1 Month later

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alvarado41

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Feb 20, 2005
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I started a 50gal. setup a month ago and you all gave me very good advise. Thank you all for your help. I have one more question.
I started to see more brownish algae growing and I put in 3 turbo snails with the blue damsil the snails look like there eating the algae. Is it normal for algae to grow everywhere and should I stop scrapping it off the glass? I like the way the tank looks without the brown algae but I heard not to clean it up. Please everyone I need your help again.

1 month later 01.jpg 1 month later 02.jpg
 

Max

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Jan 26, 2004
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Mars
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It's only a small diatom bloom it won't hurt anything. You can clean it off it won't cause you any issues at all. The diatom bloom will fade as the free silica in your tank is used up.
Are you planning on getting more live rock? In a berlin style tank like yours that's pretty much all you have to filter your water. It will be a lot easier for you to keep up with 2lbs to 2.5 lbs per gallon with that style of set up.
HTH
Chris
 

alvarado41

Go BEARS
Feb 20, 2005
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Thanks

Thank you Maxilaria. Your feedback is well taken :) I was worried about the algae. So a minum of 100lbs for a 50gal tank so be enough?
 

FL Knifemaker

Arming the Free World
Oct 20, 2004
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Central FL
Max is right about the LR amounts. I have almost 100lbs total in my 36 gal /20gal sump system along with a good crop of caulerpa. I've finally reached my ultimate goal of 0 amonia and 0 nitrate :) This is with a prettty big cleaning crew, 4 fish, 2 big anemones and bunch of soft corals. I wish I had this knowledge 25 years ago :(
 

Max

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Jan 26, 2004
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Alvarado, honestly it will depend on how light and porus your rock is. If you get heavy dense rock like from tampa bay go for 2.5 . If you get something light like Brazil or most of the Fiji rock go for about 2. this is a little more than is normal in a tank with a deep sand bed but, you'll need the extra surface space for bacterial infestation,"it's a good thing."
Also this probably doesn't need to be said but, if you are running a canister or any other filter that has media in it run it empty. In this sort of set up if you don't stay on top of issues they will get out of hand pretty fast. Berlin systems do have some advantages over tanks with deep sand beds but there are some disadvantages as well.
hth
chris
 
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