Most voracious hair algea eater

[trvrstnk4837]

I have some green hair already on all the rocks I’ve bought from stores with coral, it hasn’t really grown or spread I think mainly because I just got a 0.0 on my Hanna HR nitrate checker

but I’m guna try and boost my nitrates for my softies by using my refugium light less, feeding a bit more and maybe dosing amino acid

I am worried about this algea taking off and covering the tank so I’d like to have a hungry hair algea eater in there before that

my starry blenny picks on the back glass a lot and eats frozen food I haven’t seen him pay the hair algea any mind

in your experience what’s the best hair algea eater? Any that will prefer it and eat it before other types?

the tanks a 125 but I prefer smaller fish in general

Thank you

 

[BetterJake]

Tuxedo Urchin

Tuxedo Urchin

Tuxedo Urchin (Mespilia sp.) The blue and and red tuxedo urchins (Mespilia globulus and Mespilia cf glubulus respectively) are not only beautiful and easy to care for, but they also serve a key ecological role in their environment by consuming (especially) filamentous algae. Totally reef-safe!

www.algaebarn.com

 

[trvrstnk4837]

Tuxedo Urchin

Tuxedo Urchin

Tuxedo Urchin (Mespilia sp.) The blue and and red tuxedo urchins (Mespilia globulus and Mespilia cf glubulus respectively) are not only beautiful and easy to care for, but they also serve a key ecological role in their environment by consuming (especially) filamentous algae. Totally reef-safe!

www.algaebarn.com

Thanks for the reply I never would have thought of one I’d love to have such a pretty urchin in my tank

this may be a dumb question since I see that they are considered reef safe but to get at this algea I feel like he’d have to sit on my corals and stress them

 

[Waters]

The only thing that I have seen eat grown out hair algae are sea hares.....everything else will eat it once it has been cropped down.

 

[trvrstnk4837]

The only thing that I have seen eat grown out hair algae are sea hares.....everything else will eat it once it has been cropped down.

Thanks, I’ll try and get at it with tweezers but there isn’t much to grab at the moment

 

[vetteguy53081]

Any of these :
Pencil urchin
astrea snails
Turbo grazer snails
Fighting conch
Sea Hare

You dont have alot and can pull by hand, reduce white light intensity or amount of hours of white lighting and add some snails

 

[trvrstnk4837]

Any of these :
Pencil urchin
astrea snails
Turbo grazer snails
Fighting conch
Sea Hare

You dont have alot and can pull by hand, reduce white light intensity or amount of hours of white lighting and add some snails

Gotcha I’ll get more snails (I have 5 cerith and 5 nasarius at the moment)

and just run my blue lights…. I have an all blue reef bright pro and a mixed Fluval marine spec so I should be able to go all blue without starving my corals too badly

 

[doubleshot00]

Foxface

 

[Gatorpa]

Purple tang, kole tang, fox face for fish

Astrea snails, blue leg hermits.

 

[Beau_B]

My tuxedo doesn’t “sit” on coral but it will pick loose frags up and wander with them.

It will also only eat algae that has been trimmed/shortened. If it’s of any significant length it will move around it.

 

[trvrstnk4837]

Any of these :
Pencil urchin
astrea snails
Turbo grazer snails
Fighting conch
Sea Hare

You dont have alot and can pull by hand, reduce white light intensity or amount of hours of white lighting and add some snails

You’re a genius!! When I turned off all the white light the hair algea vanished instantly like magic!! LMOA

But yeah I’ll keep it bkue for now if it will help the cause

 

[BetterJake]

Thanks for the reply I never would have thought of one I’d love to have such a pretty urchin in my tank

this may be a dumb question since I see that they are considered reef safe but to get at this algea I feel like he’d have to sit on my corals and stress them

The tuxedo urchin probably wont be too interested in sitting on top of your corals unless they have algae on them to eat. If you have a small enough frag that is not secured down they may try to pick it and wear it as a hat lol

 

[strawberryfish]

It honestly doesn't look that bad, +1 on snails. An urchin may be overkill.

 

[paintman]

tooth brush and a turkey baster! Stop killing these animals. Stop being lazy!

 

[OldRed1]

Gotcha I’ll get more snails (I have 5 cerith and 5 nasarius at the moment)

and just run my blue lights…. I have an all blue reef bright pro and a mixed Fluval marine spec so I should be able to go all blue without starving my corals too badly

Nassarius snails do not eat algae. Something to keep in mind.

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

Don’t get one of the White Urchins, it ate all the Coraline Algae, it could get too.

 

[Tamberav]

Trochus snails, mexican turbo, tuxedo

 

[trvrstnk4837]

tooth brush and a turkey baster! Stop killing these animals. Stop being lazy!

good idea with the tooth brush I was guna use tweezers but that will be better

could you elaborate on killing the animals?, are you referring to the corals that the algea is getting close to? Or an animal that I would add to help with it? I’m not sure about all the animals that were suggested hear but I wouldn’t get an animal that could only eat a certain algae

Had the day offf for rain so I went and snagged a nice Tomini Tang not just for this I’ve wanted a smaller tang species in this tank

 

[paintman]

I am reffering to all the bad advice given when someone has an alga problem and the knee jerk reaction is throw in a "Clean Up Crew", or urchin, or bennie etc. etc. etc. Only to have the critter either ignore the algae or after it has in fact done it's job, wither away and die ecause we cannot provide it with additional food.
This hobby has killed far to many inverts and fish because of laziness and bad advice!!!!!!!!
Get your self a toothbrush, turkey baster, power filter, and solve your problem manually!

 

[kishstl]

I just had a hair algae outbreak after vacation and an automatic feeder overfed slightly for 10 days. Cleaned all of the glass but the rocks were covered. One 6 in Foxface and 5 days later can't find any hair algae anywhere.