Is algae a sign of a healthy tank?

[goodgreef]

Happy 4th all,

I noticed quite a bit of new green algae on my glass which hasn't been as prevalent before. i do weekly water changes. Would this indicate I may have a problem or is this normal with a healthy tank?


Tanks,

goodgreef:confused::confused:

[Skyhigh]

time for more snails for you.

[goodgreef]

Skyhigh,

Thanks for the response. It seems I'm buying 15 or 20 snails every couple of weeks. I find quite a few dead ones as a result of being turned over. I watch them pretty close. Maybe I'm buying too many varieties as opposed to one type. I do have starfish and crabs that may be part of the "snail tipping".

goodgreef

[Mike]

I believe trochus snails are capable of righting themselves. I would try those.

[EMUreef]

I believe trochus snails are capable of righting themselves. I would try those.

you are correct. turbo snails i never really see fall off the glass.

[Sir Patrick]

I beleive there are a few algeas out there that are a sighn of a healthy reef- but many that are sighns of an unhealthy/dirty reef. Even the healthiest of reefs will grow some algea, just needs kept in check with a decent clean up crew.

[iyachtuxivm]

Do you put phyto in your tank. I do and get that film algae on the glass every few days too. When I dont use it I dont get the algae.

[MizTanks]

Do you put phyto in your tank. I do and get that film algae on the glass every few days too. When I dont use it I dont get the algae.

Ditto with the phytoplankton algae ;)

[Skyhigh]

I believe trochus snails are capable of righting themselves. I would try those.

the black foot Trochus snails are the best, but some times hard to find.

[jimsflies]

I've seen crabs attack snails that are trying to write themselves. They are pretty vulnerable when flipped over and I think the crabs see it as a double bonus...they get a potential new home and escargot. :hungry:

[Mike]

I've seen crabs attack snails that are trying to write themselves. They are pretty vulnerable when flipped over and I think the crabs see it as a double bonus...they get a potential new home and escargot. :hungry:

I have but a few hermits in the tank now. Going with things like sea cucumbers and shrimp to deal with detritus and clean up because the crabs can be aggressive towards the snails. I see snails as a better choice overall myself.

[cbau45]

Generally speaking you're going to get algae buildup in your tank with a consistant light cycle. As apposed to FW setups the lights we run over our SW setups tend to be more intense and help to fuel algae growth in addition to nutrient build up. IMO coraline algae is a sign of a healthy reef, however, a tank devoid of algae all together would be more of a cause for concern.

+1 on trochus snails. They do a great job IMO and can right themselves. That's just my two cents.