Are these inverts good to RID Hair Algae?

chrisbenavides · 12/10/2006, 09:37 PM

Are these inverts good to RID Hair Algae?

I know that the Porcelain Crab will not eat it, but these are part of my 'cart' online. This Hair Algae problem is in a 30 gallon seahorse tank.

2 x Porcelain Crab
3 x Red Mithrax Crab
2 x Scarlet Reef Hermit
1 x Emerald Crab
1 x Lettuce Sea

chrisbenavides · 12/10/2006, 10:29 PM

How should I change the numbers around to better rid hair algae? More Scarlets?

chrisbenavides · 12/11/2006, 07:35 AM

anybody? please

Don't know how well the Scarlet Reef crabs work with this kind of algae. THANKS!!!

LFS_worker · 12/11/2006, 07:51 AM

Dont trust any crabs. Snails are great, Tangs are great.

Hair algae is a symptom of a problem. Look into treating the phosphate problem , and manual removal of the H.A. will help out also.

Brian

gillianandjoe · 12/11/2006, 08:06 AM

Get a sea hare. I had a dwarf, and had to find it a new home because I ran out of hair.

mistermikev · 12/11/2006, 08:21 AM

I got some baby sponge crabs that eat it like it's going out of style but the adult eats mushrooms. carefull of red mithrax, I had one that was so aggressive he killed several shrimp, and made several attempts on my fish. Saw him once holding onto the tail of my firefish as it was trying to swim away. Plus I have read some threads that say no one knows for sure what the emerald and other mithrax actually live on in the wild. I know everyone says detrius, but I haven't been able to keep one alive past 2yrs and they aren't really good for hair algae anyway. I would get some turbo snails, mexican brown leg hermits, and if on the list allready - a tang. good luck - keep well

georgec · 12/11/2006, 10:39 AM

I think he listed a 30 gallon seahorse tank. I thought Tangs are recommended with much larger tanks (50+?).

mistermikev · 12/11/2006, 12:43 PM

oh no you didn't... not the tang debate... I'm gettin' outa here.

dippin61 · 12/11/2006, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by chrisbenavides
Are these inverts good to RID Hair Algae?

I know that the Porcelain Crab will not eat it, but these are part of my 'cart' online. This Hair Algae problem is in a 30 gallon seahorse tank.

2 x Porcelain Crab
3 x Red Mithrax Crab
2 x Scarlet Reef Hermit
1 x Emerald Crab
1 x Lettuce Sea

porcelains will not eat HA, they are filter feeders
RMC - never heard of them eating HA, same with the emerald. bubble algae maybe, but i doubt HA
scarlets, not enough to put any damage into it.
lettuce - maybe.. dunno

get rid of the underlying problem instead of trying to cover it up. if you have super nutrient problems, all the algae eaters in the world wont keep it down for long.

georgec · 12/11/2006, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mistermikev
oh no you didn't... not the tang debate... I'm gettin' outa here.

scrambling furiously.... trying to round up worms and put them back into can...

I didn't realize there was a debate out there about Tangs and tank size.... I'll have to search around to see what interesting reading is out there

mistermikev · 12/11/2006, 01:15 PM

ah, I see 34 posts(not that I have been here much longer). Trust me when I say you don't need to go looking. that and moorish idols. beware. I've said to much allready... they could be listening.

chrisbenavides · 12/11/2006, 01:50 PM

thanks for the info.

Someone said that maybe the scarlet reef hermit crab might do something but not much. Well how many can I put in a 30g tank?

I am using RO/DI water, BUT I have not been using a skimmer in this tank for the past month. The pump broke.

Someone said that I might be getting hair algae due to a change in air temp (From summer to winter). I don't buy that.

mistermikev · 12/11/2006, 02:24 PM

no skimmer could def be the prob. afa how many red hermits... most will tell you 1 per gal. But I wouldn't add that many red ones. they are pretty but they like to kill snails. I would look for some mexican red leg hermits. They are more passive. If you can't get that, then get a couple of reds, some blues, some zebras, some nessarius, some turbo. all cheap and all do some good afa algae/detrius(cause of algae) removal. I would say 3 of ea should be fine. good luck

beelzebob · 12/11/2006, 05:37 PM

once you fix your levels,

id suggest a FW molly, if you have another tank.

i am fortunate enough to have three tanks a fresh, brackish and a marine, so naturally i have a lot of breeding mollies. they feed my bigger fish and my eel. as well as eating my algea

(chicks dig 'em too. every time i show a girl my tank, they dont even look at my "exotic" fish that im so proud of, but rather coo over the little posse of mollies that rush the front of the tank to greet em')

i had the same problem, but then after a skimmer and a week the tennis ball fuzzy film stopped appearing on all sides of my tank every 2 hours.

the thick stuff on my LR was gone in 2 days after i acclimated 2 6month old dalmation mollies. now they're back in the brack.

only prob. is they can only tolorate marine conditions for a while. then you gotta take them back or but them in a lower SG

being that you will more likely than not you'll find them kept in fresh, acclimationg them could take awhile......

byt mollies will indeed solve about 80% of asthetic algea problems in all water conditions (except ****ty

)

dippin61 · 12/11/2006, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by chrisbenavides
thanks for the info.

Someone said that maybe the scarlet reef hermit crab might do something but not much. Well how many can I put in a 30g tank?

I am using RO/DI water, BUT I have not been using a skimmer in this tank for the past month. The pump broke.

Someone said that I might be getting hair algae due to a change in air temp (From summer to winter). I don't buy that.

well.. you COULD put 20-30 in there.. id put maybe 10 and then just get 15-20 astrea snails, maybe a turbo or two, get a replacement pump for that skimmer. Hand pull any HA you can get out, during your regular water change. and that should get you on the right track, as long your husbandry is up to par

HTH

chrisbenavides · 12/11/2006, 07:33 PM

I really appreciate all of your advices guys. I will be ordering some inverts from etropicals.com.

If you see any inverts from here: http://www.etropicals.com/product/sc...3788&subref=AE that would help out with this current problem let me know.

If you order $60, shipping is free on inverts! Any good combination? 15-20 Astrea snails good? Do these snails eat hair algae though, as the website states "can graze on the algae. It will also graze on algae on the side of the tank. In addition, it eats cyanobacteria and diatoms. "

THANKS!!!

chrisbenavides · 12/11/2006, 08:12 PM

Question: Which snail is more prone to eating hair algae?

Astrea, Cerith, Nerite?

dippin61 · 12/11/2006, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by chrisbenavides
I really appreciate all of your advices guys. I will be ordering some inverts from etropicals.com.

If you see any inverts from here: http://www.etropicals.com/product/sc...3788&subref=AE that would help out with this current problem let me know.

If you order $60, shipping is free on inverts! Any good combination? 15-20 Astrea snails good? Do these snails eat hair algae though, as the website states "can graze on the algae. It will also graze on algae on the side of the tank. In addition, it eats cyanobacteria and diatoms. "

THANKS!!!

yup.. astreas eat HA. it just cant be super long, or they wont eat it. thats where the hand pulling will come in. IMO astreas are one of the best snails at eating algae. those and turbos., but turbos can get fairly big, and they are clumsy

.

id get some scarlets, and the astreas, just put in an order to get the free shipping.

ceriths are good for cleaning and sifting the sand, so are the nassarius. but for HA , turbos and astreas hands down

mistermikev · 12/12/2006, 08:12 AM

Part of the reason I recommend nessarius is they clean sand... this means less detrius wich in turn will reduce hair algae. turbos are clumbsy - right, but hair algae eating machines. Those dwarf red tips on the site are considered by most to be the best ha guys you can get. Look at Garf, they cite several studies on these exact hermits and how they don't kill snails and do eat hair algae. Don't get me wrong variety is better, but these guys are king. I would try at least two turbos, some astreas, some nessarius, some red tip herms, some blue herms some zebras. Mix it up a bit. Get about 30 - 40 guys alltogether. Good luck.

gillianandjoe · 12/12/2006, 08:41 AM

Again, I say sea hare. Cute little buggers, noone will kill it for it's shell, and eats HA like crazy, you can sea it cutting a path through. Just my .02

Joe

650-IS350 · 12/12/2006, 11:06 AM

Nassarius ARE carrion eaters, don't really consume dietrus as much compared to a seacucumber...

for Hair Algae I would suggest a crew of multiple species of snails
Astrea for rocks and glass
TURBO- WILL eat Hair Algea all over
Trochus - fill and certain red algae ( i believe )
Ceriths - for certain alage
Conchs - for Eating Dietrus and certain algae's
SeaHare- Lawnmower of Hair Algae- watch out for you powerheads.. mine just Passed away this week after being in the tank for 3 months happily.

Tiny / tiny hermits... that won't be able to overpower snails

staticx · 12/12/2006, 11:27 AM

get a sea hair. I just got one and that thing cleans everthing.

chrisbenavides · 12/12/2006, 12:23 PM

When you say sea hare, does that include the Lettuce Slug, or are these really different?

I just placed an order for Scarlet Reef Hermits, 30 Astrea Snails, a Lettuce Slug, Nassarius snails, an Emerald crab (I got some bubble algae), and a Peppermint shrimp. These are for the 30g seahorse tank.

Hope these guys will help. Since I got a new job, I will be buying a Remora skimmer for my seahorse tank soon. I was using a Jebo skimmer (yep-cheap), but it did do a great job while it worked. I love my Remora tha I have in my 55g tank.

mikeandjenn99 · 12/12/2006, 08:49 PM

My turbo snails eat hair algea like it's going out of style...

chrisbenavides · 12/12/2006, 10:49 PM

Well I am sad to say that I could not get turbos with the same order (etropicals.com), as they were out.

Oh well....tomorrow I shall see how these little guys do.

12/10/2006, 09:37 PM	#1
chrisbenavides Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Laredo, TX Posts: 1,897	Are these inverts good to RID Hair Algae? Are these inverts good to RID Hair Algae? I know that the Porcelain Crab will not eat it, but these are part of my 'cart' online. This Hair Algae problem is in a 30 gallon seahorse tank. 2 x Porcelain Crab 3 x Red Mithrax Crab 2 x Scarlet Reef Hermit 1 x Emerald Crab 1 x Lettuce Sea __________________ ChrisBenavides Current Tank Info: 55g sw tank, Remora skimmer, powerfilter, 260w PC lights, 50 pounds live rock, 100 pounds sand, etc.... \| Seahorse Tank (3 H. Kuda, 2 Pep.) 30g tall, skimmer, 130w PC lights, HOB Penguin filter, 30 pounds Fiji and Tonga branch l.r., 4 inch sand bed.

12/10/2006, 10:29 PM	#2
chrisbenavides Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Laredo, TX Posts: 1,897	How should I change the numbers around to better rid hair algae? More Scarlets? __________________ ChrisBenavides Current Tank Info: 55g sw tank, Remora skimmer, powerfilter, 260w PC lights, 50 pounds live rock, 100 pounds sand, etc.... \| Seahorse Tank (3 H. Kuda, 2 Pep.) 30g tall, skimmer, 130w PC lights, HOB Penguin filter, 30 pounds Fiji and Tonga branch l.r., 4 inch sand bed.

12/11/2006, 07:35 AM	#3
chrisbenavides Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Laredo, TX Posts: 1,897	anybody? please Don't know how well the Scarlet Reef crabs work with this kind of algae. THANKS!!! __________________ ChrisBenavides Current Tank Info: 55g sw tank, Remora skimmer, powerfilter, 260w PC lights, 50 pounds live rock, 100 pounds sand, etc.... \| Seahorse Tank (3 H. Kuda, 2 Pep.) 30g tall, skimmer, 130w PC lights, HOB Penguin filter, 30 pounds Fiji and Tonga branch l.r., 4 inch sand bed.

12/11/2006, 07:51 AM	#4
LFS_worker 'ignoramus maximus' Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Rochester Posts: 1,481	Dont trust any crabs. Snails are great, Tangs are great. Hair algae is a symptom of a problem. Look into treating the phosphate problem , and manual removal of the H.A. will help out also. Brian __________________ Save a reef, Grow a coral - Brian Borate Current Tank Info: I dont have any tanks :)

12/11/2006, 08:21 AM	#6
mistermikev Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Glendale, AZ Posts: 790	I got some baby sponge crabs that eat it like it's going out of style but the adult eats mushrooms. carefull of red mithrax, I had one that was so aggressive he killed several shrimp, and made several attempts on my fish. Saw him once holding onto the tail of my firefish as it was trying to swim away. Plus I have read some threads that say no one knows for sure what the emerald and other mithrax actually live on in the wild. I know everyone says detrius, but I haven't been able to keep one alive past 2yrs and they aren't really good for hair algae anyway. I would get some turbo snails, mexican brown leg hermits, and if on the list allready - a tang. good luck - keep well __________________ "There he goes. One of God's own prototypes. Some kind of high powered mutant never even considered for mass production... Too weird to live, and too rare to die." "A drink... for all my friends!" Current Tank Info: 75gal mixed reef + 20gal sump w/ 2 * 175w halides, 2 * 95w vhos, 1* 50w no, led moonlighting, cs220, maxijet 1200s/sureflos, hang on refuge, deep sand bed...

12/11/2006, 08:06 AM	#5
gillianandjoe Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Dover, DE Posts: 242	Get a sea hare. I had a dwarf, and had to find it a new home because I ran out of hair.

12/11/2006, 10:39 AM	#7
georgec Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: San Francisco Posts: 73	I think he listed a 30 gallon seahorse tank. I thought Tangs are recommended with much larger tanks (50+?).

12/11/2006, 12:43 PM	#8
mistermikev Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Glendale, AZ Posts: 790	oh no you didn't... not the tang debate... I'm gettin' outa here. __________________ "There he goes. One of God's own prototypes. Some kind of high powered mutant never even considered for mass production... Too weird to live, and too rare to die." "A drink... for all my friends!" Current Tank Info: 75gal mixed reef + 20gal sump w/ 2 * 175w halides, 2 * 95w vhos, 1* 50w no, led moonlighting, cs220, maxijet 1200s/sureflos, hang on refuge, deep sand bed...

12/11/2006, 01:15 PM	#11
mistermikev Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Glendale, AZ Posts: 790	ah, I see 34 posts(not that I have been here much longer). Trust me when I say you don't need to go looking. that and moorish idols. beware. I've said to much allready... they could be listening. __________________ "There he goes. One of God's own prototypes. Some kind of high powered mutant never even considered for mass production... Too weird to live, and too rare to die." "A drink... for all my friends!" Current Tank Info: 75gal mixed reef + 20gal sump w/ 2 * 175w halides, 2 * 95w vhos, 1* 50w no, led moonlighting, cs220, maxijet 1200s/sureflos, hang on refuge, deep sand bed...

12/11/2006, 01:50 PM	#12
chrisbenavides Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Laredo, TX Posts: 1,897	thanks for the info. Someone said that maybe the scarlet reef hermit crab might do something but not much. Well how many can I put in a 30g tank? I am using RO/DI water, BUT I have not been using a skimmer in this tank for the past month. The pump broke. Someone said that I might be getting hair algae due to a change in air temp (From summer to winter). I don't buy that. __________________ ChrisBenavides Current Tank Info: 55g sw tank, Remora skimmer, powerfilter, 260w PC lights, 50 pounds live rock, 100 pounds sand, etc.... \| Seahorse Tank (3 H. Kuda, 2 Pep.) 30g tall, skimmer, 130w PC lights, HOB Penguin filter, 30 pounds Fiji and Tonga branch l.r., 4 inch sand bed.

12/11/2006, 02:24 PM	#13
mistermikev Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Glendale, AZ Posts: 790	no skimmer could def be the prob. afa how many red hermits... most will tell you 1 per gal. But I wouldn't add that many red ones. they are pretty but they like to kill snails. I would look for some mexican red leg hermits. They are more passive. If you can't get that, then get a couple of reds, some blues, some zebras, some nessarius, some turbo. all cheap and all do some good afa algae/detrius(cause of algae) removal. I would say 3 of ea should be fine. good luck __________________ "There he goes. One of God's own prototypes. Some kind of high powered mutant never even considered for mass production... Too weird to live, and too rare to die." "A drink... for all my friends!" Current Tank Info: 75gal mixed reef + 20gal sump w/ 2 * 175w halides, 2 * 95w vhos, 1* 50w no, led moonlighting, cs220, maxijet 1200s/sureflos, hang on refuge, deep sand bed...

12/11/2006, 05:37 PM	#14
beelzebob Moved On Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Boulder, Colorado. USA Posts: 213	once you fix your levels, id suggest a FW molly, if you have another tank. i am fortunate enough to have three tanks a fresh, brackish and a marine, so naturally i have a lot of breeding mollies. they feed my bigger fish and my eel. as well as eating my algea (chicks dig 'em too. every time i show a girl my tank, they dont even look at my "exotic" fish that im so proud of, but rather coo over the little posse of mollies that rush the front of the tank to greet em') i had the same problem, but then after a skimmer and a week the tennis ball fuzzy film stopped appearing on all sides of my tank every 2 hours. the thick stuff on my LR was gone in 2 days after i acclimated 2 6month old dalmation mollies. now they're back in the brack. only prob. is they can only tolorate marine conditions for a while. then you gotta take them back or but them in a lower SG being that you will more likely than not you'll find them kept in fresh, acclimationg them could take awhile...... byt mollies will indeed solve about 80% of asthetic algea problems in all water conditions (except ****ty )

12/11/2006, 07:33 PM	#16
chrisbenavides Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Laredo, TX Posts: 1,897	I really appreciate all of your advices guys. I will be ordering some inverts from etropicals.com. If you see any inverts from here: http://www.etropicals.com/product/sc...3788&subref=AE that would help out with this current problem let me know. If you order $60, shipping is free on inverts! Any good combination? 15-20 Astrea snails good? Do these snails eat hair algae though, as the website states "can graze on the algae. It will also graze on algae on the side of the tank. In addition, it eats cyanobacteria and diatoms. " THANKS!!! __________________ ChrisBenavides Current Tank Info: 55g sw tank, Remora skimmer, powerfilter, 260w PC lights, 50 pounds live rock, 100 pounds sand, etc.... \| Seahorse Tank (3 H. Kuda, 2 Pep.) 30g tall, skimmer, 130w PC lights, HOB Penguin filter, 30 pounds Fiji and Tonga branch l.r., 4 inch sand bed.

12/11/2006, 08:12 PM	#17
chrisbenavides Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Laredo, TX Posts: 1,897	Question: Which snail is more prone to eating hair algae? Astrea, Cerith, Nerite? __________________ ChrisBenavides Current Tank Info: 55g sw tank, Remora skimmer, powerfilter, 260w PC lights, 50 pounds live rock, 100 pounds sand, etc.... \| Seahorse Tank (3 H. Kuda, 2 Pep.) 30g tall, skimmer, 130w PC lights, HOB Penguin filter, 30 pounds Fiji and Tonga branch l.r., 4 inch sand bed.

12/12/2006, 08:12 AM	#19
mistermikev Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Glendale, AZ Posts: 790	Part of the reason I recommend nessarius is they clean sand... this means less detrius wich in turn will reduce hair algae. turbos are clumbsy - right, but hair algae eating machines. Those dwarf red tips on the site are considered by most to be the best ha guys you can get. Look at Garf, they cite several studies on these exact hermits and how they don't kill snails and do eat hair algae. Don't get me wrong variety is better, but these guys are king. I would try at least two turbos, some astreas, some nessarius, some red tip herms, some blue herms some zebras. Mix it up a bit. Get about 30 - 40 guys alltogether. Good luck. __________________ "There he goes. One of God's own prototypes. Some kind of high powered mutant never even considered for mass production... Too weird to live, and too rare to die." "A drink... for all my friends!" Current Tank Info: 75gal mixed reef + 20gal sump w/ 2 * 175w halides, 2 * 95w vhos, 1* 50w no, led moonlighting, cs220, maxijet 1200s/sureflos, hang on refuge, deep sand bed...

12/12/2006, 08:41 AM	#20
gillianandjoe Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Dover, DE Posts: 242	Again, I say sea hare. Cute little buggers, noone will kill it for it's shell, and eats HA like crazy, you can sea it cutting a path through. Just my .02 Joe

12/12/2006, 11:06 AM	#21
650-IS350 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Bay Area Posts: 14,555	Nassarius ARE carrion eaters, don't really consume dietrus as much compared to a seacucumber... for Hair Algae I would suggest a crew of multiple species of snails Astrea for rocks and glass TURBO- WILL eat Hair Algea all over Trochus - fill and certain red algae ( i believe ) Ceriths - for certain alage Conchs - for Eating Dietrus and certain algae's SeaHare- Lawnmower of Hair Algae- watch out for you powerheads.. mine just Passed away this week after being in the tank for 3 months happily. Tiny / tiny hermits... that won't be able to overpower snails __________________ * RETIRED FROM REEFING * Just enjoying the box of water from afar

12/12/2006, 11:27 AM	#22
staticx Moved On Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: oregon Posts: 825	get a sea hair. I just got one and that thing cleans everthing.

12/12/2006, 12:23 PM	#23
chrisbenavides Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Laredo, TX Posts: 1,897	When you say sea hare, does that include the Lettuce Slug, or are these really different? I just placed an order for Scarlet Reef Hermits, 30 Astrea Snails, a Lettuce Slug, Nassarius snails, an Emerald crab (I got some bubble algae), and a Peppermint shrimp. These are for the 30g seahorse tank. Hope these guys will help. Since I got a new job, I will be buying a Remora skimmer for my seahorse tank soon. I was using a Jebo skimmer (yep-cheap), but it did do a great job while it worked. I love my Remora tha I have in my 55g tank. __________________ ChrisBenavides Current Tank Info: 55g sw tank, Remora skimmer, powerfilter, 260w PC lights, 50 pounds live rock, 100 pounds sand, etc.... \| Seahorse Tank (3 H. Kuda, 2 Pep.) 30g tall, skimmer, 130w PC lights, HOB Penguin filter, 30 pounds Fiji and Tonga branch l.r., 4 inch sand bed.

12/12/2006, 08:49 PM	#24
mikeandjenn99 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Colorado Springs, CO Posts: 437	My turbo snails eat hair algea like it's going out of style... __________________ Why are Tangs so special? Where are the Cleaner Wrasse police?? Current Tank Info: 55g mixed 12g nano

12/12/2006, 10:49 PM	#25
chrisbenavides Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Laredo, TX Posts: 1,897	Well I am sad to say that I could not get turbos with the same order (etropicals.com), as they were out. Oh well....tomorrow I shall see how these little guys do. __________________ ChrisBenavides Current Tank Info: 55g sw tank, Remora skimmer, powerfilter, 260w PC lights, 50 pounds live rock, 100 pounds sand, etc.... \| Seahorse Tank (3 H. Kuda, 2 Pep.) 30g tall, skimmer, 130w PC lights, HOB Penguin filter, 30 pounds Fiji and Tonga branch l.r., 4 inch sand bed.