algae is growing on my seahorses! its bugging me

[lilleahseafreak]

i have had a pair of seahorses for 2 weeks now, my first ones, they are small tank raised horsies, they are in a year-old, well cycled, 12 gallon nanocube (with plans to move them to a 23 gallon tall tank in the future) they are active, eating very well, and love to explore their tank...

the thing is brown algae is growing on their backs IT IS BUGGING ME! its making them look drab! i was told it would not hurt them but i still really don't like it.
i bought a skunk cleaner shrimp in the hopes it would clean them, one person reccomended using a clean soft bristle tooth brush to gently rub the algae off, ....um they did NOT like that.

and i cannot reduce the light as there are corals in the tank.

any ideas folks?

 

[Fredfish]

Brushing them is more likely to cause damage than help, and the algae will grow back.

Get used to the algae on your horses. It will come and go. It does no harm.

Seahorses adjust their colours to their surroundings and there is not much you can do about that.

Fred

 

[pledosophy]

Control the phosphates and you'll have no algae.

Sorry not the anwser your looking fr, but that's the best anwser.

I would ditch the cleaner, not a good tankmate IMO.

They will not be happy long in the 12g, which doesn't come to close to holding 12g's. THe 23g will be better. Watch the temp in that nano. Temp can be a problem with the horses.

 

[reefD]

if the seahorses is acting and eating normally its harmless and common. in the wild they can sometimes be covered will long strings of algea. as far as algae control thats another subject but excess algea doesnt bother seahorses and even when it grows on thier backs it normal and without issues.