Help please.

[ReefingIt]

Hello,

Just started my macro algae tank and was wondering if someone could tell me what kind of snails that i can add to combat nuisance green algae but won't harm my display macros.
Currently my macro algae list consist if Dragons breath, blue octodes, red grape, red gracilaria and other red macros that i don't know the names yet.
I would need some critters to take care of nuisance algae that are forming on the rock as well as the side walls. I am thinking of an algae blenny and some emerald crabs? I would like to add some snails but not sure which ones would be safe.
Any help would be appreciated.

 

[boyscoutricky]

I have ordered macro algae from reef cleaners and all of the snails I received in the tank package were safe with them and the macros are doing great. Try checking their, all of the packages they carry are suppose to be reef safe and it is cheaper than buying them at local stores.

 

[gnu]

Stay away from turbos. Astreas do a great job on nuisance algae, but I have caught them nibbling on my macro as well. Get a good mix to cover your bases...cerith, nerite, nassarius (won't eat algae, but do grab the left over food).

 

[tektite]

Any herbivorous fish like an algae blenny will be highly likely to go after more delicate display macros before nuisance macros. Large crabs of any kind can eat or shred display macros as well. Options are limited for macro tanks because of this. I've had good luck with DIBS turbos if you can find them, they stay small, max size under 1", and are nocturnal. I have hundreds that come out at night to clean, only see a few sleeping in the daytime. Quite nice from a display perspective. For a lot of nuisance algae, manual removal is your best bet for macro tanks. If you put a filter sock in the sump, you can start a siphon with a tube to suck out what you clean off the rocks and glass, put the end of the tube in the filter sock in the sump, and you can keep cleaning and siphoning indefinitely.

 

[ReefingIt]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I might go with the snails suggestion first to see how well they will take care of the hairy algae.