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View Full Version : Best kind of algae grazer for nano?


asylumdown
06-16-2011, 03:35 AM
Is there any sort of a fish or snail that's a universal macro-algae eater that would be appropriate for a 20 gallon nano? My nano is currently home to a dwarf pygmy angel fish and a tail spot blenny, and while I barely feed at all (like one tiny pinch of crushed algae flakes a day), have a skimmer, and a hang on the back refugium with a rapidly growing ball of chaeto, there's this kind of macro algae that is just over-running my tank. I'm including a pic here. I took this right after spending an hour removing two weeks worth of growth, which when I started was so long and thick you couldn't see anything in the whole tank but the algae. When it grows out it develops an almost fuzzy like look to the tips of the plant, and is a gross greyish colour. It's on every rock that gets light. My nitrates and phosphates keep testing zero, which I assume is because they're being instantly consumed, but I have no idea where enough juice to grow that much plant is coming from.

Any ideas would be happily considered.

http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/g411/asylumdown/macro.jpg

bkelly
06-16-2011, 03:42 AM
this has been a battle for my nano too, same thing, doing tons of water changes and added some snails, also lowered tank temp with a fan, also changed bulbs, still fighting it but better, wanted to follow your thread, perhaps a smaller lawnmore blenny?

asylumdown
06-16-2011, 03:48 AM
I used to have a lawnmower blenny in this tank until it got too large and I moved it to my 90. It wouldn't touch the stuff, only went after film algae. I think this stuff was too course for it.

bkelly
06-16-2011, 03:53 AM
i threw a small tuxedo urchin in mine , will remove once done., i just keep harvesting it and turkey basting my rocks before cleaning also added Rowaphos to the overflow and vacuming up all derbis. plus feeding less.
LMK how it goes. My tank is 22 gal. lots of the macro came in with the LR.
brent

asylumdown
06-16-2011, 04:33 AM
Thanks, I'll try and find an urchin. I'm sure I can find a new home for it once it's too big/done.

This rock definitely had some serious macro algae on it when I got. At first it was actually pretty enough that I didn't put corals in for the first several months, some really nice mixes of blue, red, and yellow macros that looked better than anything I could have tried to replicate. Then over the course of months this other nasty grey-green branching crap took over, it started as one compact mound that changed growth habits under my lights and now that's all that's left. It's only been in the past couple of months that it's gotten so crazy that it's outcompeting everything else. It will even anchor and start growing anywhere in a zoa colony that there is exposed rock. So frustrating.

fishytime
06-16-2011, 04:39 AM
whatcha feeding?.....you could try carefully raising your mg.......and perhaps reducing your photo period......

asylumdown
06-16-2011, 07:52 PM
I'm feeding ocean nutrition formula 2 flakes every day. Crushed so that it fits in the blenny's mouth, no more than a tiny pinch. Every week or so I'll also toss in 5-10 of the new life spectrum pellets (the smallest size) for the angel and clean up crew. Once a month I'll cut up half a raw scallop and feed most of it to my rock flower anemone and hand feed the rest of it to my snails.

I don't ever test the alk, calcium or magnesium levels in this tank because there's only soft corals in in. I'll start and see what it shows.

coolhandgoose
06-16-2011, 08:03 PM
Do you know what kind of algae that is for sure?

From the picture it kind of looks like dino's, which is brown stringy and usually gets bubbles on it.
The best way to get rid of them is a total blackout for about a week.

asylumdown
06-16-2011, 08:45 PM
definitely not dino, it's coarse and firm. I should have taken the pic before I cleaned the tank lol. It's got a solid foot that anchors it to the rock and as it grows it branches. It's like a grey green colour, and when it's fully 'mature' the tips get lighter in colour and really fuzzy looking. It also get really, really bushy. I think it's in the brown algae family.

asylumdown
06-19-2011, 02:37 AM
Picked up a tuxedo urchin from Ocean City today. I wasn't 100% confident that they would go after my specific kind of algae. It's been in there for about 4.5 hours now and here's what it's done:

http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/g411/asylumdown/urchin.jpg

It's carved a clean white path in the rock that it's passed over. I have to say I'm very pleased. It's too early to tell if this is the answer to my problem, and I'm sure I'm going to have to learn to live with it re-arranging my frags (it's already tried to use a hermit crab as camouflage), but I'll keep updating as I go.

asylumdown
06-19-2011, 08:24 AM
Went out for the evening. Came home and took a peak in to the tank to check on the urchin's progress. I wasn't 100% certain the bare spot in the rock was because of him before. Sure am now. He's only moved about 4 inches since the lights went off at 9, but here's the result (sorry for the crappy night time flash pic):

http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/g411/asylumdown/Urchin2.jpg

The bare patch looked exactly like the dark forested patch to the right when I put the urchin in at 4pm. He's not just eating the algae, he's scraping it down to nothing. I can't believe I've never owned one of these guys before. At this rate I'm going to have to supplement him with extra nori soon!

bkelly
06-20-2011, 05:28 AM
Hey glad the urchin is working out, im thinking my sand may be the cause of some of my similar problem, may take it out and wash and add less. its looking black/grey in a few isolated areas. BTW, That urchin isnt a Tuxedo I got the same one heres a link to what its called, theres a common name but i cant remember it.
LMK if your problem returns or if just getting rid of it was the answer.
Brent
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=497+530+594&pcatid=594

Samw
06-20-2011, 05:44 AM
Yup. My colored urchins are doing the same thing. They are great algae eaters.

toytech
06-21-2011, 01:47 AM
I had red turf spring up in my nano , mexican turbos love that stuff . Over the last few days my tank has exploded with brown hair algea . Is it the weather of something ? Are all out tanks are getting warm or more light and bam algea problems?