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View Full Version : Red Turf Algae help


brutus187
03-17-2008, 05:25 AM
Does anyone have any idea on how to get rid of this stuff. It started off in a small patch and has now moved around the tank.

water peramiters

PH: 8.4
Nitrate: 10 (can't seem to get it lower)
Nitrite: 0
Ammo: 0
Phosphates: 0
Calcium: 460
Alk: 7 (i am bringing this up slowly)

StirCrazy
03-17-2008, 03:14 PM
is it whispy kinda like cotton candy? if so the only thing I found that will work is the turbo snails from the mexican area.

Steve

brutus187
03-17-2008, 03:23 PM
i guess you could say it's kind of like cotton candy. I picked up a few turbo snails and they don't even want to touch it! how do you know if they are the mexican kind?

fencer
03-17-2008, 03:24 PM
I got turbos and they don't touch the stuff. I usually end up plucking the stuff off (carefully) when it gets larger. If it gets on your acros it will be hard to remove.

Keana
03-17-2008, 03:27 PM
I've also got the stuff and its a nightmare! So far the only things I've seen eat the stuff are sally light foot crabs and pencil urchins.

Bye, Keana

brutus187
03-17-2008, 09:20 PM
i've got a pencil urchin, but i banished him to my sump lol. he was being a pain and knocking over all of my rock work. i'll throw him back in (directly on a spot of turf) and see if i can get him to target feed.

Aquattro
03-17-2008, 09:23 PM
I've used the mexican turbos successfully for this stuff, saw some at J&L yesterday.

Doug
03-17-2008, 09:38 PM
Keep in mind, that if any snails are going to eat the algae, it usually requires hand trimming first, so its short. Snails seldom eat long algae, at least IME.

Aquattro
03-17-2008, 10:10 PM
Gotta disagree with you Doug. I just had a dozen astreas gobble down some algae that was approaching 2 inches in length. Hand trimming is still a good idea to remove it though, since any algae that goes in a snail also comes out of the snail :)

brutus187
03-17-2008, 10:19 PM
any idea on how to tell if the turbos i bought are mexican? The only place that had turbos in at the time was a LFS in my town...and they didn't even know "mexican" turbo snails existed...they though all were the same.

Aquattro
03-17-2008, 10:25 PM
Ask them something in Spanish?? :)

Aquattro
03-17-2008, 10:26 PM
oh, did I type that?? Sorry :) I would imagine if they eat the algae, they are. If not, then not. I can give a better answer when I get home, I bought a few of each yesterday, I'll describe them later if nobody else beats me to it

ElGuappo
03-18-2008, 12:06 AM
I did a Partial black out for a week took care of this algae and my cyno. all i did was drop my lights to only being on for 3 hours a day. this worked awsome and my torch, bubble, zoos, toadstool, all did OK for this timeperiod.

brutus187
03-18-2008, 04:16 PM
I've also got the stuff and its a nightmare! So far the only things I've seen eat the stuff are sally light foot crabs and pencil urchins.

Bye, Keana

I moved my pencil urchin back into the main tank last night...put him right on top of some red turf...woke up this morning and it looks like the little bugger munched away all night on that spot! It may be to early to say but I think he is the only thing so far to touch the stuff!!!

Anyone have 10 pencil urchins they want to lend me??? lol

ElGuappo
03-18-2008, 09:00 PM
Tou are topo far away otherwise i would lend you my seahare to try.