Best critter for the job?

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AfishIonado

AC Members
Feb 26, 2012
269
1
0
34
Oklahoma
Ok so I have an outbreak of green hair algae. I need a clean up crew but the ones I look at don't like green hair algae. Ha anyone had any successful cuc that take care of it


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the wizard

Is it really Niko's fault?
Jan 28, 2010
717
0
16
Real Name
David
An Emerald Crab will go after it like a lawn mower and get every last bit of it. However, once it is gone you need to keep it well fed with sheets of algae or he may start going after corals.
 

RNeiswander

Bunned
Nov 27, 2010
1,100
2
36
36
SW Ohio
Not really a cuc, but I have a black sailfin blenny. He does a great job of eating green hair algae.


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XanAvaloni

AC Members
Nov 13, 2009
1,242
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36
2 turbo snails cleared my startup 10g of all green hair algae in about a day and a half. Get some and give them a week--if they haven't cured, or at least greatly improved, the situation in that time take 'em back and trade up to the next item on the list.

these guys cleaned it so fast that I was afraid they were then going to starve. But here they remain, cruising the glass and everything else. Only downside is that they are like litle bulldozers going over the rock. If you want a frag or other object to stay in place you had better weld it firmly down. epoxy, despite working fine on aptasia-smothering, does not appear to work attaching frags to rock. possibly not enough crevases for it to fit in? i dunno. But that's a problem for another day. :)
 

Amphiprion

Contain the Excitement...
Feb 14, 2007
5,776
0
0
Mobile, Alabama
Real Name
Andrew
Will a banded coral shrimp eat hair algae? I was thinking of ordering a few emerald crabs and a coral shrimp, 2 If I can get them
In a pair


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No, they are carnivorous and opportunistic. It may potentially be risky adding them with the emerald crabs. On some occasions, the shrimp have been known to kill them.

What kind of hair algae is it, exactly? If you can attach a photo (or use a hosting service like photobucket, which is what I would recommend), we can find out more about what kind of hair algae you have. Some types, like Bryopsis, are not nearly as palatable to most herbivores as others. If it is not Bryopsis, the chances of something eating it are much better.
 

Khemul

Sea Bunny
Oct 14, 2010
1,617
1
0
South Florida
Pincushion Urchins eat the stuff. Not sure about Tuxedos, but I think they are similar. Would depend on tank size since Pincushions get pretty big. Plus if it is growing fast enough they won't wipe it out.


Usually figuring out the cause is the easiest solutions. Phosphates seems to be the common cause associated with it.
 
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