reefgeek84 Posted August 17, 2007 Share Posted August 17, 2007 Ok, so I feed alot, and have great colors and growth, but I am starting to have some algae issues...Just curious what people think is the best algae eating tang that they have had.... I have a tiny blue tang, but he does not seem to really pick algae...so wanting another one... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertareef Posted August 17, 2007 Share Posted August 17, 2007 Interesting question... I think it probably depends on what type of algae. I had a Kole and Scopas in my old tank and they did a job on everything but hair algae. When I temporarily added the Sohal and Scribbled rabbit from Bob's tank, everything was stripped clean pretty quickly. I never saw who actually took out the hair algae but I think it was likely the rabbit based on Bob's observations. Regardless, the current combination of Sohal, Scopas and Scribbled rabbit is keeping mine really clean despite heavy feeding and stocking. Hope that helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefgeek84 Posted August 17, 2007 Author Share Posted August 17, 2007 Interesting question... I think it probably depends on what type of algae. I had a Kole and Scopas in my old tank and they did a job on everything but hair algae. When I temporarily added the Sohal and Scribbled rabbit from Bob's tank, everything was stripped clean pretty quickly. I never saw who actually took out the hair algae but I think it was likely the rabbit based on Bob's observations. Regardless, the current combination of Sohal, Scopas and Scribbled rabbit is keeping mine really clean despite heavy feeding and stocking. Hope that helps. It does help...However, my tank is a little small for all of those fish, LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertareef Posted August 17, 2007 Share Posted August 17, 2007 It does help...However' date=' my tank is a little small for all of those fish, LOL.[/quote'] Ooops... sorry about that Brandon, forgot you've downsized. In that case, I think the Kole (bristletooth) did a great job on the non-filamentous stuff and the rabbit is probably the ticket for the hair forms - not sure if any one would cover both types of algae. I have seen some small specimens of both fish around lately but yeah, that's a lot of fish! Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefgeek84 Posted August 17, 2007 Author Share Posted August 17, 2007 Ooops... sorry about that Brandon' date=' forgot you've downsized. In that case, I think the Kole (bristletooth) did a great job on the non-filamentous stuff and the rabbit is probably the ticket for the hair forms - not sure if any one would cover both types of algae. I have seen some small specimens of both fish around lately but yeah, that's a lot of fish! Good luck![/quote'] Thanks...I have been seeing some super small rabbit fish around, I might try one of those and a kole tang...Thanks for your experience... anyone else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyles Posted August 17, 2007 Share Posted August 17, 2007 Don't feed so much you have algae.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefgeek84 Posted August 17, 2007 Author Share Posted August 17, 2007 Don't feed so much you have algae.... LOL... I do not like to starve my fish...plus my leopards need to be fed at least once a day... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twitterbait Posted August 17, 2007 Share Posted August 17, 2007 actually... i recommend an algae blenny over a tang for algae probelms. you may want to review your skimmer and flow to see if it is enough to keep up with the bio load. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefgeek84 Posted August 17, 2007 Author Share Posted August 17, 2007 actually... i recommend an algae blenny over a tang for algae probelms. you may want to review your skimmer and flow to see if it is enough to keep up with the bio load. Sorry but the whole flow thing does not hold water in my book...maybe for cyano, but for other stuff it does not matter...I have a few spots of algae where my snapper is blowing striaght on it at roughly 1000gph and it is still there... as for food and bio load...60gal tank, with an MCE600 rated at 190gal... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
civicsit Posted August 17, 2007 Share Posted August 17, 2007 Maybe you could try a lawnmower blenny for the hair algae, and a tang for the rest? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mbeef61 Posted August 17, 2007 Share Posted August 17, 2007 foxface hands down....vorocious eater and wide spectrum of choices.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted August 19, 2007 Share Posted August 19, 2007 What does a rabbit fish look like? I had a kole tang that really scarfed up the turf algae. Jay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsoz Posted August 19, 2007 Share Posted August 19, 2007 Maybe you could try a lawnmower blenny for the hair algae' date=' and a tang for the rest?[/quote'] I have your old LM, and he does a great job for most of it, but not on the hair algae. Once I get my 75g up and running I plan on getting a rabbitfish to take care of the bryopsis and other filamentous algae that I have. Other than that... IDK dsoz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
defigart Posted August 19, 2007 Share Posted August 19, 2007 When you folks say "Rabbitfish" or "foxface" are you referring to fish in the family Siganidae? Or is there an actual tang whose common name is one of these monikers? This is meant in an educational light and not as nit-picking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pledosophy Posted August 19, 2007 Share Posted August 19, 2007 Sorry but the whole flow thing does not hold water in my book...maybe for cyano, but for other stuff it does not matter...I have a few spots of algae where my snapper is blowing striaght on it at roughly 1000gph and it is still there... IME with flow and algae, yes algae grows in direct flow, but if there is enough flow throughout the system it prevents build up of detritus, by keeping the detritus in suspension so the filtration can remove it. You can have the nicest filter ever made, but if the flow is not up enough to keep the particles in suspension, to get to the filter, the filter will not help you. I have no idea what Brandon's flow is like at all, but IME most of the time algae problems come from lack of flow, lack of filtration, over feeding, low pH, phosphates from unfiltered water, bad sand beds,or aging bulbs where the color spectrum has shifted. For me addressing most of those issues is easy, but flow is something I have had to continually tinker with to get it right. The only way I have ever got it to work properly for me was to run a CL through the rock. Since I have got my flow to work right, and have started buffering my RODI top off water I have no algae problems, even though there is no filter, or protein skimmer. JME. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsoz Posted August 19, 2007 Share Posted August 19, 2007 When you folks say "Rabbitfish" or "foxface" are you referring to fish in the family Siganidae? Or is there an actual tang whose common name is one of these monikers? This is meant in an educational light and not as nit-picking. They are not a tang. They are the rabbitfish. I searched the siganidae, and the pictures that came up look like the rabbitfish that I have seen. I may be a science teacher, but chemistry is my main subject, and all that classification stuff did not excite me about biology. dsoz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
