Hair Alge Eater?

[Greg129]

Anyone know of any good hair algae eaters?

 

[jeffaroo]

alge bleny (10 bucks)
emrald crabs (6 bucks)
if I was you I would go with 1 alge bleny
and 5 emrald crabs

 

[Herbie]

If you can find one.........try a Sea Hare. I just got one, and its doing a pretty good job of mowing down the lawn! I also got a sailfin/algea blenny and its O.K., not as good as the sea Hare, but a lot more personality than the slug.
I got these instead of snails...........a lot less hassle!
Seahare was $5.99 and the sailfin was $12.99.
I will have to warn you though..........Sea Hare's are pretty darn ugly!
Later.........Herbie

 

[Fast Fred]

I think it's more important to find a cause and a cure for the problem, rather than just treating a symptom.

 

[Greg129]

Fastfred - I'm trying to find the cause and the cure. This just happens to be the treatment of a symptom thread. .

 

[Sk8r]

For glass, margarita snails. For rock, trochus. For sand, hermits and fighting conch. I have great misgivings about 1 emerald crab, let alone 5.
Very few creatures will eat long hair algae. Give it a trim with a toothbrush (wind and yank) and they'll go for it a lot better.
Also watch your downflow teeth: this can block up when hair algae is cut loose, and it can cause overflow. Toothbrush.

 

[Andrew]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7139620#post7139620 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jeffaroo
alge bleny (10 bucks)
emrald crabs (6 bucks)
if I was you I would go with 1 alge bleny
and 5 emrald crabs

<img src="/images/welcome.gif" width="500" height="62"><br><b><i><big><big>To Reef Central Jeffaroo</b></i></big></big>

I wouldn't go adding a fish to the tank like recommened. Go with some turbo snails or an emerald crab. Figure out why you are getting the hair algae first.

 

[Mariner]

How long has your tank been set up? What kind of cleaning crew do you have in there now? If your tank is young and you're low on cleaners, a little hair algae is pretty normal.
Personally, I've found the big mexican turbo snails to be better than the astrea snails at eating short hair algae.
HTH,
Mariner

 

[londonloco]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7140050#post7140050 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Sk8r
For glass, margarita snails. For rock, trochus. For sand, hermits and fighting conch. I have great misgivings about 1 emerald crab, let alone 5.
Very few creatures will eat long hair algae. Give it a trim with a toothbrush (wind and yank) and they'll go for it a lot better.
Also watch your downflow teeth: this can block up when hair algae is cut loose, and it can cause overflow. Toothbrush.

I second the toothbrush. I had a problem w/long hair algae on the back end of my tank and rock. It took 1 hour with a toothbrush, cleaned the overflows out, and it's all gone.

 

[Greg129]

The tank has been setup for two months. The algae started about two weeks ago. The tank didn't cycle because I used cured liverock from a previous setup. Do I need to QT the snails that you all have recommended? I have no cleanup crew or fish or corals yet. Thanks.

 

[Sk8r]

I've never qt'd a snail or crab---maybe I've been lucky, but I've never had a problem. Just be as careful to drip-acclimate as if they were expensive fish. Shrimp, particularly, are subject to osmotic shock and can die if not acclimated very slowly (set the bag in bucket and add a turkey-baster full of tank water every 15 minutes for an hour or two.

 

[Mariner]

Ok, now we're on to something Sounds pretty normal for a two-month old tank.
Get a clean up crew in there!
You don't need to QT them IMO, but you should acclimate snails VERY slowly (adding a little tank water to the bag, dumping a little down the drain -- or some similar process -- over an hour or two).
HTH,
Mariner

 

[Herpn]

Is it green or redish brown? It sounds like it may be Cyano and not just hair. I think you phosphates may be too high? Are you using RO water or tap water?

Try runing some phosphate sponge through a hang on back filter.

Good luck.
Chuck

 

[Greg129]

It's green and I used RO water to fill the tank and I am using it to top it off. Thanks, Mariner. I didn't know that it was normal for a tank to start out algae free then go algae crazy two months later. lol.

I'm not sure how I would get phosphates if I am using RO and don't have any stock yet. I'm running activated carbon. Would it hurt to add the phosphate remover as well? I'll pick up some snails tomorrow.

 

[Herpn]

Ya hold off on going crazy. Let it cycle for a bit..

Sounds like hair algae..

Good Luck.

 

[Greg129]

Let what cycle? My tank didn't go through the nitrogen cycle because I used live rock from a previous setup. Do you mean algae cycle?

 

[irisheyes]

A Lawnmower Blenny is great, but does better if you pull out the long stuff, as Sk8r said. They eat all day and have great personality. I really like mine!

 

[Herpn]

Generally when you set up a new tank it will cycle. I set a new tank up and used much or my old equipment, water, rock etc. I had a small cycle.

 

[Greg129]

I checked the water parameters last week and they were fine. I'll test again tomorrow to double check. Thanks for everyone's help so far. I'll keep you all updated. I plan on buying snails tomorrow.

 

[Kimmy]

The sea hares rock. They are so ugly. My sea hare just gobbles the stuff..eats it right off the backs of my snails.