Algae in between polyps

[MikeandNicole]

I have a purple hornet mini colony of around 15 polyps. I have grown this out from 2 polyps and it is one of my favorites. However, recently there has been hair algae growing in between the polyps which is starting to really stress the zoos out.

Is there an invert that will take care of this or just some tooth brush action?

 

[leshnign]

What do you have for a CUC? I use smaller Turbo snails, they don't knock your frags around as much as the big guys do. You could always go the manual route, and use tweezers and a toothbrush like you said. Good luck

 

[jas8943]

take them out and put them in a cup or what ever and put hermit crabs in there with them it worked for me before

 

[MikeandNicole]

CUC is currently a mix of blue legs, scarlet hermits, nassarius snails, trochus snails, and a serpant star.

I was thinking of maybe setting up a our 2.5g pico and throwing the frag in there with maybe a lettuce nudi and some turbos to see what happens. If they clean it off, then return the lettuce nudi to the store.

 

[jas8943]

yea that would work

 

[logan 12]

Or just take a toothbrush and brush the algae off while in a container of water. Dispose of the water in the container and be done with it. Much easier then setting up a new tank, buying an invert, then taking it back. Or invest in a tang. Then just watch him do the work for you.

 

[MikeandNicole]

I wish I could just add a tang, it is only a 45 gallon tank. We have scrubbed and plucked several times already and it just grows back. There is no other algae in the tank, just on some frag plugs. This is the only frag with algae between the polyps and it is quite vexing.

 

[ahenson]

For a animal to help maybe a small rabbit fish. Don't know if they all get big but they are the best algae eaters.
If this just started did something change? Is your skimmer working good? Feeding more? Refugium?

 

[zachfishman]

I wish I could just add a tang, it is only a 45 gallon tank. We have scrubbed and plucked several times already and it just grows back. There is no other algae in the tank, just on some frag plugs. This is the only frag with algae between the polyps and it is quite vexing.

I applaud your resolve to not put a tang in your 45. I would've cracked and sneaked in a baby yellow or kole for sure.

 

[ahenson]

I don't know much about fish, but is a rabbit fish ok in this tank? I know they don't pace and need to swim as much as most tangs. I would think it would be ok. Plus I think they are pretty cool.

 

[snorkeler]

Rabbitfish grow... in a fish guide I have all of them are recommended for tanks 75G+ (most 100G+).

You'll have a too large & upset fish in a year it seems.

Snorkeler

 

[bandsaw2]

I say just keep doing what your doing.Keep pulling it off.Sooner or later the algae should go away.I had that happen to a plug of purple deaths a while ago and now all the algae is gone.

 

[garrett3423]

definitly dont let the algae spread, my tanks full of it and it only took 3 months from a few strands on a frag rock.

 

[Dave VG]

Besides getting big Rabbitfish will eat zoas and polyps. I learned that the hard way.