defigart Posted August 19, 2007 Share Posted August 19, 2007 dsoz, All that mixing chemicals, didn't excite me about Chemistry. LOL. Ichthyology/Biology is my main love of science, and someday I will go back and finish my degree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsoz Posted August 19, 2007 Share Posted August 19, 2007 dsoz, All that mixing chemicals, didn't excite me about Chemistry. LOL. Ichthyology/Biology is my main love of science, and someday I will go back and finish my degree. LOL you have me there. Actually my BS is in biology, with a minor in chemistry. When I was in teacher school (masters program) I wanted to teach middle school life science. I could not get a MS job, I ended up getting hired as a HS chemistry teacher (go figure), and could not be happier. I do remember the days of systematic botany, entomology, parasitology... All those classes where classification was "key" (pun intended). The college that I went to (Southern Oregon) did not have specialized classes for marine science. :( I had to take the general information that I was learning and apply it to my own fish tanks. What excites me about chemistry is not so much the mixing of chemicals, but the fact that I get to blow stuff up in class and call it education. (clap) AND that someone is willing to pay me to do it! (nutty) Just kidding (sort of). dsoz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefgeek84 Posted August 19, 2007 Author Share Posted August 19, 2007 IME with flow and algae, yes algae grows in direct flow, but if there is enough flow throughout the system it prevents build up of detritus, by keeping the detritus in suspension so the filtration can remove it. You can have the nicest filter ever made, but if the flow is not up enough to keep the particles in suspension, to get to the filter, the filter will not help you. I have no idea what Brandon's flow is like at all, but IME most of the time algae problems come from lack of flow, lack of filtration, over feeding, low pH, phosphates from unfiltered water, bad sand beds,or aging bulbs where the color spectrum has shifted. For me addressing most of those issues is easy, but flow is something I have had to continually tinker with to get it right. The only way I have ever got it to work properly for me was to run a CL through the rock. Since I have got my flow to work right, and have started buffering my RODI top off water I have no algae problems, even though there is no filter, or protein skimmer. JME. HTH I agree to a point...but the algae is only on one rock...so I think it has to do with what is in the rock, my big piece of rock does not have a sign of algae on it at all (now that I say that, it will just blow up, lol), so I really think it is the rock that I have...cause they other spots on all other rocks are fine, there are a couple of places that have some but that I think is a build up spot where the flow does not get to.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mbeef61 Posted August 20, 2007 Share Posted August 20, 2007 when i say foxface i am refering to lo vulpinus aka Siganus vulpinus awesome algae eater! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pledosophy Posted August 21, 2007 Share Posted August 21, 2007 but the algae is only on one rock...so I think it has to do with what is in the rock' date=' my big piece of rock does not have a sign of algae on it at all [/quote'] So after that comment your whole tank is covered with algae now right. Can't even get the canopy to close all the way. (laugh) Odd that it is only on one rock. Never had that happen to me before. Is the rock new or something? Weird. I would try to act quick so it stays, only on one rock. Algae spreads fast. Good Luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertareef Posted August 21, 2007 Share Posted August 21, 2007 When you folks say "Rabbitfish" or "foxface" are you referring to fish in the family Siganidae? Or is there an actual tang whose common name is one of these monikers? This is meant in an educational light and not as nit-picking. Sorry about the confusion... my fault. I introduced the Scribbled rabbit (Siganus doliatus) even though Reefgeek asked specifically about Tangs. I just haven't had a Tang go after the hair algae and thought I would throw this guy out there as an option as he is at least a similar size/shape. Likewise the Foxface. So... my appologies if this lead anyone astray. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefgeek84 Posted August 21, 2007 Author Share Posted August 21, 2007 Sorry about the confusion... my fault. I introduced the Scribbled rabbit (Siganus doliatus) even though Reefgeek asked specifically about Tangs. I just haven't had a Tang go after the hair algae and thought I would throw this guy out there as an option as he is at least a similar size/shape. Likewise the Foxface. So... my appologies if this lead anyone astray. No offense taken, I appreciate the suggestion, the rabbit fish actually slipped my mind, I might have to look into one...they just get so big so quick... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twitterbait Posted August 21, 2007 Share Posted August 21, 2007 As pledosophy said... flow is important to remove crap from the display to the filtration... that is what i meant in my comments... please remember when posting that this is a typed response, you may not totally understand the meaning or angle i am coming from when giving a recommendation. it is better to ask for clarification then shooting someone down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siskiou Posted August 21, 2007 Share Posted August 21, 2007 I wish I could find a way to keep stuff from settling in rock crevices and still be able to have fish and corals. Flow is great, but too much keeps everything else from growing too. I have some rock that I swear is hollow and filled with gunk. Blowing it off with a pump or turkey baster while running a diatom filter (and filter socks on the drains) works, but there is always more. I think they dug some of my rock out of the mud and it's slowly dissolving. My scribbled rabbitfish, and now the powderbrown tang are enjoying the algae growing on the rock (it's not hair algae, but something tough, probably derbesia). It's very slowly getting to be less and less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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