Myka vs Valonia Round 672

Myka · #1 11-25-2008, 05:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moldrik

How big is your tank? I was really hoping to get a tang in mine ( it's only a 40 gal ) at least for a while since they take so long to grow up, I figured in the future I'd have to give him away......or upgrade!

My tank is a 33g. Tangs can grow real fast. I'm one of the last people in the freakin world that would suggest someone buy a "temporary" fish for their tank. I just don't believe in it. BUT, I have been battling this Valonia for a VERY long time, and I have tried pretty much everything else. So I bought this fish not because I wanted a pretty little cute Tang, but because I need him to do a specific job after which I will find him a permanent home somewhere suitable. If he eats all my Valonia he will grow like a bad weed, so I don't expect to have him very long.

Quote:

Originally Posted by banditpowdercoat

Im seeing what I think is Calurpa?

How do you think one of them tangs would fare with a Longnose butterfly???

There is no Caulerpa in the tank. It's almost all Valonia. I have very little algae otherwise. I have no idea about their compatibility with Butterflies. Never had a Butterfly.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drock169

Kole tangs are film algae eaters/detrivores and probably wont touch the valonia, dont mean to burst your bubble.

If he doesn't eat the Valonia he better decide on carpet surfing suicide! He's the only teeny little tang i've seen in a long time. Other than Hippo Tangs, but they are ich magnets. They had a teeny Yellow Tang, but he was in their LPS tank, and wasn't for sale (couldn't catch him). I don't know much about Tangs, but I was told to just "get a Tang, it will eat the algae". So I picked exactly the wrong specie or what???

Doing a quick Google I see Kole Tang listed as a Bubble algae eater often though...?

Seriously though, none of the other "tried and true" battle methods have worked yet. I even cooked the rock for a few months, and the Valonia came back. I prune it on every waterchange, which I actually did religiously for quite awhile. I haven't been able to find any Emerald Crabs, but apparently they are very hit or miss as to whether they will touch the Valonia or not. The tank is stable as heck, it's 2 years old now. I run 2 cups of HC GFO in a PhosBan reactor, which I change every 6-8 weeks. Phosphate and nitrate are undetectable on Salifert test kits (been this way for over a year). The fish get rinsed Mysis 2-3x a week. My RO/DI is 0 ppm tds (it's at 1ppm today actually, so time to replace some filters).

My only remaining idea is to up the Kelvin of my bulbs. I currently run Giesemann Midday (6000K) and Giesemann True Actinic 1:1. I'm going to try bluing the tank out, and see if that does anything. It's really just an experimental idea as I know algaes thrive from the red in the light spectrum, so if I up the Kelvin I will lower the red, hence it should make a difference. New bulbs will be in this week I think...

brizzo · #2 11-25-2008, 05:43 AM

Well, if he starts eating the valonia (which I've seen mentioned in a few places that they do?) and once hes done with your tank, he's coming to stay in my new tank! (75g, 100lbs of rock covered in valonia too

)

Myka · #3 11-25-2008, 05:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nazerine

Well, if he starts eating the valonia (which I've seen mentioned in a few places that they do?) and once hes done with your tank, he's coming to stay in my new tank! (75g, 100lbs of rock covered in valonia too

)

He'll get too big for your 75g, but he'd like your 120g!

naesco · #4 11-25-2008, 05:52 AM

Drock is right, the kole tang requires film algae as a major part of its diet.
You have to keep one side of the glass 'unclean' and it will suck the film algae on it all day.
It is also a good idea to pile a bunch of those smooth 1.5-2 inch stones which will also be covered with film algae.
I have never seen any tang I have every kept eat valonia nor have I read anything that would suggest that. Where did you get that info?
It is not a good idea to buy a tiny fish which will outgrow its tank sooner than you think even though you have the present intent to upgrade later.

Myka · #5 11-25-2008, 05:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by naesco

I have never seen any tang I have every kept eat valonia nor have I read anything that would suggest that. Where did you get that info?
It is not a good idea to buy a tiny fish which will outgrow its tank sooner than you think even though you have the present intent to upgrade later.

There have been many suggestions on this board by some of the more experienced reefers to try a Tang on the Valonia. A quick Google search suggests Tangs as well.

I have absolutely no plans of upgrading the tank. One of two things will happen; he will eat the Valonia, it will run out, and he will need a new home; or he won't eat the Valonia and he will need a new home.

Read the first paragraph of the last post on the first page.

Honestly, he has a better chance of living to a ripe old healthy age through making a pit stop at my tank than he did hanging out at the LFS. The LFS sold him to me knowing full well I had a 33g tank. I won't sell him on to someone who has a tank that's too small for him. He will get a handpicked home after me, so he's lucky to be in my tank for now.

marie · #6 11-25-2008, 06:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by naesco

...
I have never seen any tang I have every kept eat valonia nor have I read anything that would suggest that. Where did you get that info?
....

Mine does and he and the foxface play football with the large loose ones

banditpowdercoat · #7 11-25-2008, 02:35 PM

I was meaning caulpera in my tank, not yours

Bugsy · #8 11-25-2008, 03:31 PM

This stuff is nasty, but one thing I can tell you is that if you keep trimming it or popping those they just spread even more. You must remove these without popping them. In my past 10 gal I had like 3 of them, I carefully took out that piece of rock, over to the sink I went and with a knife I carefully got underneith them and they came off fully intact like bubbles and did not burst. I never had anymore from that time on and it was 4 years from that time.

Hate to tell you this but Tangs will not touch this stuff, they look for soft algae they can pick off the rocks. He is cute though, enjoy him and if you don't have alot of the algae he would normally eat do make sure you supplement him with some seaweed sheets, they love these and are very good for them. You can pick them up cheaper at the health food stores than the pets stores, aslo called Nori . They come in red, green or brown sheets and Tangs will just love you for this along with regular fish foods.

Hope this helps and you can get this under control, enjoy your new fishy too I love tangs.....

Amy

Marlin65 · #9 11-25-2008, 03:47 PM

Trying to take them off without popping them will not work in Myka's case she has way to many.
I would say changing your bulb color to more blue will definitely help. Algae definitely does not grow as well under the higher K range.

Drock169 · #10 11-25-2008, 03:52 PM

In addition, even though your phos are undectable, most likely the PO4 is being absorbed by the valonia first, valonia is excellent at scavenging PO4 in low nutrient systems. Honestly I would use a combination of manual removal for large ones in a separate container and a lot of emerald crabs for the small ones.