blue legged crabs

[Danno666]

I was told that blue legged crabs eat hair algea but mine have not done the trick so far but I may need more to reach this effect. Has anyone heard this before and is there any validity to this point or not?? I have tried to get emerald crabs for this issue but they are a hard commodity to be in stock when I try and get a couple.

 

[Jojoyojimbi]

my white tuxedo urchin and turbo snail eat hair algae, i leave it growing at the top part of the tank for them to munch on

 

[Tank Razed]

Hermits eat some algae, but I wouldn't rely on them for algae control. Urchins are a much better choice.

But ultimately, algae consumers treat a symptom and not the problem. The best way to fight algae is to get rid of the underlying cause of it, often a phosphate issue.

 

[Danno666]

just replaced my old MH with a pair of new ones. The lights were about 18 months old and I was reminded to change them every year. OOPS. Oh well so I hope that this wiil help some of the problem.

 

[Tank Razed]

Do you check your phosphate levels?
I always seemed to be battling hair algae, sometimes I would get the upper hand, sometimes the algae would come back.

Then I started running GFO in a phosban reactor (about 9 months ago) and I haven't had any noticable HA growth since.

 

[Danno666]

GFO??? where did you get the reactor and how much $$ are we talking about??

 

[Tank Razed]

GFO = is granular ferric oxide
Its a phosphate binder, sold under brand names such as Phosban and Rowaphos. The reactor is basically just a media chamber that hangs on the back of a tank. They are fairly affordable (<$30 w/o the pump.. I have a used one cheap if you are ever in the IC area)
This isn't a great pic, but you can kinda see my reactor hanging on the back of my tank (sorry it is so dark)

You can also just put the media in a bag in your sump, but I prefer to have it in a reactor that forces the water though.

I run it 24/7 and I am a big advocate of the stuff. Some people have reported Alk dips when starting to use it, but I haven't had any such issues. The media can be run for a long time without having to be replaced, which is a big plus.

I used to have a big hair algae problem, but as you can see in the tank I have practically none now. Love that stuff.

 

[Danno666]

what kind of pump do I need for that setup??

 

[Tank Razed]

Something really small.
You want very light flow through the reactor. I use a MJ 404 (about 100gal/hr) and I have a valve cutting the flow down from that. Probably the smallest powerhead that you can attach a little piece of tubing to would work.

 

[Tank Razed]

It won't let me edit my post now, but I left off a word. GFO is granular ferric oxide hydroxide

ferric oxide is just rust

 

[musty baby]

To get back to the subject, the only thing I've ever had hard evidence of blue leg hermits eating are astrea snails.

 

[dastratt]

Using Seachem Seagell (a carbon/phosban mix) in place of carbon keeps my phosphates down.

 

[got2lb]

by ryansholl
Tthe only thing I've ever had hard evidence of blue leg hermits eating are astrea snails.

DITTO! God forbid they take an empty shell laying on the bottom of the tank! :rolleye1:

 

[Danno666]

so what are better crabs than the blues for algae

 

[Kierkier]

Off Topic:
Two words in the battle against phosphates:
Pura Phosloc
I got this stuff on recommendation from a fellow reefer and now I run with a bag of it in the media tray in my sump and I have noticed amazing results.

On Topic:
I have Blue-legged and jade hermits and if they eat hair algea, it's news to me. I've got plenty on my back glass for random grazers and I never see the hermits at it.

In defense of their snail attacking, I have plenty of those too and the only times I've seen hermits attack the is when they were already dead/dying. Not a big deal in my book.

 

[Jojoyojimbi]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10236649#post10236649 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Danno666
so what are better crabs than the blues for algae

emerald crabs right?

 

[ZLTFUL]

Hehe. My emeralds are currently only interested in my bubble algae...and a snack of coralline now and then. they haven't touched the hair algae. But then with this new of a setup, they haven't had enough time to get around to all of the algae in the tank.

Just no cyano thank god.

 

[musty baby]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10237106#post10237106 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kierkier
In defense of their snail attacking, I have plenty of those too and the only times I've seen hermits attack the is when they were already dead/dying. Not a big deal in my book. [/B]

I thought the same. I lost 20 or so astrea snails in the few months that blue legs and astreas shared the tank. I removed the blue legs over the course of a week and I do not kid when I say I didn't lose a single astrea, to my knowledge, in the next 9 months. Blue legs jump all over the snails when they fall on their back.

 

[Tank Razed]

I haven't used any crabs in years
Their are just too many downsides/better alternatives

 

[bgreenlee]

I have a bunch of blue legs in my sump, they do a good job up picking up the larger bits of food and stuff that settles out in there. There are a few still in the tank, but when I see them I pluck them out. I do have a couple of the scarlet hermits, though mostly for they way they look. I have never seen them bother anything. They do actually wear the shells in the bottom of the tank. They also graze occasionally on algae, bust mostly just eat the leftover food from feedings.