fish to eat algae

[sassyfrassy]

Would a yellow tang or a Kole tang be better for control of grape caulerpa/ and or dark green moss type algae?

 

[sassyfrassy]

Hey guys & gals I need some help here! I am removing as much grape caulerpa as possible manually, but I just can't get all the roots out and it WILL start to grow back. Surely there is a fish, crab, snail of some kind that will like the stuff and hopefully nip it in the bud when it tries to grow back. I thought about pin cushion urchin, chitons, kole or yellow tang (prefer kole), some kind of snail, nudibrac, or sea hare. Someone else has sure had this problem b/f. Also any kind of chemical algae killer that would be safe for fish? I could remove my mushrooms & tree coral to fuge and disconnect from system temporarily - or I could mix up SW and put rock in tub to treat. Would appreciate anyone who has any suggestions. Thanks, Carolyn

 

[Lina5910]

i picked up a large yellow tang a week ago and he wiped out my algae in a couple of days. I had some caulepra that snuck in from the sump and ive been tweezing it since. i have a little bit of green hair algae here and there and the yellow tang seems to like it lots.

i have a lawnmover blenny that like green hair algae but he neva touched macro

 

[crobattt]

/what kind of algae. do you have a cuc?

i had a kole tang, and it grazed all day, but it also got mean as f$%$#$

 

[sassyfrassy]

I have a 6 line names Jack the Ripper b/c he chases and intimidates some of the other fish. He doesn't like firefish at all. I had one firefish and a royal gamma die I think b/c of him - they hid all the time - he wouldn't let them out to eat. So I don't want another mean fish, but I heard yellows can get mean and though Koles were nice. My tank's too small for a rabbit. I don't have a CUC - getting ready to get one. I have out-of-control grape caulerpa in DT.

 

[stovenut]

Other than a rabbitfish (best algae eater out there), I would suggest a bristletooth tang like a tomini tang. A yellow tang also would work and are easier to find.

 

[sassyfrassy]

Will a bristletooth tang get along w/watchman goby? How big do they need (tank's on 65g)

 

[joshuabradley1]

like stovenut said a rabbitfish! They are the lawnmowers of saltwater.

 

[ebojo]

I personally would go with some type of tang. But a CUC is a must, and will definitely help with the process. If you plan to order online, reefcleaners.org is a great place to look.

 

[Palting]

Of the 4 tangs I have, the tennenti tang is my number 1 lawnmower, followed by my naso and purple, and last by my hippo. They cleaned off all the original caulerpa in my tank, roots and all, and go thrrough a fistful of grape caulerpa in a day. I keep grape caulerpa in my refugium. Unfortunately, your tanlk may be too small for any of them. They will outgrow my tank someday. I also have a coral beauty that constantly grazes at the algae as well. I don't clean the back glass because of them so they have something to graze on.

 

[Necidemos]

rabbitfish (foxface), yellow tang, and lawnmower blenny worked wonders for me.

 

[frankpayne32]

My sailfin tang eats grape algae like a champ but is too large for the 65 gallon in your signature. A small one would take care of it in a hurry just be prepared for it to outgrow that particular tank.

 

[stovenut]

I have had a tomini tang in a tank your size for 5 years. Bristletooth tangs don't outgrow their tanks and are great algae eaters. If you had a friend with a bigger tank, I would buy a rabbitfish and then donate it to their larger tank when he outgrows the tank. They are eat algae all day, all kinds.

 

[sassyfrassy]

The LFS has what they call a flame fin, but he said it is a tomini. Does anyone know if that is the right one? $45. is that a reasonable price in the South? It is 3" - much larger than any of my other fish - will he bother them? pair of clowns, green clown goby, citron clown goby, orange spotted watchman, & a six-line wrasse that has stressed to death 2 firefish & a royal gamma.

 

[stovenut]

Yep. Same fish. Mine has been a very peaceful fish. I have him with a Purple Tang, maroon clown, neon pseudochromis, pink and blue goby, and pair of banghai cardinals. If he shows any agressiveness at first, just turn out the lights for 24 hours or so to calm him down.

 

[Retired Reefer]

IMO for beauty and small size go with a Flame Angel. I added one a while back and it cleaned up pots that both my Yellow and Hippo Tang had missed. It spends all day hunting in and out of the Live Rock.

 

[stovenut]

Good point about the size and coloration of the Flame Angel. I disagree however with it's algae-eating potential. It's definitely a grazer, but it's grazing on sponges, pods, algae...everything. It's not an herbavore, that is constantly grazing on algae.

 

[davocean]

The bristletooth/tomini would probably be best for that tank size.
A lawnmower blenny is another good grazer that stays fairly small.

 

[sassyfrassy]

How would a lawnmower get along w/watchman?