What inverts eat macroalgae?
- Thread starter robitreef
- Start date
Depends on what type of macroalgae, do you have any idea what it is? Different critters eat different things, and some kinds of macro you have to use plastic explosives to get rid of 
Check this archive out for some good pictures if you don't know what type of macro you have and post back.
http://www.reefs.org/hhfaq/
Check this archive out for some good pictures if you don't know what type of macro you have and post back.
http://www.reefs.org/hhfaq/
That link helped a bit to narrow down what I have. Basically a smorgasbord of algae :?
I have the Bryopsis, Sargassum, what looks like a grape Caulerpa, along with some other tough hair type, that looks a bit like Chaetomorpha. I also have dinoflagellates, which looks like a brown "snot" that gets on the macroalgae. I have been basically doing some harvesting by hand, but an herbivore would be great. How are Seahares? I am aware that they can release a toxic ink in the water if disturbed, but according to Julian Sprung's Invertebrates book, small ones are reef safe.
I have the Bryopsis, Sargassum, what looks like a grape Caulerpa, along with some other tough hair type, that looks a bit like Chaetomorpha. I also have dinoflagellates, which looks like a brown "snot" that gets on the macroalgae. I have been basically doing some harvesting by hand, but an herbivore would be great. How are Seahares? I am aware that they can release a toxic ink in the water if disturbed, but according to Julian Sprung's Invertebrates book, small ones are reef safe.
Seahares are avid algae eaters and might control some of your algae. Just make sure nothing harasses it or tries to eat it. Also, make sure your pump intakes are "foamed" or sectioned off. Urchins do a good job too, but they will strip coralline as well.
You can probably sense this question coming but are you using good water source for top off and water changes? Or perhaps the tank is relatively new. I had terrible algae cycles of all kinds in the first few months, but then my system balanced out and the algae went away (except for Caulerpa and Valonia).
Nothing I have tried eats my grape Caulerpa. I control that by hand. If anyone has suggestions, let me know Saragassum I also pull by hand but it's easy to do.
You can probably sense this question coming
but are you using good water source for top off and water changes? Or perhaps the tank is relatively new. I had terrible algae cycles of all kinds in the first few months, but then my system balanced out and the algae went away (except for Caulerpa and Valonia).Nothing I have tried eats my grape Caulerpa. I control that by hand. If anyone has suggestions, let me know
Saragassum I also pull by hand but it's easy to do.I am using RO/DI water for my water changes. I don't have hardly any microalgae, and I have two trochus snails, but they don't eat macro. I am running phosban in my tank, but maybe it needs changing(?). I have a TDS meter and the RO/DI right now is at 3ppm. Tank has been running for 9 months now. I have 4 fish total (three were added last week), but I had this macro before adding fish.
I had originally had some cyano problems, but I believe that was due to me overfeeding DT's oyster eggs. I stopped feeding those, used some red slime remover and that got rid of the cyano. I also have a maxima clam (about 3"), and was feeding the DT's phyto. I stopped feeding it for about a few weeks now.
I did notice that when I setup my other reef, up to about a year I had a lot of macroalgae and eventually it just went away after I harvested it for a year.
As for urchins, what species can you recommend that doesn't bulldoze corals?
I had originally had some cyano problems, but I believe that was due to me overfeeding DT's oyster eggs. I stopped feeding those, used some red slime remover and that got rid of the cyano. I also have a maxima clam (about 3"), and was feeding the DT's phyto. I stopped feeding it for about a few weeks now.
I did notice that when I setup my other reef, up to about a year I had a lot of macroalgae and eventually it just went away after I harvested it for a year.
As for urchins, what species can you recommend that doesn't bulldoze corals?
Hmmmm... yep. Unless you have a friend nearby that has a larger tank and wants a rabbit. Then you can split the cost on a small one and transfer him later. In my case I am both the person with a 30 and a larger tank, so that is what I am doing.
BUT!
- It is an established 30 soft reef.
- Transfer distance will be about 7 inches when it is time.
- I found a really juvi Foxface
- It's the only fish in the tank.
He did a great job cleaning things up though.
BUT!
- It is an established 30 soft reef.
- Transfer distance will be about 7 inches when it is time.
- I found a really juvi Foxface
- It's the only fish in the tank.
He did a great job cleaning things up though.
If you are only concerned over micro algae, Hector's goby (Amblygobius hectori) can do a fair job. Goes the same for sally light foot. I'd stay away from emerald crab as I had nightmares with these after they get bigger and established into the tank.
As far as macro algae, you do not have much choice for the size of your tank. Pencil or tuxedo urchin can be excellent, but will bulldoze your decor and strip coralline clean.
As previously stated, you can consider small tang or rabbit fish if you have friend with big tank nearby. Otherwise, start invest into having a LFS owner as friend, maybe you can even "rent" a fish for a few weeks.
As far as macro algae, you do not have much choice for the size of your tank. Pencil or tuxedo urchin can be excellent, but will bulldoze your decor and strip coralline clean.
As previously stated, you can consider small tang or rabbit fish if you have friend with big tank nearby. Otherwise, start invest into having a LFS owner as friend, maybe you can even "rent" a fish for a few weeks.
I used to have a indian sailfin that will nibble the grape. However, that is the "only" Indian sailfin that I know of would do that.Len":11n9izj6 said:
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