Fuzzy Chiton (a review)

[Pigpen17]

When I was shopping, I didn't find a lot of info on these guys, so I thought I would post some.

So I got a few (2) Fuzzy Chiton for my 56gal. I have to say, they are amazing algae eaters. They have been stripping rocks of green and red. They are almost too good. I am a guy who likes a bit of growth on my rocks, and these guys are stripping it bare.

This was overnight:
BEFORE:
<a href="http://s17.photobucket.com/user/pigpen_/media/IMG_0619.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b71/pigpen_/IMG_0619.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_0619.jpg"/></a>

AFTER:
<a href="http://s17.photobucket.com/user/pigpen_/media/IMG_0620.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b71/pigpen_/IMG_0620.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_0620.jpg"/></a>

I don't know how to get them out of my tank without killing them. You can't just rip them off the rocks.

Overall,
If you have an out of control algae problem, these guys are beasts! But I don't advise for a clean up crew in a healthy system. I personally am going to try to remove them and see if my LFS will take them.

 

[fishy.22]

Whoa! That's awesome! I've had those before and they never seemed to move hardly at all. They didn't do much eating of anything and I kept them for about 2 years. I could see that there was less coralline (purple) algae from where they were after moving about an inch a month but that could have been due to just covering it up.
Good pics.

 

[Pigpen17]

Just wated to update this thread. I think I was way off. I believe the red stuff is Cyanobacteria. The Chitons did not eat it, but it was gone in the morning due to my lights being off. It has come and gone many times since this thread was started. The Chitons are OK algae eaters, but in no way are they are fierce as I stated before. A great conversation piece though.

 

[Xtc_link]

Thanks for the update! I'm thinking about getting one any updates?

 

[Pigpen17]

They both only lasted a few months. Not sure why. As a CUC they did their part, but having just two, they were more just a novelty. I've thought about getting more, like maybe 4 or 5 and see if they are better in greater numbers , but without knowing if they starved I'm kind of cautious. They caused no harm though. Cool creatures.

 

[philosophile]

I've had a couple for about a year.... Then they disappeared, probably died. They're interesting critters to watch, but virtually impossible to move off of a rock. They move glacially slow, and if they get on the glass, you'll wish you could move it since it'll block your view. But the upside is that you can watch their mouth working. I wouldn't say that they were particularly effective as part of a CUC since they move so slow... but the spot where they are will be pretty clean when they leave it.

 

[Pigpen17]

I like what you said about how good they were in one spot. It's true. I've been thinking of adding some again, just because I liked them, but I do have a couple trouble spots in the tank that could use the "Constant Gardner". I think I will add some in my next CUC purchase.

 

[Pigpen17]

Update.

In the name of science, I have ordered more. I have a bad GHA issue right now and I thought, "Why not answer that fuzzy Chiton question. Let's see how they do." I have ordered 10. I'll be posting before and after pictures to document.

Fuzzy Chiton on deck!

 

[Pigpen17]

The 10 Chitons arrived today and went in the tank. I think they are all alive. Hard to tell.
Here are some before pics. Yeah, I know. Bad. Very bad. They have their work cut out for them.

<a href="http://s17.photobucket.com/user/pigpen_/media/MIDBOTTOM.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b71/pigpen_/MIDBOTTOM.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo MIDBOTTOM.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s17.photobucket.com/user/pigpen_/media/RTCORNER.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b71/pigpen_/RTCORNER.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo RTCORNER.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s17.photobucket.com/user/pigpen_/media/MIDTOP.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b71/pigpen_/MIDTOP.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo MIDTOP.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s17.photobucket.com/user/pigpen_/media/LEFTBOTTOM.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b71/pigpen_/LEFTBOTTOM.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo LEFTBOTTOM.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s17.photobucket.com/user/pigpen_/media/LEFTTOP.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b71/pigpen_/LEFTTOP.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo LEFTTOP.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s17.photobucket.com/user/pigpen_/media/WHOLETANK.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b71/pigpen_/WHOLETANK.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo WHOLETANK.jpg"/></a>

 

[Calappidae]

Raise your magnesium or it could grow back.

High mag stunts algae growth a little. It'll help them keep up better.

 

[Pigpen17]

Raise your magnesium or it could grow back.

High mag stunts algae growth a little. It'll help them keep up better.

Thanks. Yeah, I read about raising Mag and Alk to battle algae. Getting GFO reactor also. My rocks are very bad off though as far as Phosphates. Could be a long road. The Chitons are more of an experiment ATM.

 

[Pigpen17]

Well, in a word......fail.

The Chitons at first showed huge potential. When I place them in the tank, wherever they were they stripped the GHA down to bear rock in a matter of a day. But that’s where it ended. They are very slow and avoid areas of rock with large growth of algae, sticking mainly to the bare rock. Maybe if they were added BEFORE there was an algae problem. Maybe.

There are two main reasons I can see why this is not working.

1: The Chiton is very sensitive to Nitrite and Nitrate. I have a bad GHA problem. This probably means I have a water quality problem as far as nutrients. I lost 4 almost immediately and as of now I can only find 3 of the original 10. If your using them to control a problem, they most likely wont survive for long. There is the paradox. You need an aged, stable tank. An aged, stable tank will already have a CUC.

2: They just don’t move around enough. Even with the six that made it through the first day, there were only two that remained on the open rock working. A third popped up yesterday. I have no idea where the others are.

So even with the addition of a large group, they are fun to have, but in my opinion can’t function as the staple of a clean up crew. A good addition, just because they are cool looking and an interesting talk piece, “They’re as old as the dinosaurs, ya know.”, but that's about it. They do their part, but it's a small part.