To nudibranch or not nudibranch?

[Neptune 555]

I have a 48 gallon bow front reef w/ LEDs. My tank parameters are good 3 nitrate / 480 calcium / 8.2 ph / salinity 1.025. Fish puffer / goby / clown fish w anemone.

I am having issues w/ hair algae on my rocks. I am thinking this is b/c my clean up crew keep getting eaten by my Valentini puffer? What if I add a green lettuce nudibranch to clean up the algae ? Thoughts other suggestions? My other choice was to add a fox face or Pygmy angel.

 

[billdogg]

If you are having an issue with Hair Algae, then, regardless of what your tests are telling you, you are having a problem with Nitrates and/or Phosphates, probably both. Figure out the cause - usually over feeding, detritus build up (not enough water circulation/water changes) PO4 leeching from the rocks, or, as is often the case, a combination of all of the above. Take care of the cause and the nuisance algae will go away. Manual removal of HA will speed it's demise, but unless you control the cause, it will be back.

Your Puffer might eat the nudibranch (not sure on that), and pretty much all fish ignore HA.

You should test for PO4, and almost certainly run some GFO in a reactor. As mentioned above, even if it tests at or near 0, it is present - your HA proves that.

hth

 

[snorvich]

What he said.

 

[seamonster124]

1) Borrow a sea hare, return when he's out of algae or he'll die in your tank.
2) Remove puffer. If you want to keep a reef tank, then feed less and water changes to remove access nutrients.
3) Reduce lights and make it a FOWLR tank if you really like the puffer.