algae eating fish

smith1571 · #1 09/13/2007, 08:38 PM

What fish do you guys recommend to clean up hair algae?

TheSaltwaterGuy · #2 09/13/2007, 08:46 PM

Any snails, possibly crabs, and some tangs will get it done. The only creature that could rid your tank completely of it, is you.

Kannin · #3 09/13/2007, 08:57 PM

I just saw in another thread that you can acclimate fresh water mollies to take care of it.

AegirOfHlesey · #4 09/13/2007, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Kannin
I just saw in another thread that you can acclimate fresh water mollies to take care of it.

Yeah, but how are you going to get 'em out when they're done (I'm assuming they are going into a reef tank; obviously, if it's FOWLR or FO he can just throw a grouper or something else in to get rid of them).

Kannin · #5 09/13/2007, 09:53 PM

My ideas are not always genius... just most of the time!

skriz · #6 09/13/2007, 10:36 PM

sea hares are good.

75Gallons · #7 09/13/2007, 11:11 PM

Fresh water mollies can survive in high salinity water? Anyone ever tried this? Just curious!

reefD · #8 09/13/2007, 11:16 PM

none. i recommend attacking the source that is feeding the algea. that is excess nutrients or inadaquate or shifted lighting. excessive nutrients are from fish as well as other sources. so if fish waste creates nutrients and thus algea blooms then why add another fish aka nutrient creater to battle the problem. unless it eats faster than it can grow ( they never do) then youll be adding more food for the algea. just my oppinion stated with facts.

reefD · #9 09/13/2007, 11:18 PM

mollies can be acclamated to saltwater and live happily within that condition. in otherwords once acclamated they can survive for life in the saltwater.

greyfox · #10 09/13/2007, 11:20 PM

I have big Mexican turbo snails in my 180g tannk and they along with a good skimmer, phosban reactor seem to keep the hairy algae in check.

smith1571 · #11 09/14/2007, 11:54 PM

I guess I overfeed my fish then

supervdl · #12 09/15/2007, 12:02 AM

The hair algae eventually just go away from one day to the other. I had some initially and after a year and low nutrients/ phosphates/ nitrates none were left. See red house for my tank.

TitusvileSurfer · #13 09/15/2007, 01:28 AM

There was a thread on this a week or 2 ago and after a few pages some guy said "throw 100 hermit crabs in there". People kept suggesting lawn mower blennys, tangs, and this and that and again the guy said "I'm telling you, throw 100 hermits in your tank...not 20 or 30, 100"

The thread starter did and apparently it worked. If I can find the tread I'll post it, but it was simi-recent.

TitusvileSurfer · #14 09/15/2007, 01:30 AM

My personal suggestion would be to feed less and/or turn your lights off for a couple of days. You coral should be fine but the algae just can't handle it.

TitusvileSurfer · #15 09/15/2007, 01:34 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by 75Gallons
Fresh water mollies can survive in high salinity water? Anyone ever tried this? Just curious!

Mollies are actually a brackish water fish naturally. They can be converted to totally fresh or totally salt water. Mollies, along with mullet, are the resident feeder fish in our brackish Indian River Lagoon.

smith1571 · #16 09/15/2007, 09:07 AM

supervdl,
How did you keep your nutrients/ phosphates/ nitrates down? What kind of equipment do you have?

TitusvileSurfer · #17 09/15/2007, 05:10 PM

A fuge with a nice ball of chaeto (or other macro algae) will suck up a lot of phosphates/nitrates. A deep sand bed is good for nitrates as well, but over time could create phosphates.

Basically you have a micro algae you don't want (hair algae). If you add a macro algae, which is easier to keep where you want it, the macro will overpower and out compete the hair algae for food.

smith1571 · #18 09/19/2007, 01:02 AM

I have a softball size piece of cheato that has never gotten any bigger.
I checked my phosphate level and it was at .25ppm so maybe thats the problem?

frederickk · #19 09/20/2007, 08:42 AM

What would be the maximum size of a cheato in a 33g fuge?

Mine is actually 2/3 full would that be a reason why I start to have a little more algae bloom in the tank right now. Should I reduce the amount of cheato in the fuge to get a better result?

Thanks

Kannin · #20 09/20/2007, 01:41 PM

I prune my cheato back by about 2/3's every 2 or 3 weeks.

filmoholic · #21 09/20/2007, 01:55 PM

Rowaphos will get rid of it fast.

smith1571 · #22 09/25/2007, 06:10 PM

Rowapos is what I should get? What about phosban and do I need the reactor?

m2434 · #23 09/25/2007, 06:25 PM

1 foxface, 1 yellow tang - never seen any! (well in the tank, I have a filter output that is always full of it)

zach0660 · #24 09/25/2007, 09:38 PM

lawnmower blenny,
sea hare??, haven't heard much about it but they are supposed to be somethin else with hairalgae.