Best kind of algae grazer for nano?

asylumdown · #1 06-16-2011, 04:33 AM

Thanks, I'll try and find an urchin. I'm sure I can find a new home for it once it's too big/done.

This rock definitely had some serious macro algae on it when I got. At first it was actually pretty enough that I didn't put corals in for the first several months, some really nice mixes of blue, red, and yellow macros that looked better than anything I could have tried to replicate. Then over the course of months this other nasty grey-green branching crap took over, it started as one compact mound that changed growth habits under my lights and now that's all that's left. It's only been in the past couple of months that it's gotten so crazy that it's outcompeting everything else. It will even anchor and start growing anywhere in a zoa colony that there is exposed rock. So frustrating.

fishytime · #2 06-16-2011, 04:39 AM

whatcha feeding?.....you could try carefully raising your mg.......and perhaps reducing your photo period......

asylumdown · #3 06-16-2011, 07:52 PM

I'm feeding ocean nutrition formula 2 flakes every day. Crushed so that it fits in the blenny's mouth, no more than a tiny pinch. Every week or so I'll also toss in 5-10 of the new life spectrum pellets (the smallest size) for the angel and clean up crew. Once a month I'll cut up half a raw scallop and feed most of it to my rock flower anemone and hand feed the rest of it to my snails.

I don't ever test the alk, calcium or magnesium levels in this tank because there's only soft corals in in. I'll start and see what it shows.

coolhandgoose · #4 06-16-2011, 08:03 PM

Do you know what kind of algae that is for sure?

From the picture it kind of looks like dino's, which is brown stringy and usually gets bubbles on it.
The best way to get rid of them is a total blackout for about a week.

asylumdown · #5 06-16-2011, 08:45 PM

definitely not dino, it's coarse and firm. I should have taken the pic before I cleaned the tank lol. It's got a solid foot that anchors it to the rock and as it grows it branches. It's like a grey green colour, and when it's fully 'mature' the tips get lighter in colour and really fuzzy looking. It also get really, really bushy. I think it's in the brown algae family.

asylumdown · #6 06-19-2011, 02:37 AM

Picked up a tuxedo urchin from Ocean City today. I wasn't 100% confident that they would go after my specific kind of algae. It's been in there for about 4.5 hours now and here's what it's done:

It's carved a clean white path in the rock that it's passed over. I have to say I'm very pleased. It's too early to tell if this is the answer to my problem, and I'm sure I'm going to have to learn to live with it re-arranging my frags (it's already tried to use a hermit crab as camouflage), but I'll keep updating as I go.

asylumdown · #7 06-19-2011, 08:24 AM

Went out for the evening. Came home and took a peak in to the tank to check on the urchin's progress. I wasn't 100% certain the bare spot in the rock was because of him before. Sure am now. He's only moved about 4 inches since the lights went off at 9, but here's the result (sorry for the crappy night time flash pic):

The bare patch looked exactly like the dark forested patch to the right when I put the urchin in at 4pm. He's not just eating the algae, he's scraping it down to nothing. I can't believe I've never owned one of these guys before. At this rate I'm going to have to supplement him with extra nori soon!