Need Algae-eating Fish recommendations

[ThRoewer]

I have a number of nuisance algae in my 100 gallon tank that I need to keep in check. My current clean-up crew of black-foot Torchus snails, scarlet hermit crabs, and 4 longspine urchins do a decent job to keep flat surfaces clean, but there are just too many nooks and crannies and areas otherwise inaccessible to them where those algae maintain a foothold and propagate from. Green hair algae are right now the worst, but there is also a severely annoying rhizome spreading and fairly hard red algae that can't even be brushed off. So far only the urchins were successful in clearing this by milling off entire layers of rock.

So I am thinking to add a herbivore fish to fill the void.
The requirements for this fish are:
a) is a ferocious algae eater who doesn't mind eating longer strands of GHA
b) has a snout that can reach into recesses
c) is safe for SPS and smaller LPS
d) get along with my current fish
e) stays relatively small (ideally 4"/6" max) or grows rather slowly
f) can ideally be kept in a pair
g) should not irritate the other fish by being hyperactive
h) should ideally be from the Red Sea/Western Indian Ocean biome (this is a nice to have but not mandatory)

Tankmates are:
- a pair of Regal Angels (bonding right now)
- a pair of Red Sea Anemonefish (spawning)
- a pair of Marine Betta (spawning)
- a pair of Mandarinfish (spawning)
- a trio of Gramma (spawning)
- Orchid Dottyback (will get a new partner soon)

Videos of the tank



I was initially thinking of a pair Foxfaces or Rabbitfish as they fit most requirements quite well but unfortunately not e) as they get quite large and that rather fast. I would have to take them out and replace them at least after a year, probably earlier.

Another choice may be "smaller" tangs like Zebrasoma flavescens, Ctenochaetus truncatus, Ctenochaetus tominiensis, or similar but they may be too restless for the tank.

What other choices would there be?

 

[P-Dub]

Hands down, the best algae eater I have ever had is my convict tang. It is ALWAYS grazing. 2 to one over my yellow shoulder bar and 10 to 1 over my Dussumieri. Best in three's or more tangs to keep aggression down.

 

[Jonify]

What other choices would there be?

Blennies, most only grow to 4-5" ... with lots of character. Tangs like @P-Dub said.

 

[ThRoewer]

Hands down, the best algae eater I have ever had is my convict tang. It is ALWAYS grazing. 2 to one over my yellow shoulder bar and 10 to 1 over my Dussumieri. Best in three's or more tangs to keep aggression down.

It's actually a tang I like. But how are they with getting into smaller crevices? Their snouts are not particularly elongated like those of Zebrasoma tangs or Foxfaces.

 

[P-Dub]

They are limited but you can get other, job specific fish to make up the difference.

 

[ThRoewer]

Blennies, most only grow to 4-5" ... with lots of character. Tangs like @P-Dub said.

I found blennies to be a mixed bag. Some like the bicolor blenny prefer coral over algae and most are more interested in the algae films on the glass than the tougher filamentose algae on the rocks.
If there was one particularly going after filamentose algae, it would definitely be a good choice.

 

[OrionN]

Consider boosting Mg to 1600 plus. This does not seem to bother the animals but really do a number on hard to get rid algae.

 

[ThRoewer]

Consider boosting Mg to 1600 plus. This does not seem to bother the animals but really do a number on hard to get rid algae.

That should be easy - I got a 5-gallon canister of Mg solution mixed up and ready to go.

 

[OrionN]

I also like tropical Abalones. They are long live and a great grazer in medium to large tanks. It is a little hard to get healthy ones. The LFS must know how to handle them because remove the prom glass using brute force will injure them and often they won’t make it. I like to use a variety of grazer but various sea urchins, abalone and the tangs are the work horses.
I have to hang my Nori on fish line in the middle of the tank so that the snails, Urchins and abalone cannot get to it. They must work for their food.

 

[OrionN]

That should be easy - I got a 5-gallon canister of Mg solution mixed up and ready to go.

This will take a month or two. The algae just can’t grow and slowly recede IME.

 

[Jonify]

I found blennies to be a mixed bag. Some like the bicolor blenny prefer coral over algae and most are more interested in the algae films on the glass than the tougher filamentose algae on the rocks.
If there was one particularly going after filamentose algae, it would definitely be a good choice.

It really is .. I used to have a lawnmower blenny a few years ago that would mow through filamentous algae, wouldn't touch my LPS, even after the algae was all gone ... and there's a reefer, Nathan Willard (you can find his videos on YouTube) who had a bi-color in a 20 nano that has been pretty tame for a few years--but like you, I've heard sometimes that's not the case with them.

