hair algae question (update)

[tinman]

OK here goes...

I got a small hair algae problem. NOt bad really just on one rock and alittle on the substrate, it hasn't spread and its been there over a week. Just an eyesore. All my water parameters are in line with what they should be. This tank is only a month old and the coraline is starting to take off. My question is this. I have a mollie breeding tank that never ever has algae cause they eat it quicker than it could grow. I wanna take 2 2 month dalmation mollies(about 1 inch in length) and aclimate them over 6-8 hours to the saltwater then but them in the tank and let them go to town on the algae.

Has anybody tried this?

 

[Phyl]

Interesting post on the subject: Saltwater Mollies

Good luck with that hair algae. Have you identified the source of the fuel for this? That's your best bet for overcoming it long term.

 

[JPloman]

Isnt a Mollie a fresh water fish? How could you do that to a poor fishy?

I like my lawnmower blenny, he chows on my hair algae.

I also like hair algae, I think it is really cool, and PRETTY! Yes thats right! I said it, I like it!!!

 

[JPloman]

Interesting post on the subject: Saltwater Mollies

Good luck with that hair algae. Have you identified the source of the fuel for this? That's your best bet for overcoming it long term.

I think there is something very wrong with taking a fresh water fish and making them salt water fish... it seems like you are messing with nature. When you mess with nature, God only knows what could go wrong!

 

[tinman]

mollies are actually brackish water lovers. BUt you can acclimate them over a period of 8 hours to be fresh or Saltwater, with no harm to the fish.

 

[tinman]

I'm bumping this....I know some of your seasoned vets got some good do's and don'ts to this....

 

[Smo]

Interesting post on the subject: Saltwater Mollies

Good luck with that hair algae. Have you identified the source of the fuel for this? That's your best bet for overcoming it long term.

I think there is something very wrong with taking a fresh water fish and making them salt water fish... it seems like you are messing with nature. When you mess with nature, God only knows what could go wrong!

Even though this is my first post, I am no N00b to this Mollie thing.
Back in the day we use to cycle our salt tanks with black mollies. Sure, they are freshwater, but they love SW and will breed like rabbits in it.
Back in the early 80's, I used 20 black mollies to cycle my new DSB in a 90 gal SW setup. The mollies loved the SW and none died. After about 2 months for a full cycle, I had returned to the fish store 90 mollies. I received store credit for the extra 70 I had given them, after cycling through my SW tank of course, and have been addicted ever since!

If your mollies are eating the algae, then I see no reason not to acclimate them and place in SW for this purpose. Just beware of parental contols, you may not have any in a SW setup!

 

[midiman]

I, too, have heard many stories about the use of mollies in SW. I just don't want to have to catch them at the end of the day ...

 

[quarryshark]

What are your nitrates and PO4 levels? Something is fueling the algae.
What are your feeding habits?
A better solution would be to find the source of the algae.

I got a small hair algae problem. NOt bad really just on one rock and alittle on the substrate,

With a young tank, this is not unusual. In a mature tank even some algae is to be expected. FWIW

This tank is only a month old and the coraline is starting to take off

Eventually, it you keep your water quality high and conditions right for the coraline. It may start to outcompete the hair algae somewhat.

 

[tinman]

thanks for all the good input. Here is an update..lol

My wife aclimated the 2 small mollies while I was at work today. She started at about 9:00am. By the time I got off work the water they were in was at the same salinity as the sw tank by 10:00pm. She sis it with a small bucket and a turkey baster about 2 oz out and 3 oz in every 30 minutes. Put the little guys in the tank and they were swimming around looking good when the problem started. The yellow damsel was POed. An hour later the poor little guys had 1/2 a rear fin. We took them back out. They are now being aclimated to FW agian. But I have to say the little boogers have never acted strangly throughout the whole process.


ON a side note I will never agian listen to anyone that says damsels are peaceful fish!!!

 

[midiman]

ON a side note I will never agian listen to anyone that says damsels are peaceful fish!!!

