Best algae eating fish

®eefer · #1 09/15/2006, 05:38 PM

I had a little mishap with my PBT...died from ich and so did my orange shoulder tang. The remainder of my fish seem to have pulled through the infection. I am pretty much over tangs at this point, but now my algae growth has increased a lot. What are good, hearty, algae eating fish out there?
I know lawnmower blenny, what else?

Wilafur · #2 09/15/2006, 05:45 PM

desjardin tang

BpOC · #3 09/15/2006, 07:10 PM

i agree with Will ..juvenile chevrons are good too but a little pricey

Wilafur · #4 09/15/2006, 07:26 PM

or a rabbitfish. those things are pigs.

phender · #5 09/15/2006, 09:21 PM

Wilafur gave the two that I think are the best by far. Foxface rabbit fish seem to be hardier than the others. Purple tangs have been very good for me also. If you can find a small Ember blenny, they are also very good.

hipertec · #6 09/15/2006, 10:37 PM

try a kole tang...mine is a hog!

dodgerblew · #7 09/15/2006, 10:45 PM

Rabbitfish if not tangs or lawnmower blenny

gemini aquarius(t) · #8 09/16/2006, 12:42 AM

um i think he said he was over tangs but besides that i would go with a blenny or something close i have a bicolor and he eats like a pig!!! but a magnificent foxface(the really cool lookin ones) would look great and eat well

salt e · #9 09/16/2006, 01:29 AM

Matallic Fox...COOLEST SEA PIG AROUND!

tptp279 · #10 09/16/2006, 02:27 AM

sailfin mollies, lol... but even before you add anything, you may want to check parameters, especially nitrates because if your fish are getting ich, there is probably something wrong with your water

gcarroll · #11 09/16/2006, 09:27 AM

I have seen few fish that chows down on hair algae. Any Bristletooth (Kole, Chevron, Tomini, ...) tang eat like pigs, but even though they pick at hair algae, they are really only eating the microalgae growing on the hair algae.

gps · #12 09/16/2006, 10:17 AM

Used to have this problem until I put in a fug with macro algea.

®eefer · #13 09/16/2006, 02:11 PM

I have a fuge...lots of macros...over tangs for right now like I said...and I think gcarroll has a good point. I got a lawnmower blenny last night...I've seen those things chow down on hair algae. The stuff isnt out of control, just want a natural controller. Maybe I will try a rabbit fish too...
Thanks for the suggestions!

racinghart · #14 09/16/2006, 03:00 PM

lawnmower blenny for hair algae

®eefer · #15 09/16/2006, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by racinghart
lawnmower blenny for hair algae

LOL!

®eefer · #16 09/16/2006, 04:58 PM

Anyone try a seahare?

Foogoo · #17 09/16/2006, 06:20 PM

Rabbitfish/Foxface... fairly easy to find, priced well and not hard to keep. Although 1 in 5 seems to not touch the algae. The first one I had cleaned the bryopsis up in one day like you would not believe.

I did run into trouble feeding them once the algae was gone however.

®eefer · #18 09/16/2006, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Foogoo
Rabbitfish/Foxface... fairly easy to find, priced well and not hard to keep. Although 1 in 5 seems to not touch the algae. The first one I had cleaned the bryopsis up in one day like you would not believe.

I did run into trouble feeding them once the algae was gone however.

I have ogo growing in my fuge so I think I can sustain a live macro eating fish. I think I have seen differnet types of rabbit fish...one much prettier than the other. Does anyone know what I'm talking about?

waterman78 · #19 09/17/2006, 04:52 AM

I know you're asking for fish that eat hair algae, but have you thought about inverts...like turbo snails? A lot cheaper if you ask me a plus the bio load wouldn't be as high as with adding another fish - prone to catching ich. I'm always open to hear another's opinion. Let me know.

Larry

salt e · #20 09/17/2006, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by ®eefer
I have ogo growing in my fuge so I think I can sustain a live macro eating fish. I think I have seen differnet types of rabbit fish...one much prettier than the other. Does anyone know what I'm talking about?

i think the one ur talking about is the Matallic one, correct?

gcarroll · #21 09/17/2006, 11:37 AM

I tried a seahare. It started out great but it eventually died before finishing the job. The best thing I have found is Turbo snails. Nothing I have found does a better job. the problem is that they are not hardy in warm tanks.

®eefer · #22 09/17/2006, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by gcarroll
the problem is that they are not hardy in warm tanks.

That is exactly my problem with turbos...they never seem to last more than a few months. At $2/ea I could purchase $40 worth a year because they are basically disposable. And at that point the bio load issue becomes null and void since your tank will have to deal with dead turbo flesh.

Foogoo · #23 09/17/2006, 12:50 PM

I never had success with turbo or astrea snails. They would either have trouble staying alive in a tropical tank or the ones that did live ate no algae.