Newbie Filtration Question....

[BlueAbyss]

The whole point of having scavengers is so that NO food goes uneaten. It goes without saying that sometimes the scavengers will have slim pickings and will always be hungry... this is a very good thing when it comes to reef safe hermits (or crabs in general) that will feed on algae as well as meaty bits. Perhaps you have algae eating snails that are keeping growth minimized.

Now, I wanted to see the tank before I formed an opinion, but the more I think about it I really want to ask about the microbubbles... are they coming from the skimmer (which I assume is a hang-on back type) or from the canister filter? If they are coming from the canister you may have a leak on the suction side of said filter. Also, in most cases a strong flow is good for the tank's inhabitants, though a strong direct blast from a filter output will not be.

My 'reef' has turned into a 'planted' tank. I got lazy and macros don't get eaten by any of the creatures that live in my tank. It is, however, free of any microalgae or diatoms (or dead stuff, or fine particulates in the water column). I have a veritable army of snails and worms (and a pair of crabs) that make short work of that stuff. Even without regular feeding, the tank still grows algae...