Biocube ... Algae ... Yellow Tang?

[Aquatic Dreams]

So I've noticed that my Biocube 29 is starting to get some algae growth. Mostly green bubble algae but there looks to be some hair algae and maybe some type of seaweed. (Single strands that look like wavy grass about and inch long.) Current inhabitants besides coral are a single occ. clown, 3 Nassarius Snails, 2 adult and tons of baby Banded Trochus Snails, a few of the little Brittle Starts and 1 or 2 of the orange algae eating Nudibranch's.

I do realize that I'm going to have to manually remove the bubble algae but I'm certain there are places that I can't see/reach that it's growing as well. Apparently Emerald Crabs are hit or miss and can go after corals so I'm avoiding them for now. I had read somewhere online that Yellow Tangs will eat many types of algae including small/spore bubble algae. Now before anybody freaks out I do realize that this tank isn't large enough to support a full grown yellow tang. I was wondering if they have been bred in captivity yet and if it's possible to get younger ones. If so I was thinking to get a young one to put in the biocube for a while, then as it grows move it to my 46 gal. bow and when it outgrows that sell it to someone with a larger tank.

Of course this may not be the direction to go at all which is why I'm asking here first. This boicube doesn't have a skimmer. I've changed the built in filter to take my own sponge/floss combo and added some chemi-pure blue. I realize that proper nutrient export will also help the situation. I'm not expecting the tang to rid the tank of algae but just to help control it after manual removal and perhaps eat some of the seaweed like stuff as well.

HMMM ... I just thought of saltwater Mollies too. Not as pretty as the tang but they are cheaper and will eat algae. Not sure if they eat bubble algae/spores though. So as usual any thoughts/suggestions/advice any of you have would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks ... Dave.

 

[TORX]

Manual removal of the bubble algae and get some Mexican turbo snails. That will clean up your tank as you have next to nothing cleaning your tank. Bubble algae is horrible and can get very over whelming very quickly. One popped bubble will spread spores all over your tank. A tank will pop it and eat it, then hopefully eat the baby ones that grow later and after some time, they might stop growing.

So get a CUC and remove bubbles by hand carefully.

Sent from my SM-G925W8 using Tapatalk

 

[nathan]

Spiny star snails love hair algae but u may be adding to the bioload adding a tang... I think TORX is right... not enough clean up crew

 

[Aquatic Dreams]

Thanks for the replies. I was planning on removing the Bubble Algae manually as best as I could but realize that some may spread spores and I likely won't be able to get them all. As for cleanup crew I have TONS of Banded Trochus but I realize they don't eat everything. In my larger tank most other types of snails don't seem to last long. Turbos will get too big eventually I think. And I don't really want to get any hermits as they often seem to kill most of my snails. Although I guess if I ONLY have the Trochus and Nassarius the Hermits don't seem to be able to harm them.

That was why I was thinking of the Yellow Tang. I didn't think two fish in a 29 Biocube would be too many or would increase the bioload that much. I was just worried about the size of the Tang and if you could get them smaller. I did get some smaller Chestnut Turbos a while back that I liked but again they only lasted a few months. I also think that some snails don't like the temps of my tanks. Quite often temps reach 80-81 deg. F. and I'd read that many of the snails like it a bit cooler closer to 77-78. So while the those temps aren't that far off perhaps prolonged exposure doesn't fair well with some species.

How about Cerith snails? I've bought them before and again they all seem to die out over time but I think that was mostly due to the hermits. So are we saying that the Yellow Tang is a bad idea or that more cleanup crew is just a better one?

 

[thehvacman]

Vacuuming them off the rocks works best for manual removal. If any pop while removing them from rhe rock then the vacuum will grab it. Emerald crab do work very well in removing bubble algae, and I have never had an issue where they ever turned on coral. Snails don't eat bubble algae, and a tang will be way to aggressive and not happy in a cube. Good luck.

 

[pulpfiction1]

a tang to a 29g bio cube?

 

[Aquatic Dreams]

Now before anybody freaks out I do realize that this tank isn't large enough to support a full grown yellow tang. I was wondering if they have been bred in captivity yet and if it's possible to get younger ones. If so I was thinking to get a young one to put in the biocube for a while, then as it grows move it to my 46 gal. bow and when it outgrows that sell it to someone with a larger tank.

As mentioned in the first post I realized it was a small tank for a yellow tang and was checking to see if it was suitable to put a small one in there for a while. I am going to try the manual removal but also thought a small tang would be cool for a bit if it helped with the algae. The only other fish I have in the tank is an Occ. Clown but didn't realize a small tang (if I could get one) would be aggressive towards the clown.

