The only way I know to tell is that the peppermint shrimp are VERY dark red. The catalina cleaner shrimp is very light red. I guess that's not much help unless you see them together. The book "Marine Invertebrates" by Ronald L. Shimek, PhD is a handy resource for all things invert.
Snails can't eat macroalgae or maidens hair, but they prefer diatoms and microalgae. The Super Tonga Nassarius snails, or bumble bee snails, along with conchs are great for the sand work. Remember tho, the brown microalgae feeds on the phosphates in your water, so it is beneficial. Too many snails may clean your tank quickly, but when the algae is gone, they will slowly starve to death. A very cruel and unnecessary fate A screw on tap water filter is your best bet for reducing phosphates as much as possible. Phosphates aren't produced in your tank, as far as I know. A good biofilter (live rock and live sand) along with patients should allow phosphates to decrease. Personally, I NEVER add chemicals to my tank to reduce the level of anything...just doesn't make sense. I may be reducing a parameter that I test for, but in turn I have added something that I do not test for. It is not unusual at all for such a young tank to have large fluctuations in nitrates while the biofilter finds a balance.
It seems like you are crossing Phosphates and nitrates up...maybe I just misunderstood. Also, make sure you follow the test kit directions EXACTLY.
Do not cover the end of the test tube with your finger when you shake it, you can skew the results. And, make sure you allow the colors to develop fully. Keep a log of your readings, it will make diagnosis of problems easier.  |