All my herbivores became carnivores? what the heck?

[JollyReefer]

I tried to curb my hair algae outbreak by purchasing a bunch of herbivores. I now have a yellow tang, a foxface, and a lawnmower Benny. The tang eats some algae off the glass but largely prefers brine and won’t touch any algae on the rocks. The foxface only eats brine, no algae. The lawnmower Benny doesn’t seem too interested in the algae either. What’s going on? I’m running the triton system. Could it be that the Triton additives are making the algae taste yucky to the fish? Could something else be making the algae taste funny? My tank has zero nitrates and zero phosphates.

 

[tdileo]

What test kit are you using? 0 nitrate and phosphate should have not a speck of algae in your tank and every coral dead.

 

[JollyReefer]

What test kit are you using? 0 nitrate and phosphate should have not a speck of algae in your tank and every coral dead.

Is this better? Nitrate and phosphate level are undetectable. Nyos nitrate and Salifert phosphate.

 

[ca1ore]

GHA = salad; mysis = pizza!

 

[KrisReef]

Your situation suggests that you are overfeeding your fish, and they are getting lazy and not working to get full like they should be, eating your algae. Cut back on their food rations and see what happens. And get ready to dose nitrates and P if those nutrients remain low.

 

[eatbreakfast]

If you want them to eat algae limit their other options for food. Most fish have a preference for meaty foods.

Are you sure its hair algae and not bryopsis? Most fish refuse to eat bryopsis.

 

[JollyReefer]

I'd never heard of bryopsis. But it might just be bryopsis. That would explain all the fishes' refusal to eat it. Thanks! I'm going to check into the treatment.

 

[alton]

My two tangs at work are the same, the baby chevron still eats off the glass, but the yellow just swims in the corner where I sit and waits and waits and waits. Yes they are spoiled! On the weekends they have no choice but to eat algae since I am not here. Maybe you need to go a couple days with out feeding them?

 

[redpine42]

I got the same here, although the blemy still just eats algae.

 

[Jesterrace]

I tried to curb my hair algae outbreak by purchasing a bunch of herbivores. I now have a yellow tang, a foxface, and a lawnmower Benny. The tang eats some algae off the glass but largely prefers brine and won’t touch any algae on the rocks. The foxface only eats brine, no algae. The lawnmower Benny doesn’t seem too interested in the algae either. What’s going on? I’m running the triton system. Could it be that the Triton additives are making the algae taste yucky to the fish? Could something else be making the algae taste funny? My tank has zero nitrates and zero phosphates.

It can be both frustrating and exciting when a fish breaks the mold on it's behavior. My Tang was a clear omnivore and on the first day even tore into the remains of a turbo snail that my wrasse killed. My Foxface is a definite omnivore and loves Frozen Reef Frenzy and my Wrasses have no clue that they aren't supposed to enjoy seaweed. My juvie melanurus and my juvie blue star leopard wrasse both love munching on the stuff.