What's a 'good' algae eater for my reef?

LuizW13 · Jan 20, 2022

So, I think I need a herbivore to my reef, I'm in a never ending battle of scrubbing rocks and dosing phosphates to keep them in a desired range. I have a 50gl AIO, so I can't have any Tangs. I'm considering a Black Sailfin Blenny, and was wondering what other options I should be considering.

Currently, there is a Pink Streaked Wrasse, a Royal Gramma, a Yellow Wrasse, and a Fairy Wrasse in the tank.

dakoop · Jan 20, 2022

Snails

jassermd · Jan 20, 2022

Tomini tang

Pistondog · Jan 20, 2022

Lawnmower blenny

Jekyl · Jan 20, 2022

Pistondog said:
Lawnmower blenny

My lawnmower while active never seemed to really make a dent during my uglies. Good, diverse setup of snails and hermits was the best.

Andresnyc93 · Jan 20, 2022

Lawnmower or a tail spot blenny

Andresnyc93 · Jan 20, 2022

Jekyl said:
My lawnmower while active never seemed to really make a dent during my uglies. Good, diverse setup of snails and hermits was the best.

Really? Mine got me out of it actually, I saw him eating GHA at the store and I knew he’d be the one to keep the rocks clean

FiddlersReef · Jan 20, 2022

Foxface rabbit fish, Tomini tang (or other bristletooth tang). They’re both algae eating machines.

thatmanMIKEson · Jan 20, 2022

Scrub with allot of snails they will clean at night and keep the small grass from growing back tons of snails, Trochus are my goto

polyppal · Jan 20, 2022

lawnmower/sailfin will effectively do the same thing, but as others stated they don't make a huge impact on algae coverage. 2-3 large turbo snails will!

vetteguy53081 · Jan 20, 2022

Tail spot blenny
flame angel
algae blenny

Lawnmower blenny not a good choice as they will eat some algae but actually a meat eater

GillMeister · Jan 20, 2022

IMO. The best livestock to keep algae under control in order of importance:
Pods, lots of 'em.
Hermit crabs, blue or red leg
Snails
Gobies to keep the sand clean, if you have it.
Tangs, blennies, rabbit fish, etc...

Joe31415 · Jan 20, 2022

During the ugly stages every surface in my tank looked like it was wearing a wig. *Everything* was covered in algae. I picked up a snail the size of a golf ball (Zebra? Turbo?) that did a great job. When it wasn't keeping up, I got a Tuxedo Urchin and that thing worked wonders. Where the snail might clean, say, a square foot of surface over the course of the day, the urchin could clean the entire back glass (or rock or whatever) in the same amount of time.

thatmanMIKEson · Jan 20, 2022

Joe31415 said:
During the ugly stages every surface in my tank looked like it was wearing a wig. *Everything* was covered in algae. I picked up a snail the size of a golf ball (Zebra? Turbo?) that did a great job. When it wasn't keeping up, I got a Tuxedo Urchin and that thing worked wonders. Where the snail might clean, say, a square foot of surface over the course of the day, the urchin could clean the entire back glass (or rock or whatever) in the same amount of time.

your right they are good i have 2 that have gotten to big! they knock over everything carry frags away on their back that have not encrusted, and they lay down so much white poop that looks like sand, it might be sand.

i had to take them out of my display, little bulls in my china shop

LuizW13 · Jan 20, 2022

I think I'll skip on the Tang. I don't think it would like such a small tank like the one I have.

I'll probably go with a blenny or increase the amounts of snails.

Sebastiancrab · Jan 20, 2022

FiddlersReef said:
Foxface rabbit fish, Tomini tang (or other bristletooth tang). They’re both algae eating machines.

His tank is not large enough...

Sebastiancrab · Jan 20, 2022

Sebastiancrab said:
His tank is not large enough...

I am in the process of figuring out what to get to!

muzikalmatt · Jan 20, 2022

Honestly, I'd say pick up an urchin, either a tuxedo or a pincushion. I have a halloween pincushion in my Nuvo 40 and he's an algae eating machine! In fact, I have to supplement his diet by feeding him some nori occasionally because he cleans the tank so fast. Fair warning though, they can be bulldozers and tend to pick up frags, but I've learned to love it tbh. It's pretty hilarious to see him carrying a frag and a snail on his head as he mows down algae in the tank.

Sebastiancrab · Jan 20, 2022

muzikalmatt said:
Honestly, I'd say pick up an urchin, either a tuxedo or a pincushion. I have a halloween pincushion in my Nuvo 40 and he's an algae eating machine! In fact, I have to supplement his diet by feeding him some nori occasionally because he cleans the tank so fast. Fair warning though, they can be bulldozers and tend to pick up frags, but I've learned to love it tbh. It's pretty hilarious to see him carrying a frag and a snail on his head as he mows down algae in the tank.

Can you post a picture? Does he eat the frags? I would love to get one but the problem is 2 week vacations and feeding him with an automatic feeder. Can that work somehow?

Neon_Devil · Jan 20, 2022

muzikalmatt said:
Honestly, I'd say pick up an urchin, either a tuxedo or a pincushion. I have a halloween pincushion in my Nuvo 40 and he's an algae eating machine! In fact, I have to supplement his diet by feeding him some nori occasionally because he cleans the tank so fast. Fair warning though, they can be bulldozers and tend to pick up frags, but I've learned to love it tbh. It's pretty hilarious to see him carrying a frag and a snail on his head as he mows down algae in the tank.

I second the urchin