will these eat hair algae?

EB847 · 04/21/2006, 12:32 PM

got beginnings of hair algae (i think). will the margarita snails i just ordered eat it?

Alaskan Reefer · 04/21/2006, 12:52 PM

Margarita snails most likely not. Turbo snails sometimes.

EB847 · 04/21/2006, 12:57 PM

suggestions? yellow tangs?

RichConley · 04/21/2006, 01:18 PM

Adding a tang is just going to make the problem worse.

Thats a tiny skimmer for that tank...

ONEMANBAND · 04/21/2006, 01:26 PM

Your tank is a month old, algae is naturally going to occur. Just keep testing water and try to limit phosphate inputs. Your tank will take at least 6months to a year to get "established"

fish are life · 04/21/2006, 01:41 PM

get a cowry. preferably a tiger cowry (spelling) they eat it like nothing els.

pufferpoison · 04/21/2006, 02:01 PM

what about a sailfin / algae blenny? aka lawnmower blenny? i just bought one and he's very little but is on the back glass with the hair algae giving his best

reverendmaynard · 04/21/2006, 02:03 PM

They are good HA eaters, the problem with them is they sometimes starve once it's gone. Make sure it'll eat prepared foods before buying.

reverendmaynard · 04/21/2006, 02:05 PM

A foxface will eat almost any algae, mine cleaned up my entire tank down to peach fuzz in about 2 weeks.

palmer59 · 04/21/2006, 02:19 PM

Herbivores will help keep things clean but you still going to have to export nutrients out of the tank for it to be successful in the long run. In my opinion is a balancing act between importing and exporting nutrients.

Mike

EB847 · 04/21/2006, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by palmer59
Herbivores will help keep things clean but you still going to have to export nutrients out of the tank for it to be successful in the long run. In my opinion is a balancing act between importing and exporting nutrients.

Mike

besides water changes, how else can i do that?

ANNIESREEF · 04/21/2006, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by EB847
besides water changes, how else can i do that?

I would like the answer to that also. I do all the right water changes with ro water(not tested yet). Still every other day I am in the tank with a toothbrush....

reverendmaynard · 04/21/2006, 02:50 PM

skimming, carbon, growing macro

The Reefer91 · 04/21/2006, 04:57 PM

also phosphate reactors help a little

palmer59 · 04/21/2006, 05:19 PM

Agree with last two answers. On my 280G I change 35 gallons every other week and I'm also wet skimming at the rate of two gallons or so a day. I use PO4 removal media (small amount), carbon and Ozone. There are other more controversial methods that shall remain unnamed but they seem to also rely on very heavy skimming for export.

Mike

Alaskan Reefer · 04/21/2006, 05:54 PM

Aggressive skimming, phosphate removing chemical media, macroalgae (with or without a separate refugium), water changes.

There aren't too many other ways to export nutrients...

Good (25X volume turnover+) flow in the tank will also help keep detritus suspended in the water column, which will help get it to the skimmer or macroalgae instead of settling on and eventually in your LR.

Other than dirty (not RO/DI) source water, the mistake I think that leads to most HA problems is overfeeding or constantly feeding with unrinsed frozen foods -- which can be HEAVY in phosphate, expecially frozen mysis shrimp...

Sk8r · 04/21/2006, 06:33 PM

Nothing will eat the long stuff: they'll only clip it off and let it drift into your downflow teeth, causing overflow. Get a toothbrush and rake that off down to a reasonable height. Then your margaritas can get the glass, conchs and hermits can get the sand, and other snails can get the rocks. But while you're doing that (the hard way) you have to change whatever caused your problem, which may be tank age, or too much feeding, or whatever. The good news is the algae you toss is 'exporting' phosphate, which won't go back into your system.

Alaskan Reefer · 04/21/2006, 06:34 PM

Aggressive skimming, phosphate removing chemical media, macroalgae (with or without a separate refugium), water changes.

There aren't too many other ways to export nutrients...

Good (25X volume turnover+) flow in the tank will also help keep detritus suspended in the water column, which will help get it to the skimmer or macroalgae instead of settling on and eventually in your LR.

Other than dirty (not RO/DI) source water, the mistake I think that leads to most HA problems is overfeeding or constantly feeding with unrinsed frozen foods -- which can be HEAVY in phosphate, expecially frozen mysis shrimp...

04/21/2006, 12:32 PM	#1
EB847 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 146	will these eat hair algae? got beginnings of hair algae (i think). will the margarita snails i just ordered eat it?

04/21/2006, 12:52 PM	#2
Alaskan Reefer Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Eagle River, Alaska Posts: 2,360	Margarita snails most likely not. Turbo snails sometimes. __________________ Unattended children will be given double shot espresso and a free puppy. Current Tank Info: 125g FOWLR -- Conversion Back To SPS In Progress

04/21/2006, 01:18 PM	#4
RichConley Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Bostonian in Chicago going to DC Posts: 9,908	Adding a tang is just going to make the problem worse. Thats a tiny skimmer for that tank... __________________ NO TANKS!!!

04/21/2006, 01:26 PM	#5
ONEMANBAND Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Chicago Posts: 726	Your tank is a month old, algae is naturally going to occur. Just keep testing water and try to limit phosphate inputs. Your tank will take at least 6months to a year to get "established" __________________ At birth,Chuck Norris came out feet first so he could roundhouse kick the doctor in the face. NOBODY delivers Chuck Norris but Chuck Norris. Current Tank Info: 75 reef/100 aggressive

04/21/2006, 02:03 PM	#8
reverendmaynard Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: RI Posts: 1,490	They are good HA eaters, the problem with them is they sometimes starve once it's gone. Make sure it'll eat prepared foods before buying. __________________ Think for yourself. Question authority. Current Tank Info: 125 gal AGA, setup on 1/1/06; 29 gal seahorse tank, setup 10/21/06

04/21/2006, 12:57 PM	#3
EB847 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 146	suggestions? yellow tangs?

04/21/2006, 01:41 PM	#6
fish are life Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: tucson AZ Posts: 171	get a cowry. preferably a tiger cowry (spelling) they eat it like nothing els.

04/21/2006, 02:01 PM	#7
pufferpoison Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: S.E. Kansas Posts: 684	what about a sailfin / algae blenny? aka lawnmower blenny? i just bought one and he's very little but is on the back glass with the hair algae giving his best

04/21/2006, 02:05 PM	#9
reverendmaynard Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: RI Posts: 1,490	A foxface will eat almost any algae, mine cleaned up my entire tank down to peach fuzz in about 2 weeks. __________________ Think for yourself. Question authority. Current Tank Info: 125 gal AGA, setup on 1/1/06; 29 gal seahorse tank, setup 10/21/06

04/21/2006, 02:19 PM	#10
palmer59 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Dublin, CA Posts: 227	Herbivores will help keep things clean but you still going to have to export nutrients out of the tank for it to be successful in the long run. In my opinion is a balancing act between importing and exporting nutrients. Mike

04/21/2006, 02:50 PM	#13
reverendmaynard Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: RI Posts: 1,490	skimming, carbon, growing macro __________________ Think for yourself. Question authority. Current Tank Info: 125 gal AGA, setup on 1/1/06; 29 gal seahorse tank, setup 10/21/06

04/21/2006, 04:57 PM	#14
The Reefer91 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 1,250	also phosphate reactors help a little __________________ Dan "Every day we fade little by little, 'till there's nothing left of us but the lies we've sown." Current Tank Info: 20g L display: 2x65watt Coralife light, Octopus 150 needle wheel protein skimmer, 1 Koralia 2 and 2 powersweeps, and a DIY sump/fuge.....120G in the works!!!

04/21/2006, 05:19 PM	#15
palmer59 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Dublin, CA Posts: 227	Agree with last two answers. On my 280G I change 35 gallons every other week and I'm also wet skimming at the rate of two gallons or so a day. I use PO4 removal media (small amount), carbon and Ozone. There are other more controversial methods that shall remain unnamed but they seem to also rely on very heavy skimming for export. Mike

04/21/2006, 05:54 PM	#16
Alaskan Reefer Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Eagle River, Alaska Posts: 2,360	Aggressive skimming, phosphate removing chemical media, macroalgae (with or without a separate refugium), water changes. There aren't too many other ways to export nutrients... Good (25X volume turnover+) flow in the tank will also help keep detritus suspended in the water column, which will help get it to the skimmer or macroalgae instead of settling on and eventually in your LR. Other than dirty (not RO/DI) source water, the mistake I think that leads to most HA problems is overfeeding or constantly feeding with unrinsed frozen foods -- which can be HEAVY in phosphate, expecially frozen mysis shrimp... __________________ Unattended children will be given double shot espresso and a free puppy. Current Tank Info: 125g FOWLR -- Conversion Back To SPS In Progress

04/21/2006, 06:33 PM	#17
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Nothing will eat the long stuff: they'll only clip it off and let it drift into your downflow teeth, causing overflow. Get a toothbrush and rake that off down to a reasonable height. Then your margaritas can get the glass, conchs and hermits can get the sand, and other snails can get the rocks. But while you're doing that (the hard way) you have to change whatever caused your problem, which may be tank age, or too much feeding, or whatever. The good news is the algae you toss is 'exporting' phosphate, which won't go back into your system. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

04/21/2006, 06:34 PM	#18
Alaskan Reefer Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Eagle River, Alaska Posts: 2,360	Aggressive skimming, phosphate removing chemical media, macroalgae (with or without a separate refugium), water changes. There aren't too many other ways to export nutrients... Good (25X volume turnover+) flow in the tank will also help keep detritus suspended in the water column, which will help get it to the skimmer or macroalgae instead of settling on and eventually in your LR. Other than dirty (not RO/DI) source water, the mistake I think that leads to most HA problems is overfeeding or constantly feeding with unrinsed frozen foods -- which can be HEAVY in phosphate, expecially frozen mysis shrimp... __________________ Unattended children will be given double shot espresso and a free puppy. Current Tank Info: 125g FOWLR -- Conversion Back To SPS In Progress