Foxface and unwanted string algae

[Frodo the Goby]

I hear foxfaces are good at getting rid of unwanted string algae. Can anyone confirm this for me? It is starting to get out of control and my yellowtang is to lazy to assist.

 

[pmike25]

OOhh yes they are, I had some major hair algea and he mowed it all down in days. Or at least the one I got did, cant speak for all of em, but Im sure they all do, but one thing is for sure I can confirm that big time!!! IMO

 

[Frodo the Goby]

I would prefer a really nice tang but once they get spoiled they wil not go after the algae any more if I do not do something to eliminate this it is going to be a real problem soon. Thanks for the advice

 

[pmike25]

No problem man..

 

[Frodo the Goby]

I think mine is broken he will not eat up the algae. He probably needs to get more comfortable in the tank and my yellow tang keeps picking on him. I got a larger protein skimmer on my tank so I am also helping that eliminates the algae at the source

 

[pmike25]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7999765#post7999765 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Frodo the Goby
I think mine is broken he will not eat up the algae.

:lol: Thats funny, I think mine took about a week or so to become less of a wuss and beginning to eat the algea, BUT he was the only darn fish in the tank!! Kinda annoying seeing him all discolored for no reason!! But he can through like a champ and started eating like there was no tommorow. Im sure the tang beating on him isnt helping either..Hopefully he will start eating it up

 

[Frodo the Goby]

Ok. So my darn Foxface is adjusted now and he is taking advice from the Yellow Tang and he is also not eating the Algae. Anybody have any suggestions to get rid of this stuff. In the past I have used Red Slime Remover and it worked. I want to remove this stuff naturally cause I do not want to harmy corals and the first Anenome that I have been able to keep from dying. I changed my lighting today and may make some more changes with lights. I also recently put a bigger protein skimmer on my tank and have fed my fish less. I am thinking about buying some Kent Nitrate Remover to help lower my nitrates which have stayed at about 50 for months now. I also did about a 20% water change 2 weeks ago. My Current 90 Gallon hads been up for 3 months now. When I had my old 65 gallon I had no nitrates. No stringy algae. I had all the same live rock fish and some sand from the old tank. I pumped about 75% of that water into my 90 gallon from the 65.
Anyone have any suggestions?

 

[dmbedard]

Last time I had hair algae, it was my VHO lights which were too old. I changed them and it went away in a short time... I think about 1-2 weeks. I have a foxface and I love her. Not sure if she ate any of the hair algae, but she is part of the team who keeps my tank clean and my mind relaxed.

Diane

 

[AJ69]

Bill,
imo I think the culprit are the lights like Diane said and also how about a massive w/c (50%)?
AJ

 

[HotReeferSRT4]

Don't feed em... make em eat that nasty junk. Haha.

 

[HotReeferSRT4]

I don't know about a massive water change. Kinda risky... might take away all of that good stuff you have in your tank already.

 

[PelagicMagic]

try some Rowa Phos in a phosban reactor

 

[Frodo the Goby]

My phosphates are at 0.

It might just be my imagination but it seems the new lights are causing the Algae to slowly dissiapate I think the larger protein skimmer might be helping as well. Everyonce in a while I catch small pieces of algae falling off. I think it is also making The Algae more appealing to my fish. I catch my fox face nibbling on it as well as some other fish. I also picked up a lawnmower blenny that seems to be helping too. Hopefully this problem will be gone in a few weeks.

 

[PelagicMagic]

it could be that your phosphates test 0 because the Hair Algae is using the phosphats before they reach the water column. So there is no phosphats in the water but its in the rocks and sandbed if you have a sandbed

 

[cschweitzer]

Check your PO4 kit against someone else's. I was reading 0 and tested with a new kit and had significant increase. Take hotreefer's advice...don't feed for a couple days and you'll see them eat the algae away.

 

[Frodo the Goby]

I used a different test for my phosphates still are at zero I may have to go the chemical route

 

[dmbedard]

Why not give the new lights and fish a chance to take care of it before using chemicals? Honestly --- when I changed out my actinics, my hair algae went away in a few weeks, just kind of dissipated.