 

[pulpfiction1]

you obviously have some kind of nutrient issue,i would consider what you have in that tank a light bio load
and if your algae issues are thriving with that load adding another fish might make things a little more
unmanageable but thats just a thought,a small tang would have to be tiny,they like to swim as well as grow

 

[Aquatic Dreams]

you obviously have some kind of nutrient issue,i would consider what you have in that tank a light bio load
and if your algae issues are thriving with that load adding another fish might make things a little more
unmanageable but thats just a thought,a small tang would have to be tiny,they like to swim as well as grow

Yup I realize it's a nutrient issue but the tank is still fairly new. (Only had it for a few months.) There isn't a TON of algae but I do have a bubble algae outbreak that I think I got from an LFS frag. Yeah ... I was assuming that the tang would have to be small. That's why I was wondering if they're being bred in captivity yet. However after a search online I think it's just been done this year.

So I'm just going to manually remove the bubble algae for now. If I happen to find a really small yellow tang for sale I may grab it and see how it does. Like I said I have the 46 gal. that a smaller tang would enjoy for a while as well. Who knows ... maybe by the time it would outgrow the 46 gal. I may have an even larger tank.

 

[Aquatic Dreams]

OK ... So I've decided against getting the Tang. I found a 2" one locally for $20 but after doing some more research I'm thinking it's not a good idea. Apparently they get easily stressed, can be territorial and are messy feeders. I don't have a skimmer on the Biocube so no sense crashing the tank and stressing the fish out. I was thinking originally that I could treat it like a quarantine for a few months and then move it to the 46 gal. bow. but the Biocube doesn't have enough length even for a small tang from what I've read.

However I was thinking about possibly getting it for the 46 gal. until it got larger. It has a huge skimmer and only 2 occ. clowns and 2 blue sapphire damsels. Would this work or should I just scrap the Yellow Tang idea until I have a larger tank?

 

[thehvacman]

Hey I love yellow tangs too that's why it was 1 of the first first I ever bought, and I still have him today. He is the reason thet I now have a 8' tank, and he uses every inch it. If you want an excuse to get a much larger tank then for sure buy him . Mine is fully grown now and is easily the most aggressive fish in the tank, but he is still my favorite fish! He won't be happy in 46 gallon for long, so start planning your next build

 

[Aquatic Dreams]

I doubt I'll have a larger tank anytime soon. I was thinking of just enjoying him until he grew another inch or so and then selling for what I paid to somebody with a larger tank. Just thinking it would be cool to have the experience for a while but if it's not advisable I'll just skip it until I have a larger tank.

 

[nathan]

I'd scrap the idea of the tang. Buy a protein skimmer. Some more clean up crew. Change water frequently. Are you using tap water in your tank?

 

[Aquatic Dreams]

I'd scrap the idea of the tang. Buy a protein skimmer. Some more clean up crew. Change water frequently. Are you using tap water in your tank?

No tap water. But until recently I was using local hardware store water which I THOUGHT was RO water. However after I got my TDS meter and RO unit setup I found that the hardware store water was just filtered water. So my tap water was around 135 TDS and the hardware store water was around 110 TDS. I'm now using 6 TDS water and with every water change the water is getting better. There isn't a ton of algae but it's noticeable.

And basically I just thought it would be cool to have a tang for a while. Not the end of the world if I don't get one. I just figured a 2" Yellow Tang might be fine in my 46 gal. until next Spring or so and then I could just sell it to someone with a larger tank. And eating the algae would be a bonus. And I do have sheets of dried Nori as well.

Not planning on getting a skimmer for the Biocube. But I do have a Reef Octopus BH-2000 on the 46 gal. so it's well skimmed.

 

[nathan]

I'd think in the 46 gallon a 2 inch would be good for a little while but not long

 

[Aquatic Dreams]

I'd think in the 46 gallon a 2 inch would be good for a little while but not long

Yeah ... that was my line of thinking as well. Just wasn't sure if it would be worth the effort. I can see it now ... I'll really like the tang and start trying to figure out how I can fit/justify a larger tank to house it. LOL That's probably how many of you decided to move to larger tanks due to wanting various inhabitants.

 

[Aquatic Dreams]

BTW - I also found an Algae Blenny for sale and was wondering if that would be a good addition to my 29 Biocube? I'm assuming that it's a Lawnmower Blenny. Again the only fish I have in that tank is a 1.5" Occ. Clown.

 

[nathan]

I'd be the same way with the tang. That's why it's a good reason not to get it. I'd think the lawnmower blenny is ok for the tank for sure

 

[nathan]

They will nibble on on the rock and glass all day long. But get a few extra snails too