Best Attractive Algae Eaters?

[drcrook]

Hey Folks!

I've got a bit of a hair algae problem . So I intend to beef up the crew. But I would like to do so with some of the more attractive algae eaters (preferably hair algae). The tank is a 150 gallon 6' tank.

I'm looking for suggestions (and preferably a purchase link )

Here is what I'm thinking currently:
1. Yellow Tang
2. Blue Tuxedo Urchin

I'm ruling out emerald because I have 2 and they tend to pick at the coralline as well as the nuisance stuff.

Any other suggestions out there?

 

[WV Reefer]

Hey Folks!

I've got a bit of a hair algae problem . So I intend to beef up the crew. But I would like to do so with some of the more attractive algae eaters (preferably hair algae). The tank is a 150 gallon 6' tank.

I'm looking for suggestions (and preferably a purchase link )

Here is what I'm thinking currently:
1. Yellow Tang
2. Blue Tuxedo Urchin

I'm ruling out emerald because I have 2 and they tend to pick at the coralline as well as the nuisance stuff.

Any other suggestions out there?

What other fish do you have? Yellow Tangs can sometimes be a problem for passive tank mates.

 

[mta_morrow]

Hey Folks!

I've got a bit of a hair algae problem . So I intend to beef up the crew. But I would like to do so with some of the more attractive algae eaters (preferably hair algae). The tank is a 150 gallon 6' tank.

I'm looking for suggestions (and preferably a purchase link )

Here is what I'm thinking currently:
1. Yellow Tang
2. Blue Tuxedo Urchin

I'm ruling out emerald because I have 2 and they tend to pick at the coralline as well as the nuisance stuff.

Any other suggestions out there?

Tangs do a minimal job with macro algae / hair algae and the waste created is far worse than the hair algae.

IME, urchins are cool and they absolutely destroy hair algai. I have always had pincushion urchins as they stay pretty small.

I also like them for controlling coraline algae.

Once a rock gets covered with coraline, life becomes difficult for the bacteria.

Coraline looks cool IMO, but can be detrimental if it covers all the surface area of your rock.

I also supplement with nori to keep them happy.

Most importantly, you need to identify the nutrient source / cause of your hair algae problem and get it under control.

Do you have any pics so we can see you problem as well as your parameters?

 

[tdileo]

Rabbit fish (including foxfaces” make a great choice to most tanks.

 

[JBKReef]

Blennies. I have a Starry and Tailspot cohabiting in my 93 cube currently.

That being said I LOVE my Tuxedo Urchins, we have two. They are by far the best algae scrubbers in the tank.

 

[Tom Blevins]

I would go with a Kole Tang over the Yellow Tang they tend to be a work horse on Algae.

 

[Scott Campbell]

Another vote for an urchin and a rabbitfish.

 

[JaaxReef]

Vote for pincushion urchin! I love mine. Got it from Algae Barn and it is white with purple spines. Beautiful and an absolutely killer algae eater.

 

[mcarroll]

Hey Folks!

I've got a bit of a hair algae problem . So I intend to beef up the crew. But I would like to do so with some of the more attractive algae eaters (preferably hair algae). The tank is a 150 gallon 6' tank.

I'm looking for suggestions (and preferably a purchase link )

Here is what I'm thinking currently:
1. Yellow Tang
2. Blue Tuxedo Urchin

I'm ruling out emerald because I have 2 and they tend to pick at the coralline as well as the nuisance stuff.

Any other suggestions out there?

Herbivorous snails are the backbone, but your choices can be great supplements.

Fish are pretty likely to be slack on grazing in a well-fed tank though....inverts are a better overall choice IMO.

Also, I might suggest one of the Bristletooth tangs vs the Yellow. Bristletooths are much better tank residents and natural detritavores that'll also graze algae....a great fit for most large tanks.

 

[cracker]

I have 2 in the 75 they do a good job. As for Tangs I read where the bristle tooth family are best for eating algae. Maybe the Gem is a member of these bristle tooths. Your tank is big enough for a tang or 2.
There Ya go 1 Mcarrol beat me to it & that's where I heard it from .

 

[Animal Chin]

My sailfin tang has really taken to algae grazing. He nips at the rocks all day. With the combo of the sailfin and my sea hare I don't have any algae at all.

 

[Bdrake]

Bristletooths eat hair algae? I wish someone would have told that to any that I've kept over the years.
+1 on inverts for the same reason mcarrol suggested

 

[drcrook]

I got a foxface rabbitfish per suggestions; great looking fish. I'll give a report on how he does eating algae; he has finished acclimation and is already eating some; so that is a good sign.

So far my most effective nuisance algae eaters in order are:
1. Pincushion Urchin - This thing is the king of algae eating; it is amazing and it just keeps going without stopping day and night.
2. Astrea Snails - Better than my other variety; these things leave a similar wake of cleanliness as my urchin; just like 1/4 the size and they are not as constant as the urchin.
3. Mexican Turbo Snail - it does well; but those Astrea snails are just better. The Turbos are even twice the physical size of the astreas.

I figure I should add a Tuxedo urchin and then hold off for a week or so and see what happens.

I've also dropped my feedings to twice per day. I have a Square Anthias and folks say feed it 3 times per day; but I think that might be overkill. I have a fairly healthy copepod & amphipod population in the sump and live rock; so Anthias should be fine?

 

[drcrook]

By the way; post pictures if you have a great good looking algae eater and the number it has done for you.

 

[ReefWithCare]

I would say:

FoxFace
Kole Tang
Tuxedo Urchin

 

[mcarroll]

I've also dropped my feedings to twice per day. I have a Square Anthias and folks say feed it 3 times per day; but I think that might be overkill. I have a fairly healthy copepod & amphipod population in the sump and live rock; so Anthias should be fine?

Unless your fish are in the sump with the pods, that's not going to be anything but a starvation diet.

Hook up an auto-feeder to add small amounts of food throughout the day vs being limited to just when you're there.

You can afford to be a lot more conservative with your manual feedings that way without depriving the fish that need frequent feedings.

Eheim's feeder is reliable and can do up to 8 feedings per day.

 

[Kyl]

Tuxedo urchins have removed about 90% of the GHA in my frag tank. It's taken a couple of months, but slow and steady is fine with me. As a bonus, one has a colony of zoanthids on it now so they're good for a chuckle too.

 

[SaltLifer]

Tuxedo urchins are the only thing i've had luck with. They're awesome! Tangs wont eat hair algae. They will pick at the rocks without growth and maybe prevent growth in those areas. I also just ordered a sea hare. From what i've read, they will wipe clean a 125g in 2 weeks. But they're ugly. The attractive ones don't algae.

 

[Jesterrace]

Well I guess I am in the minority here, my Yellow Tang and Coral Beauty Dwarf Angel helped my Mexican Turbos wipe out the hair algae in my tank (was a perpetual problem prior to that). I lucked out as my LFS had recently setup some nice holding tanks that were having a hair algae bloom and my coral beauty got a taste for it while it was in the tank.

 

[mcarroll]

Fish are social eaters like us. It's been shown that they're also picky just like us. So a tang around other fish that are eating flakes, pellets and frozen cubes.....they're gonna focus on flakes, pellets and frozen cubes. It helps that all those things taste better than algae according to palatability studies too...it's literally an "eat your veggies or no dessert" scenario, but in saltwater. Your fish were around other fish eating algae....and so they learned that first. (Junk foods can still "ruin" their appetittes just like us, but like with us it's variable according to how strong the individual's good eating habits are.)