I need some help! I have a 40 gallon established mixed reef tank with two clowns and a moyers leopard wrasse and a skunk cleaner shrimp. I’m having issues with red bubble algae and green hair algae covering everything. I’m also having an issue with aiptasia everywhere. What sort of fish could help me keep everything under control? I’m thinking of getting an aiptasia file fish but I don’t think it will help my algae problem. I don’t want to use any chemicals either if that’s an option. What should I get? I want to make sure overcrowding isn’t an issue!
What can get rid of nuisance red and green algae in a mixed reef tanks
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You will have to be more specific. "established" means nothing. How old is the tank? What are the parameters. Full tank pics under white light are helpful. You can get help, but more info is needed please.
Can you post pics under white lighting to determine what you have ?
You potentially have two different issues in which you need two different sets of helpers for clean up.
For Gha-
Are you using ROI water or tap water from the faucet?
Is tank at or near a window?
For aptasia, You cant beat a Kleini Butterfly BUT must be the bluehead- NOT the yellow version. The yellow will go after coral too but bluehead as pictured will eat aptasia like candy, then eat all dry and frozen food offered, colorful, friendly and stays small.
Bit big for a 40, also this species is a corallivore like most (if not all?) of its genus. The only credible reference I can find to their diet says they eat a few species of octocorals. I would be careful with them in a reef. If you don't have any octocorals they might still have a taste for other polyps.Can you post pics under white lighting to determine what you have ?
You potentially have two different issues in which you need two different sets of helpers for clean up.
For Gha-
Are you using ROI water or tap water from the faucet?
Is tank at or near a window?
For aptasia, You cant beat a Kleini Butterfly BUT must be the bluehead- NOT the yellow version. The yellow will go after coral too but bluehead as pictured will eat aptasia like candy, then eat all dry and frozen food offered, colorful, friendly and stays small.
I have two of these in two tanks over 3years and bother nothing and having one in a giant tank and still at 2 3/4" makes it acceptable in a 36" tank
The yellow version yes is an issue with coral
Seems like you have several issues. I would say you have deal with them seperatly.
Aptasia:
Get some Wurdemani shrimps. I had small forests and they was gone in a few months.
Bubble algeas:
Manual removal twice a week. I used a screwdriver in one hand, to flip them of the rocks, and siphon them out with the other hand into a filtersock in the sump. It might take some months. Buble algeas don't contain spores inside so don't be affraid to smash the algeas.
GHA:
Pull as much as you can same time as you remove bubble algeas
Aptasia:
Get some Wurdemani shrimps. I had small forests and they was gone in a few months.
Bubble algeas:
Manual removal twice a week. I used a screwdriver in one hand, to flip them of the rocks, and siphon them out with the other hand into a filtersock in the sump. It might take some months. Buble algeas don't contain spores inside so don't be affraid to smash the algeas.
GHA:
Pull as much as you can same time as you remove bubble algeas
My filefish wasn't that effecient so had both. The filefish only eat from some/specific areas. The filfish died (caught in a powerhead) and the shrimps took care of the remainig aptasia by them self
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