Saltwater Aquarium Clean Up Ultimate Guide
A clean up crew is a mix of shrimps, crabs and snails that help to keep your reef aquarium clean naturally of nuisance algae and unwanted pests. ! The saltwater clean up crew is an essential part of the reef aquarium. Basically they are a natural janitorial system for your reef tank.
Every tank should have one in order to keep a well running reef aquarium system. There are certain crabs and snails that are essential for controlling certain nuisance algae and pests
A diatom bloom is a completely normal and expected type of algae when first starting a reef tank. Once a tank is established is not normal and is a sign of something gone wrong. In the first 4-8 weeks of starting a tank though you should expect a large diatom bloom as your aquarium cycles. Diatoms feed of silicates which from from newly mixed saltwater and from new rocks. Initially the population will explode covering all your rocks and glass with a thin and ugly film of brown algae. Once most of the silicates in the water are consumed, the algae will slowly deplete its own nutrient source and die. To help remove diatoms from the aquarium we recommend these essential clean up crew members:
