Hair algae control?

[Daudioman]

Hi everyone,

I am new to the forum and would like some advise on picking out a good fish for hair control. This is for a 29g bio cube I purchased for my fiancé on her birthday. The system currently has 30lbs of lr, maroon clown, 6 line wrasse, firefish goby, Bi colored blenny, skunk cleaner, peppermint, Sally and 5 margarita snails. I plan to add some soft corals in the future so am interested in a small reef safe fish that feeds on mostly hair algae. Any advise or suggestions would be very appreciated.

Thank you in advance,
Dave

 

[carey]

Hi! Welcome to the forum!

I'm not too sure what you can fit in your tank still, have you considered getting some hermits? I know mine went at the Hair algae in my tank but I also had a sea hare to help. lol

Anyways, good luck!

PS.- I'm waiting for my biocube 29 to get here tomorrow.

 

[SteveFishman]

Turbo snails do the job

 

[joy13]

Looking at your fish list your bio load is already maxed out I think. Try and find the cause of the hair algae before deciding how to get rid of it. How old are your lights? I actually found out that is why I was having a problem in one of my tanks I got it used and didn't change the bulbs right away. Nitrates and phosphates is another cause of hair algae. Are you using RO water? Certain foods are higher in nitrates and phosphates than others. I found when I feed the fish if I turn off the pumps they are able to eat more of the food than when I let them run for the food.

Keep an eye on your clown and six line as they get older they get more aggressive. Shrimp are a natural food for the six line mine waited for them to molt before getting mine. The fire fish might have a problem competing for food.

 

[Daudioman]

Thanks for all the input everyone! I decided to move the firefish to my 125g reef.

I did get a few more hermits and changed a few things around. To answer Joy's questions, always RODI water and the lighting is less than 2 months (replaced 16" actinic with another 10k and have additional LED's for blue) also reduced the bio load some. I didn't explained well how all the fish are very tiny if the amount of fish seemed to be high. Essentially I grow them up to go in my big reef.

The 29g is doing good, after changing a few things the stock list is as follows:
30lbs LR
Maroon clown 1.5"
6 line. Less than 1"
Red sea sailfin 1.5"
Mandarin .75"
Skunk cleaner 1"
Peppermint
10 blue leg hermits
10 red leg
3 Mexican turbos
Sally lightfoot
2 torch coral
Just fragged in some polyps from the big reef as well.

Thanks again to everyone who replied!!!

I am now curious of some additional coral options with the lighting on the system?
Like I said previously, I replaced my actinic with an additional 10k thinking it would help with coral. I will slowly start fragging over some of stuff reproducing in the big reef. I was thinking of trying one of my colt frags or Vietnam mushrooms, I also have star polyps growing crazy I was thinking of dicing a piece off?

Also if you have any additional advise on any possible problems to be seen with my tank mates, I would greatly appreciate any input!!

Thanks,
Dave

 

[joy13]

If you recently replaced the bulb that shouldn't be your problem. What type of foods are you feeding some foods actually add to the nitrates more than others. If you are feeding frozen make sure you rinse it. I feed Rod's food and it doesn't have to be rinsed, that is the main reason I use it.

Is your mandarin eating prepared food?

 

[hackteck]

can you link to this rods food? ive heard good things about it

 

[Daudioman]

Joy,

I have used rod's foods before, my Lfs keeps it stocked. My green manadrin unfortunately doesn't eat prepared anything. I hand feed him live brine and add pods regularly. As for what I feed the others, they all get live brine, flakes, pellets and occasionally misis. My sailfin also likes the garlic and vitamin enriched algae sheets.

I really try to be careful about not over feeding. I alwAys make feeding a timely process considering the mandarin really enjoys eating brine right from the tip of my feeding syringe. I typically feed everything tiny amounts of a variety of foods, slowly to ensure the food is getting eaten and not just settling into rock.

I the hermits seem to be helping with hair algae now the best. the tang picks a little as well. The guy at my Lfs suggested an algae blenny? Anyone else think that mayhelp?

Thanks again and again and again,
Dave

 

[carey]

Between my lawnmower blenny and my sea hare they plowed through ALOT and i mean alot of algae in about 3 weeks. But you gotta make sure they have food after they finish the algae. I feed algae sheets every other day for my two guys. The blenny eats anything and everything I throw into the tank lol. he's a really fat fish.

 

[Daudioman]

Thanks,

I was interested in a blue sea hare at my Lfs, the guy there said they are cable of wiping out a small enough system by poisoning. Have you heard anything like this?

I will look into the blenny as well!

Dave

 

[Taco]

I have a 29g and just got done with a bad hair algae outbreak. Only thing that solved it was adding a refugium in the back with chaeto. I have compartment in the nanocube for this and I just got the JBJ led refugium light for it. Solved the prob. In a week.

 

[Daudioman]

Thanks for the tip taco,

I will do some research now!

 

[Taco]

I used marine algaefix With success. Its a biocide and won't kill anything else besides hair algae. It's the exact same thing as fw algaefix. So get whichever is cheaper. But I used that with the refugium. For full disclosure. I also have been using purple up and that stuff works!