Algea Grazers

[Azazael13]

I have a 55 gal and have noticed I keep getting some grass like algea on some of my rocks. What is a good fish that would be in heaven with that sort of situation? Would prefer one that I could keep happily in the tank (ie don't recommend me a tang that is going to be fat and miserable).

 

[nevolved]

Maybe a lawnmower blenny. Another option for hair algae would be a small sea hare.

Nathan

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

Urchin.

 

[Amoore311]

Mollies eat hair algae quite well. And are easy to keep. You just need acclimate them to salt water.

I second a Sea Urchin as well. I have a Pincushion and he plows through algae better than any snail/grab/fish in my tank currently.

 

[DLANDINO]

I have a sea urchin as well but always feared that he was eating through coraline as well. I have no proof of this.....yet....

 

[Amoore311]

They will eat coralline. IME that is that last choice for them though. The positives far outweigh the negatives for me.

 

[MThompson]

My Diadema (long-spined urchin) ate all the hair algae, then moved on to some caulerpa, and haven't seen what is next. I started putting some algae sheets in the tank every few days....this keeps him searching, and once he finds it, he doesn't move 'til its gone.

Anyway:

lawnmower blenny = ehh, sorta worked
+5 snails and 10 hermits = a bit better
+ Diadema = no more algae!

 

[Azazael13]

will an urchin work even if the algae is on the bottom part of a rock closer to the sand?

 

[DLANDINO]

I have seen mine squeeze into some pretty amazing spaces.

 

[Azazael13]

maybe I will give one a try then. As long as he doesn't eat any of my corals I will be happy

 

[hamdogg08]

I had problems with HA, and did the following:
-Ran a skimmer
-Used RODI water emphasis on the DI part because that's what removes the posphates
-Got a Sea Hare (then passed him on soon after)
-Ran GFO media (granular feric oxide) can be found at bulk reef supply dot com. The sea hare blasts through the hair algae, but more or less lets it pass through its system. By running the GFO, the sea hare doo-doo can't decompose and feed its little agae buddies again.

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

If youre getting an urchin, I would avoid the longspine. They get really big, really fast. The pincushions, tuxedos, and black rock-boring varieties would all be a good choice.

 

[MThompson]

Yeah...sorry I forgot to look at how big your tanks was, Azazael. You should follow LobsterOfJustice's advice on urchin species. Mine was about 3" across two months ago, now it's about 7"...I still have room in my 120g, because I don't have a lot of rocks...but I'll probably have to find a home for it in the next 6 months.