 

[sfin52]

Black spot foxface
Seahare. They mow down everythkng

 

[TriggerFinger]

I know you asked about fish but I really like the dwarf ceriths I got from reef cleaners. They’re tiny and I thought they were a waste of money but they are the perfect size for the nooks and holes in the rock. They surprised the heck out of me
Edit: my starry blenny didn’t get the memo that he was supposed to eat algae. He only bites the glass to tell me he’s still hungry

 

[codycolina707]

I have a number of nuisance algae in my 100 gallon tank that I need to keep in check. My current clean-up crew of black-foot Torchus snails, scarlet hermit crabs, and 4 longspine urchins do a decent job to keep flat surfaces clean, but there are just too many nooks and crannies and areas otherwise inaccessible to them where those algae maintain a foothold and propagate from. Green hair algae are right now the worst, but there is also a severely annoying rhizome spreading and fairly hard red algae that can't even be brushed off. So far only the urchins were successful in clearing this by milling off entire layers of rock.

So I am thinking to add a herbivore fish to fill the void.
The requirements for this fish are:
a) is a ferocious algae eater who doesn't mind eating longer strands of GHA
b) has a snout that can reach into recesses
c) is safe for SPS and smaller LPS
d) get along with my current fish
e) stays relatively small (ideally 4"/6" max) or grows rather slowly
f) can ideally be kept in a pair
g) should not irritate the other fish by being hyperactive
h) should ideally be from the Red Sea/Western Indian Ocean biome (this is a nice to have but not mandatory)

Tankmates are:
- a pair of Regal Angels (bonding right now)
- a pair of Red Sea Anemonefish (spawning)
- a pair of Marine Betta (spawning)
- a pair of Mandarinfish (spawning)
- a trio of Gramma (spawning)
- Orchid Dottyback (will get a new partner soon)

Videos of the tank



I was initially thinking of a pair Foxfaces or Rabbitfish as they fit most requirements quite well but unfortunately not e) as they get quite large and that rather fast. I would have to take them out and replace them at least after a year, probably earlier.

Another choice may be "smaller" tangs like Zebrasoma flavescens, Ctenochaetus truncatus, Ctenochaetus tominiensis, or similar but they may be too restless for the tank.

What other choices would there be?

yes foxfaces get decent size but from the one i have they dont really swim around alot like tangs i think you would be fine with a lawnmower blenny and a yellow eye kole tang you could probably even add a yellow tang i have 5 in my tank at the moment 3 purples all around same size added at the same time a blue hippo an a yellow eye kole tang all get along really well

 

[Woodenbark]

I recently have been battling the green hair as well. The sea hare, lawnmower blenny and emerald crabs i got have been doing a great job keeping the lawn clean.

In a side note. My sea hare does crazy yoga. Stretching up with his beak in air. Funniest thing. And the Blenny has tons of character

 

[ThRoewer]

I also like tropical Abalones. They are long live and a great grazer in medium to large tanks. It is a little hard to get healthy ones. The LFS must know how to handle them because remove the prom glass using brute force will injure them and often they won’t make it. I like to use a variety of grazer but various sea urchins, abalone and the tangs are the work horses.
I have to hang my Nori on fish line in the middle of the tank so that the snails, Urchins and abalone cannot get to it. They must work for their food.

I've been looking for the Abalone but they are really hard to find. And my
I have Patella limpets in the high flow and heavily aerated sump of my fish system but found them not to like it very much in my tanks. They prefer conditions as you find inside a skimmer.
How about limpets like this one: https://www.algaebarn.com/shop/captive-bred/invertebrates/snails/siphonaria-limpet/

 

[ThRoewer]

yes foxfaces get decent size but from the one i have they dont really swim around alot like tangs i think you would be fine with a lawnmower blenny and a yellow eye kole tang you could probably even add a yellow tang i have 5 in my tank at the moment 3 purples all around same size added at the same time a blue hippo an a yellow eye kole tang all get along really well

The issue is that the tank has already 6 relatively large fish (2 Regal Angels, 2 Red Sea Anemonefish, 2 Marine Betta) so it is already a bit crowded right now. I would love adding a pair of Foxfaces or Rabbitfish as well, just for their extremely interesting pair behavior and because they are effective algae eaters, but I'm afraid that 2 additional large fish cause more trouble than it would be worth.
On the other hand, a pair of blennies or other fish that size would work. The catch with them is to find a blenny that actually eats the algae I want it to eat and not go after the corals. And of course, sexing the blennies isn't trivial as well (they are one of the fish families that have fixed sexes.)