Looking for a Captive-bred herbivore

[kemperr]

I have a 55 gallon reef tank with sump, set up for over a year, but no fish yet (a whole lot of tubeworms...). I have a lot of macroalgae, and would like to add a hardy and friendly fish to the reef that will also take care of the macroalgae (many different kinds of algae, something like a foxface rabbitfish may be ideal). However, I strongly prefer to purchase a captive-bred fish, or a fish that is caught in a sustainable, ecological fashion. I could get a clown, which is an omnivore, but I haven't heard they eat a lot of algae. All of the other captive-bred fish seem to be carnivores.

Any suggestions on a fish that may meet my needs? Thanks!

 

[Meloco14]

Only thing I can think of would be a captive bred dwarf angel. There is a website of a Hawaiian company that sells them. I can't think of the name off the top of my head but maybe someone else will remember. Other than that, there are no tangs or rabbitfish that are captive bred and available to us yet. They would likely get too big for your tank anyway, though. As far as which fish are caught in a safe, sustainable manner that is hard to say. You really need to know where the fish originates and who caught it. The industry forum guys here would have a better idea of that for you.

 

[kemperr]

Thanks! I looked it up (good article here: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/3/media ). The Hawaiian dwarf angel, Centropyge fisheri, Fisher's angelfish, has been captive bred.
Reef Culture Technologies was at one time offering them for sale:
http://www.rcthawaii.com/angel/6.htm

They are currently offering captive bred Centropyge resplendens and
Centropyge interruptus for sale. However, the first is $785 and the second is $650 ... a bit out of my price range.

 

[Meloco14]

Yeah that's the site I was thinking of. They have some gorgeous fish and from what I hear you get a very healthy, good quality specimen. But the price is way out of my price range as well.

 

[cindre2000]

Fisher's Angel eats macro algae? What types?

I actually just picked up a new dwarf angel, something of a cross between a Fisher's and a White Tailed (they are closely related species). It has a bit of a orangey chin and a dark navy/purple body with the yellow/white tail. I want to keep it healthy, but I could not pass it up since it was so cheap.

I thought they were more of a micro algae and micro crustaceon sort of fish.

 

[Meloco14]

I don't know anything about Fisher's in particular, but in general angels will graze. But yeah more on micro algae. It's just that of the few captive raised species, angels would me the most likely to help with algae reduction, IMO. It sounds like you got a great fish. Be sure to feed it a varied diet, and include some type of angel formula or something with sponge in it. I heard that sponge is a critical part of their diet. HTH

 

[kemperr]

(post deleted-- please see post below)

 

[Anonymous]

Fisher's Angel eats macro algae? What types?

I actually just picked up a new dwarf angel, something of a cross between a Fisher's and a White Tailed (they are closely related species). It has a bit of a orangey chin and a dark navy/purple body with the yellow/white tail. I want to keep it healthy, but I could not pass it up since it was so cheap.

I thought they were more of a micro algae and micro crustaceon sort of fish.

C. flavicauda. Cool little fishie. I've heard they are considered the same species.

 

[Anonymous]

I don't know anything about Fisher's in particular, but in general angels will graze. But yeah more on micro algae. It's just that of the few captive raised species, angels would me the most likely to help with algae reduction, IMO. It sounds like you got a great fish. Be sure to feed it a varied diet, and include some type of angel formula or something with sponge in it. I heard that sponge is a critical part of their diet. HTH

That's true of some of the larger angels. Pomacanthus and Holacanthus in particular IIRC. Centropyge are largely herbivorous. I don't think they will help a lick with macroalgae though.

 

[kemperr]

Here is the actual algae I am dealing with:
http://picasaweb.google.com/matzahs/Tank

I just pulled a bunch out, and this is what is left Smile
I could look at more inverts (more snails, clams, urchins, etc.). I also may look into lowering the amount of light in my tank.

However, an herbiviorous fish seems very attractive to me.
I obviously can't get a captive bred herbivore Sad.
Thus, I have narrowed it down to a lawnmower blenny or a foxface rabbitfish.
For the size of algae we are talking about, I think I may go for a small rabbitfish (knowing that they have *lethal* dorsal spines Smile and that a 55g is a bit on the small end.)
Any comments or suggestions?

