Algae eater

[Steve Maxwell]

Hello...I'm getting tired of all the algae in my tank and want something that will help keep it in check. I have algae that quickly grows on the glass and some stuff that looks like black hair algae in some of the rocks.

I have a 75g with various snail types, 2 photon clowns, 2 kauderns, 1 male McCosker, 1 pink urchin, 1 watchman goby and 1 tile starfish. I've had 2 kole tangs and for some reason neither lasted 1 week. What can I get to help?

I also have a 29g that has not had an algae problem...could be the coral beauty, but I'm leary of adding one or a flame angel to the 75 due to all the zoas, soft and LPS coral I have. The one in my 29 hasn't messed with anything, but just my luck one in the 75 would.

 

[Zero Nitrates]

Tang or lawnmower blenny

 

[Tateopotatoe]

Maybe a blenny would wake. You really have to scrape the algae off the glass yourself.

 

[jetmaker]

Get a Molly Miller blenny it will get algae and aptasia. I have a Potter's angel that hasn't touched any Coral.

 

[Steve Maxwell]

I really want a potters...

 

[Triggreef]

Dwarf angels do next to nothing for algae ime. Tangs, algae blenny, or tang. Acanthurus tangs are best IMO I have a yellow and kole in my frag tank they do nothing and are close to getting the boot.

 

[MikeyAl]

Dolabela sea hare.

 

[rayn]

Scribbled rabbit fish and a long spine urchin They took care of any algae in my tank and are keeping it down I am amazed at how quick the rabbit worked

 

[Vaughn17]

A money (or ring) cowrie will clean hair algae and other types (not bryopsis, though, sadly) right down to the rock. It is a very small (1.5" max), herbivorous cowrie that doesn't bother coral. Other cowries are omnivores, though, so beware of them.

 

[jetmaker]

My Potter's eats all algae and cleaned up my aptasia and doesn't touch my corals.

 

[Salty1962]

Tang or lawnmower blenny

+1, I have a Flame, or Tomini, Tang and a Lawnmower Blenny and they keep the algae in check. These with good husbandry practices should go a long way in help.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Algae blenny, foxfaces rabbitfish for fish. Seahares are the single best algae eater around, but will quickly deplete the algae and will starve if algae isn't supplemented.

 

[Steve Maxwell]

I'd get a sehare, but paranoid about poisoning my tank. I've gotten a long spine urchin today and a turbo snale and I'm keeping a lookout in my LFS for a lawnmower (everybody was out). Still considering a Potter's even if they don't do much with algae...I've always liked them. Thanks everybody! :)

 

[wesamazmy]

Best algae eater

 

[Tautog]

My Rabbitfish eats most algae, better than the tangs

 

[Salty1962]

Best algae eater

Mine is @4". He and the Flame Tang are fighting over algae:eek: My wife calls him the monster:rolleyes: One of the key things to keep in mind, as they eat the algae you must have good filtration to remove the by products;) You won't believe what I'm pulling from my protein skimmer! Algae is gone though:)

 

[Steve Maxwell]

Blennys won't each Bryopsis, though will they? That's what I'm fighting now :( Thinking about treating with TechM and a one spot foxface

 

[wesamazmy]

Mine is @4". He and the Flame Tang are fighting over algae:eek: My wife calls him the monster:rolleyes: One of the key things to keep in mind, as they eat the algae you must have good filtration to remove the by products;) You won't believe what I'm pulling from my protein skimmer! Algae is gone though:)

Yes me too

 

[Triggreef]

My Rabbitfish eats most algae, better than the tangs

Only thing scares me about Rabbitfish is the tendency to eat zoas. I have tons of expensive zoas and I'm too chicken to try one.

 

[Paul B]

Manatees. One inch of manatee for every five gallons of water. :rolleyes: