[mlundstrom]

I am starting to get hair alge growing in my 55g and am looking for something that will help me keep it cropped back. I know it is there do to a nutrient export problem and I am working on that. For now I want to know what will eat it? Emerald crab, lawnmower blenny,...? This is a fish tank w/ mushrooms and some zooanthids, and it has a healthy crop of grape caulerpa. Thanks for any ideas.


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Mike

The Oceans of the World are our inheritance to protect for all time.
- Jacques Cousteau

[This message has been edited by mlundstrom (edited 05-26-2001).]

[Aragorn]

We borrowed a Yellow Tang from our LFS to "knock down" the hair algae in our 20g mini-reef. Week and a half later...no hair algae and one fat Yellow Tang. HTH

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One Ring to rule them all. One Ring to find them. One Ring to bring them all, and in The Darkness bind them.

Tahoereefs.com

[mlundstrom]

My concern w/ doing that is with the idea of putting a unquarantined tang in our display tank. If we did that we would have to quarantine the tang for at least a week w/ copper before putting it in. Thanks for the idea.

Any more?

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Mike

The Oceans of the World are our inheritance to protect for all time.
- Jacques Cousteau

[Bughead]

I would not use copper on a tang. They have very sensitive digestive systems with lots of fauna that the copper kills. Even though most tangs probably wouldn't show immediate distress from copper treatment, it could harm their system, there by making it more susceptible to disease or illness and lowering its life span.

Some people might suggest a freshwater dip prior to housing the fish in your tank. Although I've used freshwater dips successfully, I'd probably not do it unless I had proof or a very strong suspicion of disease. I'd prefer that to copper, though. So if you're uneasy about putting a tang directly into your tank, do a quick freshwater dip first.

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If it's broke, don't fix it---hide it.

[Marsey]

Saw this thread and just wanted to add that my yellow tang also eats hair algae like it was his favorite dessert. He's done a great job of keeping it in check and it's fun to watch him pick it off the moving sea swirl jet.

[Water World]

I just set up my tank a few month ago. The red and green algae was gettin out of hand. I added a Foxface and in two day he had it under control. A Foxface seems to be a sturdy little fish, not as touchy as a Tang. They are a little shy but they get along with everyone. and are GREAT algae eaters. hth's

[PerryinCA]

I would do a search, and look for the topics Derbesia and the topic Bryopsis. Those are the two most common types of 'hair' algae found in tropical marine aquaria.

Hopefully you have Derbesia as most algae eaters will gobble it up. Using a fish to do so will work, but I am not a big fan of buying a fish just to suit a purpose if you don't really lie the fish. I would opt for removal of as much as possible by hand, and let snails/hermits finish it.

If you have bryopsis, you are in for a whole new battle as it can be nearly impossible to get rid of...without a lot of work at least.

Bryopsis is identifiable by its fern like growth. If you look closely the tips will look like a common fern. Derbesia is more like a mat of string or "hair". Alot of people confuse the two.

The only way to really prevent/rid either for good is to maintain good water parameters.


-Perry