Are those Clowns the only fish in there? Do you use RO/DI water, grocery store water, or tap water?
I like to vacuum sand beds provided they are shallow. Yours is a bit deep to be vacuuming because you could hit anaerobic areas. When anaerobic bacteria are exposed to oxygen they will die and can cause an ammonia spike. You can vacuum the top 1/2" or so, but don't go all the way down. A half dozen Cerith snails would be good for cleaning the sand, they are true detrivores. Your tank is a bit small for a Conch.
Since you were fighting cyano and now hair algae you are definitely running into some nutrient problems. Did you reuse the sand that came with the system or did you use new stuff?
__________________
~ Mindy
SPS fanatic.
|