Fish that eat aptasia and/or bubble algae?

Beverly · #1 10-09-2003, 05:00 PM

Will any of the following fish eat aptasia and/or bubble algae:

- half black dwarf angel (Centropyge vroliki)
- keyhole dwarf angel (Centropyge tibicen)
- Singapore dwarf angel (Chaetodontoplus mesoleucus)
- Lamarck's dwarf angel (Genicanthus lamarck)
- coral beauty dwarf angel (Centropyge bispinosus)
- pearlscale butterfly (Chaetodon xanthurus)

TIA

dekay · #2 10-09-2003, 06:12 PM

Aptasia -- Copperband
Bubble Algae -- Emerald Crab

my crab doesn't seem interested in the bubble algae though, so i might have to do it manually.

Quinn · #3 10-09-2003, 07:08 PM

Bev, I don't think any of the dwarf angels make a habit of eating algae. Mine certainly does not (Centropyge potteri). The fish within the Genicanthus genus are all planktivores (which is why they are considered more reef-safe than Centropyge species), and are certainly not "dwarf". Fishbase lists the maximum size of Genicanthus lamarck at 10 inches. Genicanthus watanabei is my favorite, at 6 inches (dibs on the first one AI gets).

Beverly · #4 10-09-2003, 07:24 PM

dekay,

Did the emerald crab thing and they ate EVERYTHING but bubble algae

Have taken down my 42 gal and scraped off the stuff. Now I gotta get it all back together

Quinn,

Yup, I got the two genuses (genii??!?) mixed up. The Genicanthus genus is not dwarf. Why don't you have AI order you the fish you want? They might do it and you can have all the dibs you want

Quinn · #5 10-09-2003, 07:40 PM

Well I don't want to order one, because I don't have the money, but if one showed up, I wouldn't be able to help myself.

I nearly bought a male G. bellus at Wei's the other day but was able to hold myself back.

Son Of Skyline · #6 10-09-2003, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beverly

dekay,

Did the emerald crab thing and they ate EVERYTHING but bubble algae

That pretty much sums up my emerald crabs too! They're great...but not for bubble algae.

This probably won't help much but my large foxface loves to eat bubble algae if they're floating in the water column and if he can get them in his mouth. He ignores it on the rock, but if one gets loose while I'm plucking them he jumps right in and gobbles it up.

smokinreefer · #7 10-10-2003, 06:25 AM

yeah, i dont think any of the dwarf angels is a good bet.
the butterfly may go for aiptasia, but i couldnt day for sure.

the copperband is a good bet for aiptasia. though i would only recommend them if you want one regardless if it'll eat them.

sailfin tangs are sometimes thought as bubble algae eaters, as are rabbitfish.

HTH

Delphinus · #8 10-10-2003, 02:32 PM

Don't know about the Pacific sailfin tangs, but my sailfin (Red Sea) doesn't touch valonia (bubble algae) except by accident. By "accident," I mean, if I pick a bunch and maybe one escapes and floats around in the currents, he might chase it down and gulp it before he realizes what it is... But ordinarily the only way for valonia to get out of the tank is by me picking it out. I have 2 or 3 emerald crabs too, and they don't touch the stuff either. Why I always get the fussy ones I don't know, or perhaps "my" algae is just somewhat more foul tasting compared to other people's algae.

Darksky · #9 10-13-2003, 02:43 AM

Big Al's has some Emerald Crabs in now. They had some one of about 1" in diameter on Friday and had some smaller , 1/2 " ones today. I got one of the larger ones, as I didn't see the smaller ones at the time, to try and get rid of my bubble algea. It has only been in my tank a couple of days, but I have seen it eating some bubble algea already. It was funny to watch it try and pull one off the rock. When it finally came free, the crab almost fell over backwards.

StirCrazy · #10 10-13-2003, 04:54 AM

I have 2 larger emerald crabs and they have pretty much decimated the bubble algae in my tank. it seams that they only went after the 1/4" diamiter and smaller ones though, the larger ones I removed.

Steve