I am looking for a reef safe, smaller size fish that eats a lot of hair alge. I have a six-line wrass and two percula clowns in a 46 bow front tank.
What are some good fish that eat hair alge?
- Thread starter Jacob Abshire
- Start date
Depends on what kind of hair algae you have. If you have Bryopsis, then there is only one fish you can get that can eat it, as Bryopsis is toxic, and that fish is a Foxface Lo. If you have Derbesia, then supposedly Angelfish, Tangs, and Butterflyfish will help control it.
However, for true green hair algae control, you need the might of the invertabrates. I have a bad case of green hair algae (I suspect derbesia). I am combating it with blue legged hermit crabs, an emerald crab, and a sea urchin. Also, Certith and Nerite snails will eat the green menace. Astrea snails will help, too. Scarlett hermits will eat filamentous (sp?) algaes, but mine don't mess with the green stuff.
However, for true green hair algae control, you need the might of the invertabrates. I have a bad case of green hair algae (I suspect derbesia). I am combating it with blue legged hermit crabs, an emerald crab, and a sea urchin. Also, Certith and Nerite snails will eat the green menace. Astrea snails will help, too. Scarlett hermits will eat filamentous (sp?) algaes, but mine don't mess with the green stuff.
I agree with all the above. My only input is that Rock Bennie's can be aggressive towards other fish, personally I haven't encountered this problem and found it to be rather peaceful and a wonderful cleaner, I called him "the lawn-mower" due to the extensive cleaning. I had a sea urchin, and again, a wonderful cleaner, though I found my Nitrates elevated due to the excess waste products, 10ppm to 20ppm, and they often starve in home aquarium, and need supplemental food, seaweed paper, and lettuce are good. I returned the Urchin to the aquarium as it grew too big too fast, and was Territorial over it's seaweed! Since then my nitrates have dropped to 10pm. I now too have a green grass algae problem. I've been cleaning the L/rock with a brush (the dish-washing variety) and that has been a great help, until I decide on the next "cleaner".
I hope this has been of some help.
I hope this has been of some help.
Hi Tiffany, welcome to AC! Always good to see a new face on the marine boards.
I have wondered about the connection between too many grazers and nitrate. Mine dropped considerably after I pulled out a bunch of limpets, but I also made several other changes at the same time. It seems very possible that grazers could act to increase NO3 by "liberating" it from algae. Escpecially urchins, that go after the coralline as well as the green stuff.
I have wondered about the connection between too many grazers and nitrate. Mine dropped considerably after I pulled out a bunch of limpets, but I also made several other changes at the same time. It seems very possible that grazers could act to increase NO3 by "liberating" it from algae. Escpecially urchins, that go after the coralline as well as the green stuff.
Good to be here. Have been looking for a good site for a while. I agree that there is some correlation. I was fortunate to make one change at a time and remove the Urchin and see the Nitrates drop, I had previously done water changes to alter the levels to no avail. My algae levels are higher though my Nitrates lower. I think it may also have to do with waste products, as Urchins are rather proficient in this department...
I know that some sea slugs will eat tube anemones. So I plan to do some more research into sea slugs (and cucumbers, while I'm there)
I know that some sea slugs will eat tube anemones. So I plan to do some more research into sea slugs (and cucumbers, while I'm there)
Last edited: