and it will pass.
For CUC, some cleaner crew to help control it are : Cerith snails, Nerite snails and Trochus snails and also Astraea snails are effective at removing diatoms.
 
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Ettercap

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should be ok to plot your 3rd fish - what are you thinking about?
Right now I have two clownfish. My overall goal fish are:
1. Two clownfish
2. Yellow Watchman Goby and pistol shrimp (pair) (From my understanding pistol shrimp are hard to get right now)
3. Firefish (I would like the purple one but I think Ill stick to the cheaper one for now)
4. Blenny - Not sure which type yet becaue Im wanting the Blenny to be a "support/utilitarian" fish that hits the aglae.
5. Wrasse - 6-line comes to mind but 6-line is practically deemed evil for its aggressive ways. My thoughts were to have a wrasse that eats pests if any are there. Another "support" fish.
6. Not 100% sure yet, but maybe down the road something might come up. But then again, a 36g tank might be good for only 6 fish anyways and this "6th type of fish" would make a total of 7 fish all together.

Also, if I QT the clean-up crew then the third fish will be another 2-3 weeks anyways. Im still trying to read what I need in a clean-up crew but Im sure I can find the general idea somewhere online.
 
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Ettercap

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Once you put the kibosh on the source, the outbreak should last a couple of weeks so just be patient and it will pass.
The tank was very much spotless yesterday but I did do one thing... I added my sponge from a tidal filter, last night, to get it ready for the QT tank Im setting up soon. I rinsed the sponge out yesterday with tap water and I let it dry for a day and then I put it in the tank at night. This can probably be my "source?"

Either way, it is what it is now and Ill chase down a CU crew tomorrow as long as a LFS is open somewhere. Im assuming I should QT the CUC for 16 days then add them in vs trying to put them into the main tank now to get ahead of the diatoms... correct?
 

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The majority of reefers do not QT their fish and even less QT inverts. Everyone should QT their fish, but most do not and many regret it. Inverts tend to be less of a risk. I'd consider just adding them to the DT depending on your source. I don't QT Reefcleaners livestock or inverts from my trusted LFS.
 

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Right now I have two clownfish. My overall goal fish are:
1. Two clownfish
2. Yellow Watchman Goby and pistol shrimp (pair) (From my understanding pistol shrimp are hard to get right now)
3. Firefish (I would like the purple one but I think Ill stick to the cheaper one for now)
4. Blenny - Not sure which type yet becaue Im wanting the Blenny to be a "support/utilitarian" fish that hits the aglae.
5. Wrasse - 6-line comes to mind but 6-line is practically deemed evil for its aggressive ways. My thoughts were to have a wrasse that eats pests if any are there. Another "support" fish.
6. Not 100% sure yet, but maybe down the road something might come up. But then again, a 36g tank might be good for only 6 fish anyways and this "6th type of fish" would make a total of 7 fish all together.

Also, if I QT the clean-up crew then the third fish will be another 2-3 weeks anyways. Im still trying to read what I need in a clean-up crew but Im sure I can find the general idea somewhere online.
Solid list
consider a royal gramma. - good mid water cruiser and not belligerent
small leopard wrasse on place of 6 line - its a crap shoot with 6 lines
i like a smallish lawnmower, pure worker, not a looker
 
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Ettercap

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Solid list
consider a royal gramma. - good mid water cruiser and not belligerent
small leopard wrasse on place of 6 line - its a crap shoot with 6 lines
i like a smallish lawnmower, pure worker, not a looker
Thank you for the guidance. The leopard wrasse look sexy! Thats an awesome alternative.
leopard-wrasse1.jpg
leopard-wrasse2.jpg

Asking a question about the CUC, Im seeing a list from reefcleaners:
35 Dwarf Ceriths
11 Nassarius
15 Florida Ceriths
8 Nerites
9 Assorted Hermits
1 Emerald or Ruby Mithrax Crab

Is that overkill for a 36g or thats just the normal amount feed some nori (tied to a rock) to supplement until the tank matures? Because a different post was referring to this list for a 40B and the numbers just dont add up:
7 Astrea Snails
4 Nassarius Snails
1 Emerald Crab
5 Hermit Crabs
 

EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal

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Thank you for the guidance. The leopard wrasse look sexy! Thats an awesome alternative.
leopard-wrasse1.jpg
leopard-wrasse2.jpg

Asking a question about the CUC, Im seeing a list from reefcleaners:
35 Dwarf Ceriths
11 Nassarius
15 Florida Ceriths
8 Nerites
9 Assorted Hermits
1 Emerald or Ruby Mithrax Crab

Is that overkill for a 36g or thats just the normal amount feed some nori (tied to a rock) to supplement until the tank matures? Because a different post was referring to this list for a 40B and the numbers just dont add up:
7 Astrea Snails
4 Nassarius Snails
1 Emerald Crab
5 Hermit Crabs
Very much overkill, lol! The second list is more reasonable, although I would include some ceriths.
 

Cell

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Algae blennies like lawnmower and starry can be bullies. I'd hold off on the leopard wrasse for awhile until your tank matures a bit and you build up a good population of pods.
 
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Ettercap

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Algae blennies like lawnmower and starry can be bullies. I'd hold off on the leopard wrasse for awhile until your tank matures a bit and you build up a good population of pods.
Thats not a problem since I think that would be my last fish to enter my tank. Treating it the same way as I would or more like "as I have read" for a 6-line wrasse. I do have a question about "good population of pods?"

Is that something that I supply and let grow... similar to bacteria or is that something that grows on its own after awhile? Ive seen that statement before and Im curious if I should introduce "a population of pods" at some point so it can reproduce. In my current thinking, understanding that I really dont know and Ill have to read about this, is that I will plan to wait until the 3 month mark and then introduce pods (if that is a thing) from some outsource site and then my last fish will be a wrasse in which he/she will have food. I see some YT videos like Blue Reef Tank that grow pods but I thought that was an accessory item and not something that is "required?"
 

Cell

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It's a bit of a fluid answer because every tank is a bit different. Pods need hiding spots to propagate before getting munched on. If you have a sump, it will be full of pods after some time and will provide a constant supply to your DT. This will happen naturally over time or you can speed up the process by purchasing some. The size of your tank, amount of safe hiding room, and amount of fish that eat pods will all factor in. An established, large pod population might be able to sustain a wrasse in a small tank, whereas a smaller, newer pod population in the same tank with the same fish might get wiped out. If you don't want to supplement pods by buying them, then at least a 6 month wait is recommended, 1 year even better. 6-line is a lot hardier fish than a leopard.
 
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Ettercap

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If you have a sump, it will be full of pods after some time and will provide a constant supply to your DT. This will happen naturally over time or you can speed up the process by purchasing some.
This is my first SW tank and I am starting off with a 36g with no sump. I can easily purchase them and in theory, I probably wont get the wrasse until 6+ months anyways. I should be able to purchase some pods soon and then let them populate while I am QTing other fish. THX for the info!
 

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