Small herbivores

[CaptainK]

Hi Everyone,
I am starting to give up/lose the battle of trying to rid my main tank of grape calerupa. I am in my tank about 2-3 times a week with tweezers trying to get this stuff out, but it keeps coming back. It is all over everything! And I also have a crop of it in my refugium where I wanted it to stay.
So I am now considering getting a fish to do this job for me. But I have a small problem. My tank is only 29G and already has 2 clowns.
Are there any small herbivores out there that will stay small and cleanup this algae for me?
Or as a last resort could I get a baby tang and let it clean up the algae and then get rid of it before it gets too big for my tank? How fast can a 1-2" tang get in say a few months?

Thanks,
CaptK

[Mark]

Hi Captk,

I've been in your predicament before. Unfortunately, I was never able to find a suitable small fish commonly available that eats caulerpa. I've tried borrowing a small tang before, but once the tang was returned to the source, the caulerpa returned to my tank. I found consolation with the fact that my harvesting was a great nutrient export. I do know some urchins will much on it, but not effectively enough to controll it. Sorry. :( Perhaps someone else had better luck than I did.

[mogurnda]

I have never been able to keep caulerpa in the main tank because the hermits eat it like candy. Just plain old blue legs.

[ozadars]

When you cut it, it grows back because its roofs are still in the rocks probobly. So take the LR out and put them to your refugium (if you have) and buy new ones.