Who in the world ever told you that? They can be little monsters! Very cute, but often mean. I don't know if you are a diver but I'm been challenged 100's of times by damsel fish while swimming over their turf in the shallows. I've even had one ping off of my mask once!

 

[quarryshark]

ON a side note I will never agian listen to anyone that says damsels are peaceful fish!!!

Don't cycle with them, only put one in and don't add it first. This is mainly where the trouble comes in. Once the tank becomes "their" territory, life can be a nightmare.
Maybe some day LFS's will stop advising people to cycle with these fish. grrrr

 

[tinman]

hahaha...I never done anything more than snorkling but in the little secluded bays of kaui in hawaii that can be an adventure. The LFS I used (stress the past tense..lol) he told me that the 2 damsels would be fine and shouldn't be aggressive at all...WHAT A JOKE. I am storngly considering getting a little bigger tank ( a 20 long or even 40 breeder, I like the shallow wide tanks) just so when I have to take the rock out to get the damsels I can do 2 things A. use a deep sand bed and B. get the devil fish out... If I use some of the CC mixed with the sand in the new tank and add more LR and all the water from the existing tank do you think it would have to be fully cycled?

 

[quarryshark]

If you getting a larger tank and don't want to return the damsel, maybe you can leave them in the 10 gallon, get your bigger tank set up, cycles (fishless), stock and add the damsels last. May be a different story then.
I added my damsels as the very last fish and he is the perfect gentleman. (he better be, took me a year to find him and I'll bet I'm the only one here with a $35 damsel ). See gallery if interested.

If I use some of the CC mixed with the sand in the new tank and add more LR and all the water from the existing tank do you think it would have to be fully cycled?

You would still have to cycle, but if you get cured live rock the cycling period would be short.

 

[Tito2491]

can u acclimate an algae eater to sw? they do such good jobs in fw

 

[tinman]

I don't think the algae eater would make it....Mollies are unique in that they can live in either or even brackish waters just fine.

As as far as the damsels, the only reason they were ever gonna stay longer than to cycle was cause my 4 year old likes the blue one, but after explaining were the little mollies tail fins went he is ready for them to go too..lol....I am going to use the 10 gal for a sump refuge for the 20 long I am going to pick up in the morning. 20 bucks for a 20 long is good right..lol

 

[AR15 guy]

I have kept mollies in salt water before. They love it. I didn't even acclimate them for 8 hours. Maybe 2 hours. They take very well to it.

 

[mjvincent]

I have a Blue Damsel and a Yellow Damsel in my 32 Hex and recently added a Flasher wrasse to the tank... They had their scuffles at first but worked things out just fine. Damsels are defensive but aren't THAT bad.

 

[AR15 guy]

Blue leg hermits do a great job getting algea off the rocks and turbo snails get it off the glass. My hermits cleaned up my rock really nice.

Only damsels that are peaceful are some clowns. They are technically damsels IIRC.

 

[tinman]

I think I have a deeper issue than the algae. I think it is due to the high tank temp. My tanks temp will not get below 82, with no heater it stays above 82, I cut back on the lights but still 82. With the lights on for 4 hours the temp gets to 84. Any way the solution was a bigger tank. I didn't have much space so I found a 20 long ( 30 bucks ), only 12 high so PC lights should be very efficient, I hate getting my arms wet when there is a problem in my 29 so not very fond of anything over 16..lol. I got into a creative mood and built a nice tank stand that will hold my 20 long on top and my 10gallon sump on the bottom. I even added a shelf thats is removable that my refuge light will mount too. I also put baffles in my 10 gallon and built a really nice surface skimming overflow that looks cool. No pics yet but I have a drawing of the stand and the link to the overflow if you wanna see. I still have to fine tune the system after everything cures and dries. I'll post some pics tomorrow.


http://www.guarriello.net/overflow.htm
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/kbmdale/SwTankstandcopy.jpg