update on my tank

[littleboyblue16]

i thought i would update you on my 48gal, i am going threw the nasty hair algea part of starting it, i got like a couple of turbos but they just cant keep up i hardly keep my light on anymore, but hey my new mushrooms are doing fine haha, they are growing awsome... thats pretty much about it, need a fish that eats that stuff lol, grrr lol


matt

[muck]

how about more snails...

[littleboyblue16]

when i mean a couple i mean like 20 lol

[Keen]

try using a foxface. I have one in my tank, and he keeps the hair algea completely gone. i used to have a problem with the stuff, but now you need a magnifying glass to find any.

[mr_alberta]

A foxface is a bit big for a 48G tank though. If you are really really desperate, your could try a Phosphate remover like Rowaphos or Phosban to help remove the phosphate and hopefully snuff out the algae.

[Keen]

my foxface is doing just fine in my 33gal. and the weird thing about my tank is that my phosphates were never a problem. maybe it was the hair algea absorbing it before it could be measured, but my tank has never had a phos problem. when i went to big al's, they said to try all these other methods to get rid of the algea, just scrubbing the rock, and using a phos remover, but nothing worked, not even loading my tank with snails. then they said to try a foxface as a test. within 3-4 days, there was not a speck of hair algea in the tank, and hasnt been since. he has lived in my 33gal for almost 6 months now, and has not had a problem with such a small tank. I would definatly suggest trying a foxface, just make sure you get a small one so that it has a chance to grow into your tank. if you dont want to try that, the other creature i would suggest is a sea hare. they are lawnmowers when it comes to hair algea, but once it is gone, they dont last very long, so use as a last resort or borrow one from someone that has one for a week.

[littleboyblue16]

not into the fox face, nor i personally think there too small, what about a lawnmoore blennie? hmm i donno oh yeah i tride a phosphate remover didnt work, made it worst in my opinion....

[MagnumReefer]

I tried a lawnmower blennie, they should have called it the 'I don't eat hair algea blennie' cause is swam in it, around it, past it and through it... but never ate it.


Darryl

[Richer]

My lawnmower blenny doesn't touch hair algae neither, just the film algae that develops on parts of rocks and on the glass, plus the piece of nori I give it every now and then.

-Richer

[PrairieReefer]

I have had 3 lawnmower blennys. The first two never touched hair algae either, just the film. This third one that I now have is just incredible. He is an eating machine. He swims around the tank RIPPING huge mouthfuls of hair algae out all over. He looks like when you play with a dog with a rope. He grabs a mouthful and yanks back and forth until it comes free. I guess it is just hit or miss to get one that eats hair algae.