Favorite Algae eating fish?

[jules11vb]

I was wondering what everyone's favorite fish is for eating algae. Green hair algae in particular, but you can mention others too. I have a 29 gallon tank, with green hair algae sprouting out of my live rock. I am looking for a fish that would get along with my oscillaris clown and bangaii cardinal. Suggestions???

 

[oceanparadise1]

your realistic only option is a lawnmower blenny, in my tanks i have yellow tangs, foxface and hippo tang that LOVE to destroy algea in my tank.

 

[jules11vb]

yeah, that is what I was thinking about getting. Just wish I could find something more colorful. I've also heard that they can be hard to feed sometimes. Would a sailfin tang get too big for my tank? Probably so. I just love tangs.

 

[ahayes13]

i put turbo snails in my tank and they completely wiped out the hair algae within a month or so...

 

[Nate82]

any tang in anything less than a 4 foot tank is in too small of a tank do NOT get a tang for your 29 gallon tank

 

[ConcreteReefer]

29g is just way to small for any Tang.. sorry

HA is caused by excess Nutrients (phosphate), I would recommend getting your parameters in check instead of adding another fish.

Here are my suggestions:
*Add a Phosban Reactor
*Use RO/DI water exclusively for top-off & water changes (TDS should be close to 0)
*Cut down on your feeding
*Do 20% water changes weekly

Couple of questions for you:
*Lighting- How old are your bulbs? How long are they on?
*Skimmer- Are you using a Protein skimmer?
*Do you add any chemicals/additives?
*Are you using carbon? What kind & how often do you change it?

 

[jules11vb]

Yeah, I know not to get a tang. I need to get a larger tank someday so I can get one.

You asked some good questions, ConcreteReefer, I just learned about RO/DI water. It sounds like I do need to use it. I currently use tap water for top offs and monthly 20% water changes. I am looking into where to get the RO/DI water or where to get a RO/DI filter. I did read that that could be the reason for my excess growth of hair algae. I do not use a protein skimmer. Also, as for the lighting (65wat 50/50 CF's), my bulbs were about a year old when I changed them last month and I think that has alot to do with the recent hair algae growth too. I keep the lights on from 9:30a-9:30p. I don't really use any chemicals or additives. I do use carbon filter pads that I change once a month. I have been overfeeding lately because I had a starving clown goby, but he died, so I need to cut back on the food too.

 

[ConcreteReefer]

Yeah, I know not to get a tang. I need to get a larger tank someday so I can get one.
It sounds like I do need to use it. I currently use tap water for top offs and monthly 20% water changes. I am looking into where to get the RO/DI water or where to get a RO/DI filter. I did read that that could be the reason for my excess growth of hair algae.

This is probably your #1 problem.
Tap water is a big no-no in a Reef Tank. Using it or an improperly maintained RO/DI will lead to excess nutrients/silicates that nuisance algae thrive on.
Here is what I recommend-

Budget RO/DI-
*75 GPD Premium from
www.buckeyefieldsupply.com for $169 this the best value/performance RO/DI you can buy.
include a TDS meter, pressure gauge, RO bypass valve, flush valve, adjustable flow restrictor, & a 1 micron prefilter. (You really need all of this, we can go into details on why just ask)

High End RO/DI-
Spectrapure Maxcap 90gpd $350 http://www.spectrapure.com/St_MaxCap-RO-DI.htm
I don't think you would need a system as nice as this *but* if you have the cash, might as well spend it. This is what I use and have never been happier.

I do not use a protein skimmer.

Well, adding a protein skimmer will help keep nutrient levels down by removing doc's from the water column before they decay into ammonia and convert to nitrates through the nitrogen cycle.
I don't know what type of skimmer would work best for your system (hob,insump, etc).. Please post pics of your setup & we can figure it out.
I'm assuming you don't have a sump so it would probably have to be a HOB unit.

Also, as for the lighting (65wat 50/50 CF's), my bulbs were about a year old when I changed them last month and I think that has alot to do with the recent hair algae growth too. I keep the lights on from 9:30a-9:30p.

You might want to get some new bulbs, but I don't think this is the issue.

I don't really use any chemicals or additives. I do use carbon filter pads that I change once a month. I have been overfeeding lately because I had a starving clown goby, but he died, so I need to cut back on the food too.

I've never used carbon pads so I can't really comment. Cutting back on the feeding would be a good idea.

This is not going to be an overnight fix, It will take a few months to get your tank on track but you & your livestock will appreciate it once its done.
Patience is key

 

[Saltysteele]

i love my lm blenny. he was my first fish. he's a goofy dude. funny the way he just stares at me :) plus, it's cool how he camoflages himself :)

but, while he ate his share, my biggest algae destroyer was my turbo snails; my mexicans, in particular. at the same time, they're dozers, so you'd want to make sure everything is glued down :haha:

i literally have NO hair algae of any sort, due to my snails and blenny. i feed him nori (sushi wrappers made of seaweed bought from the store- not the toasted or with sesame), and he'll nibble on it. however, he's turned omnivore and eats the shrimp and larger chunks in Rod's Food.

 

[oceanparadise1]

Idk about the tap water statement, i agree ro is better BUT ive been using just tap water in my 75 and i have NO algea at all nor have i ever

 

[Hypertek99]

Hmm i use tap water too with no problem

 

[Reef Pets]

Of course RO/DO is much cleaner and better to use than tap water. Keep in mind that tap water is different from city to city. The TDS on my tap water is low, around 225. A friend of mine has a reef so we tested the tap water at his house, it was in the 490's. That is a huge difference for being less than 3 miles away. But, its a different water district.
We both use RO/DI systems. Once the TDS from my RO/DI system hits about 5 points I change the resin. I have never seen hair algae in any of my tanks. The water in your tank is the life of your tank. So, for a 160.00 investment you cant go wrong.

 

[aquarius77]

Im in shock to see people say they use tap water, i have never used any tap water but my tds is pretty darn high here. I do know there are some areas with fairly clean water coming from the tap. I also know tap water can vary from month to month, city to city and in certain times of the year they use different chemicals in the water for different reasons. Its a big gamble IMO, i worked for the city i live in and i have toured the water plant a few times, ive seen what goes in tap water and know where it comes from lol. Buy distilled (purple label) water from walmart if ya have too, 0 tds every time ive tested it and its fairly cheap. Nothing beats having your own ro/di unit at home though, you always know what your getting because you filter the water and you maintain the filter system yourself, no one does it better than you!

 

[GSXR]

when I had hair algae I found it to be from over feeding. I cut back on my feeding and bought a sea hair witch only eats hair algae. After all my hair algae was gone I passed the sea hair onto another reefer.