Controlling algae w/ F8 puffer?

[coldmachineUK]

Hi, I have a 30L tank for a F8 puffer fish (he's being moved to a 2' 65L tank next month).
He lives in brackish water, at 1.005 S.G., but I have a growing problem with hair algae and some really bright bright green algae on the substrate (large gravel).

Does anyone know of a suitable tank mate for an F8 puffer (that he won't eat basically), that can tolerate low salt levels?

Positioning of tank is already resolved without luck, and I also tried planting three hardy salt-tolerate plants to outcompete for nutrients, but no luck.

 

[hc8719]

ghost shrimp possibly, they can be acclimated, but i cant promise on them eatting algae. there are algae eatting shrimp, out there, i dont know if they can stand brack water, or a f8.

check out petshrimp.com

 

[coldmachineUK]

Hmm...I think my F8 would make short work of ghost shrimp since they're a crustacean and...well...he munches on those for his brekkie!
I was advised 'mollies' in another place; I might go with that since I have a pair of females in two other tanks (they were originally together but one bullied the other so got moved out lol). Anyone had any experience keeping mollies and F8 puffers together? Will they be ok?

 

[hc8719]

hold up, do you want a tank mate, or something to eat the algae?

 

[coldmachineUK]

Hah, good point. I could stick a lot of ghost shrimp in and then he'd eat them off one by one plus I'd get my algae eaten...unless he ate them all in one go and overfed and died :S Arrrrg! Bloomin' puffer fish! :O

 

[hc8719]

chances are im sure, the puffer would just bite them, let them die, and move on to the next one. they're kinda jerk fish