Competition method to beat algae?

[AC1211]

I have very few corals in my tank: 4 slow growing lps frags and a rock flower nem.
Here is the dilema: lowering feeding would hurt my 11 fish. Increasing nutrient export would be more work. I have a slight hair algae problem but it appears to be focused on a select few areas. Could adding 4 or 5 soft coral or LPS frags along with a cleaner shrimp or something just to add to help eat mysis that gets stuck in rocks help me beat algae. It is a nuvo 60g.

 

[W1ngz]

I think you should consider more inverts rather than corals. Things like bumblebee snails and hermits will get the food in the rocks.

No one wants to create extra work, but nutrient export is a key principle, whether that is water changes, skimming, filter socks, a refugium or combination, there is work involved in having a reef tank.

 

[sarcophytonIndy]

Growing/harvesting chaeto either in a reactor or fuge with strong lighting is your best bet for nutrient export.

 

[AC1211]

I think you should consider more inverts rather than corals. Things like bumblebee snails and hermits will get the food in the rocks.

No one wants to create extra work, but nutrient export is a key principle, whether that is water changes, skimming, filter socks, a refugium or combination, there is work involved in having a reef tank.

Here is the issue it was running without algae for 3 months after having an algae problem so now I want to just figure out how to remake the balance I think adding more corals and ornamental inverts will do that.

 

[AC1211]

Growing/harvesting chaeto either in a reactor or fuge with strong lighting is your best bet for nutrient export.

Is there a good algae reactor that fits in the nuvo 60g.

 

[AC1211]

 

[BloopFish]

Bumblebee snails are no good - they'll eat your microfauna and can eat other snails. Nassarius snails are closer to what would be desired.
Increasing bioload will not lead to significantly lower algae population unless you are adding things that eat algae or are photosynthetic and therefore competes with algae.

 

[AC1211]

Bumblebee snails are no good - they'll eat your microfauna and can eat other snails. Nassarius snails are closer to what would be desired.
Increasing bioload will not lead to significantly lower algae population unless you are adding things that eat algae or are photosynthetic and therefore competes with algae.

The algae grows slow but it keeps on returning I just notice that around corals there is no problem so wouldn't adding corals to compete for the same nutrients help?

 

[sarcophytonIndy]

The algae grows slow but it keeps on returning I just notice that around corals there is no problem so wouldn't adding corals to compete for the same nutrients help?

I've heard that fast growing softies, like Xenia, can act like macro algae in removing nutrients.

 

[Magellan]

Some fast growing soft corals will help (but will require work). Kenya leather, Pulsing Xenia. They will need to be trimmed, and watch out for the babies! A tuxedo urchin will help keep things clean, and hermits and a shrimp will help clean up food particles.

 

[AC1211]

Some fast growing soft corals will help (but will require work). Kenya leather, Pulsing Xenia. They will need to be trimmed, and watch out for the babies! A tuxedo urchin will help keep things clean, and hermits and a shrimp will help clean up food particles.

I think I would prefer the occasional work on corals rather than hair algae.

 

[Topekoms]

You are better off with a Clean up crew then trying to offset it with coral. You are just asking for a further head ache

 

[Topekoms]

Check out reefcleaners.org they have packages

 

[AC1211]

I have been adding cleanup cree its just that the algae seems to comeback every couple months I just don't see how adding corals won't help.

 

[W1ngz]

They will help, but their contribution will be small enough to be negligible. If you're convinced corals are the answer, then go ahead and add them! You won't find anyone on here that will tell you NOT to add more corals... lol

 

[Bret Brinkmann]

I have very few corals in my tank: 4 slow growing lps frags and a rock flower nem.
Here is the dilema: lowering feeding would hurt my 11 fish. Increasing nutrient export would be more work. I have a slight hair algae problem but it appears to be focused on a select few areas. Could adding 4 or 5 soft coral or LPS frags along with a cleaner shrimp or something just to add to help eat mysis that gets stuck in rocks help me beat algae. It is a nuvo 60g.

Sounds like you need a utilitarian fish or snails. A tang or foxface should take care of GHA. Corals do use N and P but only from the water column. So unless you have excessive nitrates and phosphates in your water, then the N and P is probably in the rocks themselves. In which case nutrient export methods will most likely not get you the results you want. There is such a thing as too much export. That will lead to bottoming out nitrates and phosphates which will result in dinos. So unless you have excessive nitrates and phosphates in your water column, then I do not recommend more export.

But a grazer of some kind would get you the results you're looking for. Healthy reefs have tons of algae growth everyday, you just don't notice because of all the utilitarian fish and inverts. So why not an algae eating fish?

 

[ReefGeezer]

Competition in a new tank is hard to come by. Yes, corals like Leathers and Toadstools can help, but it's really the macro and microorganisms that develop as the tank matures that do most of the competing for nutrients. BUT... if you are going to have soft corals in the tank anyway, they won't hurt. I'd stay away from Xenia, Clove or Star Polyps, and etc. though. They just spread too much.

Possibly your best bet for now is to add grazers like a Bristle Tooth Tang, a Foxface, or maybe a Lawnmower Blenny. Trochus snails work well also. Small Tuxecdo Urchins do a great job, buy can also scrape off a lot of Coralline when there isn't a lot of algae present.

If things get out of hand, there are new products on the market that use bacteria to control algae. I've used one of them and had good luck. I would recommend you use these products sparingly in a new tank though. There are potential negative effects if not used properly.

 

[jeffchapok]

Bumblebee snails are no good - they'll eat your microfauna and can eat other snails. Nassarius snails are closer to what would be desired.

I thought Nassarius snails (Nassarii?!?!) were carnivores. They will help clean up uneaten food, but won't directly attack algae.

 

[jeffchapok]

Over the past 3 or 4 months I've knocked out a pretty bad case of new tank GHA. It was bad enough to have choked out many of my corals, including most zoas colonies.

My action plan was:

1) snails
2) snails
3) more snails

Mostly turbos with a few trochus and cerith mixed in. I also added a couple of conchs to keep the substrate clear. I just noticed yesterday that the snails appeared to be grazing as a pack over the last little patches of algae, so I plan to begin supplementing their diet with nori to keep them healthy. It's a good problem to have.

I tried pincushion and tuxedo urchins, but none lived very long (last one was my fault, don't ask!). I also added a $20 lettuce nudibranch that crawled into t a crevice within 30 seconds that I've never seen again. Grrrrr!

 

[BloopFish]

I thought Nassarius snails (Nassarii?!?!) were carnivores. They will help clean up uneaten food, but won't directly attack algae.

OP was mentioning adding inhabitants to eat uneaten foods to reduce decaying matter. I was simply saying someone else's recommendation of bumblebee snails might not be good. Bumblebee snails also don't really eat algae anyways either.