Visit the link above for all the pictures of my algae problem. Here are three of the pictures:

 

[Anonymous]

I don't know if I've ever seen an algae infestation that bad. 8O

Looks like a lot of Caulerpa racemosa.

The way I would start? Pull all those rocks out. Rip every piece of algae off that you can, brush every surface with a brush (toothbrushes work well), shake the hell out of the rocks in a bucket of saltwater. Get out all the detritus that's settled inside. Siphon off any detritus left inside the tank.

In the long run, do you have a skimmer? Do you use RO/DI water? Run activated carbon?

 

[Anonymous]

No, a dwarf angel will not make a dent in that. He would probably give a nibble, but you would not see any difference.

Thus, I have narrowed it down to a lawnmower blenny or a foxface rabbitfish.
For the size of algae we are talking about, I think I may go for a small rabbitfish (knowing that they have *lethal* dorsal spines Smile and that a 55g is a bit on the small end.)
Any comments or suggestions

A lawnmower blenny will not make a dent in that either. Like the dwarf angel, he might take a bite here and there, but it would be a mere drop in the bucket.

The foxface, however, will probably clean that up for you. I have had great luck with a figi foxface. He eats all kinds of caulerpa, a very useful fish, one I highly recommend to folks who are considering a grazing fish. I purchased mine to clean up a tank that was over run, I mean completely over run like yours with caulerpa and he did the job.

You are right that your tank is on the small side for a fox, but I don't know if it is *too* small. I have found the foxface to be more mellow and less skittish than tangs, mine does not seem to act all "pent up" when in a smaller tank the way a tang would. It would be the only larger fish that I would have in the tank though. I currently have my fox in a 65g tank with a small wrasse and a blenny.

 

[Anonymous]

I don't know if I've ever seen an algae infestation that bad. 8O

Looks like a lot of Caulerpa racemosa.

The way I would start? Pull all those rocks out. Rip every piece of algae off that you can, brush every surface with a brush (toothbrushes work well), shake the hell out of the rocks in a bucket of saltwater. Get out all the detritus that's settled inside. Siphon off any detritus left inside the tank.

In the long run, do you have a skimmer? Do you use RO/DI water? Run activated carbon?

Looks like some byposis mixed in, as well as that one that is like cheato, but is a entrily different macro.

 

[kemperr]

I have always had a problem with algae-- for the five years since I've had the tank and two moves.
I do have a skimmer, and I do use RO/DI water. I don't run carbon, but all my numbers are fine. Water changes have been very irregular. I have a system that uses a peristaltic pump to do a continous water exchange with fresh saltwater (somewhere around 10-15% per month), however that has been out of order for a while and i only recently got it working.
I have always had my lights on at night -- e.g. they turn on like at 5pm and turn off at about 1 am. However, the tank does get sunlight. I wonder if this is just too much light?
... I am going to pick up a foxface rabbitfish at the LFS tonight. This will be my first fish... I will keep everyone posted on what happens.

 

[Mihai]

From my understanding (and I'm far from even being knowledgeable)
the yellow tangs are harvested sustainably in Hawaii... I'm not sure they'll make a dent in that though...

M.

 

[kemperr]

I checked my timers, and my lights have been going on at 9pm and off at 3 AM (both actinic and 10K). In addition, the tank recieves indirect light from large windows ~15 feet away.
I have changed the lighting to noon-9pm for the actinic and 1pm to 8pm for the 10k. My hope is that a bit more light with more overlap with daylight will encourage the growth of things other than algae. Does anyone have experience with this?

I acclimated the new foxface last night with 1.) 30 minutes temp. acclimation bag in water 2.) 3 hours slow drip in bucket. The first hour went faster than I would have liked (may have doubled volume). At first he just hung at the bottom. Then he seemed to have some balance problems, with his body always pointing up. 9 hours after being introduced into the tank I have turned the light on for the first time and he still seems a bit stressed (color not good - sometimes dull, sometimes mottled) but he is swimming fairly well. No eating so far, and hiding behind rocks.

Doing some more reading on the foxfaces, it seems they really aren't collected responsibly. There is some work on breeding, but the problem seems to be, as with the angels, the small size of the fry (e.g. small food requirements.)

 

[Anonymous]

Showing the mottled color is pretty typical of the foxface when you first get him. He will show that color at night and whenever he is stressed. Every time I have moved mine to another tank he does that to me.

 

[cindre2000]

When was the last time you changed your bulbs?