Ugly Stage need help!!

[trustyreef]

Hello reefers my tank is now 4 months old and I have reached the ugly stage. My tank is 140gal volume with 120 gal display my cleanup crew only consist of 3 Mexican turbo snails and 1 fighting conch and galaxy pods

I feed once daily and have 8 small fish and 1 pistol shrimp and 1 fire shrimp

I do weekly 10% water changes and run lights 8 hours a day 100% blue 10% white I have filter socks and a protein skimmer

Any recommendations to get this under control? Additional cleanup crew?

Any help is greatly appreciated happy reefing! And happy new year!

Temp-78
Salinity- 35ppt
PH-7.81
ORP-275
AlK- 8.6
Cal-437
Mag-1378
Phos-0.05 ppm
Nitrate 2.4 ppm

I know ph is low I’m working on that

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

It doesn't look that bad, I would just increase the turbo snails for now, maybe also some sandsifting snails like nassarius snails.

 

[trustyreef]

It doesn't look that bad, I would just increase the turbo snails for now, maybe also some sandsifting snails like nassarius snails.

Thank you besides the post with my parameters also

 

[Lavey29]

Looks normal for 4 month tank. You will have a variety of ugly phases throughout the first year. This is just the beginning. Get a diverse cleaner crew with lots of snails. Some hermits and couple tuxedo urchins as the algae grows worse. Nitrates are low so your corals are starving right now. Weekly water changes the first year.

 

[Dragen Fiend]

Looks pretty good but definitely the starting stages.

As other's have said, you can increase CUC's if the current ones are not making a dent in it.

Highly suggest nassarius snails for turning over that sand and making it pretty. As well as some fighting conches. Got urchins as well. And of course some turbos to really make a dent in it.

 

[Dom]

Increase your water changes to 20% of the total volume weekly. Do these water changes after you manually brush off your rocks and turn over you sand in the problem spots, so that you can siphon out all of what you cleaned up.

I think with weekly water changes and elbow grease, you can work your way through the "ugly stage".

 

[1112-425XL]

This is all I have to say about that

Be patient, you're doing things right.

 

[Exotrezy]

What clean up crew should I get for my diatoms? I posted a thread. Its a 30 gallon 3 ft tank.

It doesn't look that bad, I would just increase the turbo snails for now, maybe also some sandsifting snails like nassarius snails.

 

[Exotrezy]

Looks normal for 4 month tank. You will have a variety of ugly phases throughout the first year. This is just the beginning. Get a diverse cleaner crew with lots of snails. Some hermits and couple tuxedo urchins as the algae grows worse. Nitrates are low so your corals are starving right now. Weekly water changes the first year.

What clean up crew should I get for my diatoms? I posted a thread. Its a 30 gallon 3 ft tank.

 

[unchainedcoot]

What clean up crew should I get for my diatoms? I posted a thread. Its a 30 gallon 3 ft tank.

Galaxy pods from algae barn seem to do the trick

 

[Uncle99]

Parameters look good, keep them stable, let good guy algae’s and bacteria’s develop more and the ugliest disappear on their own.

 

[Lavey29]

What clean up crew should I get for my diatoms? I posted a thread. Its a 30 gallon 3 ft tank.

You don't need to worry about diatoms. They just go away on their own in a few weeks when the silicate in the sand is gone. I use tongan nacarius snails to stir my sandbed. Pods also take care of the sand.

 

[Exotrezy]

You don't need to worry about diatoms. They just go away on their own in a few weeks when the silicate in the sand is gone. I use tongan nacarius snails to stir my sandbed. Pods also take care of the sand.

Perfect, you cleared everything up. I was just saying to get a clean up crew as I have coral so I don't completely want to turn the light off and need the clean up crew to make the tank still look somewhat nice.

 

[Cichlid Dad]

https://www.barrierreefaquariums.co...kages/products/reef-cleaner-package-50-gallon
Hello, above is an example of a good cleanup crew. This is a 50 gallon package. I started with this on my 120. So far I didn't need any more yet

 

[Cichlid Dad]

https://www.barrierreefaquariums.co...es/products/algae-destroyer-package-50-gallon
Here is another example.

 

[Exotrezy]

https://www.barrierreefaquariums.co...kages/products/reef-cleaner-package-50-gallon
Hello, above is an example of a good cleanup crew. This is a 50 gallon package. I started with this on my 120. So far I didn't need any more yet

Any for 30 gallon?

 

[Cichlid Dad]

Any for 30 gallon?

https://www.barrierreefaquariums.co.../products/nano-reef-cleaner-package-10-gallon

 

[Cichlid Dad]

Any for 30 gallon?

Add one for a 10 gallon at first, then if not enough add another.

 

[thatone08]

This looks pretty good! don’t stress over it too much, just keep your nutrients in your range and dont let them bottom out. And keep up your maintenance schedule. Your doing a great job.

I personally love astrea and the really small cerith snails, they get into all the little nooks. Blue leg hermits are in my opinion are work horses eating everything.

 

[Exotrezy]

Add one for a 10 gallon at first, then if not enough add another.

Ok