Fish guaranteed to eat hair algae - Page 3

HippieSmell · 10/25/2017, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishsuse29

How is Magnificent foxface working on your hair alage? I recently purchased a regular foxface and he seems to show no interest

So far, he's picking at rocks and sand. He's eating, but not exactly devouring the long hair algae. The tank is making progress, however. We'll see if he becomes more aggressive. He's a small fish, about 3 inches, and I have a large tank.

cjpitt80 · 12/13/2018, 01:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HippieSmell

So far, he's picking at rocks and sand. He's eating, but not exactly devouring the long hair algae. The tank is making progress, however. We'll see if he becomes more aggressive. He's a small fish, about 3 inches, and I have a large tank.

Any update on this? I'm considering a Magnificent Foxface as well, but I'm thinking it may be too large for my tank. I may go with a bristletooth Tang instead

Fish559 · 12/13/2018, 12:41 PM

I had a purple for 2.5 years. No algae in tank. Swapped him for a tiny blue tang. Algae on rocks.

Zebras are great for algae, at least in my experience.

Joe0813 · 12/13/2018, 01:41 PM

Foxface can eat coral. They can also be massive jerks. Mine killed my purple tang

earwicker7 · 12/13/2018, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HippieSmell

I've been contemplating a white tail bristletooth, a multibar angelfish, and a magnificent foxface. I've read bristletooth can become aggressive, I'm not sure how effective a multibar would be, and I'm a little concerned with how large foxfaces can become.

I also eyed a convict tang, but they're pricy on diver's den and kind of plain looking. I also don't know if my tank is really large enough.

Don't get hung up on "guaranteed". A 9/10 probability is fine.

I have a white tailed bristletooth and a magnificent foxface.

The bristletooth gets along well with all of its tank mates. Both of them nibble on short hair algae, but completely ignore anything that's more than a 1/4" long, so if you're using them to get rid of a major hair algae problem, I don't think they will help.

candymancan · 12/13/2018, 06:14 PM

my astrea snails eat it like crazy.. so does my pin cushion urchin

IveGotSunshine · 12/13/2018, 09:00 PM

Let us know how the foxface works out for you.=, I was considering one too! I personally dont think any of the fish typically go out of their way to eat GHA bc better food is usually available. If there were some fish/inverts that could seriously handle it, I dont think it would be the most common salt water tank issue that it is. I have turbo snails, urchins, sailfin algae blenny, yellow tang,hippo tang, I had a naso and a nudibranch and a quyoi parrotfish before, I have emerald crabs etc- nothing ever eats the GHA that I have ever seen. (Or, if they do, it has been such a small amount it has made no visible impact.)- but thats just for me personally. Id love to hear if a foxface works for you- I have a 220 so I have some space.

earwicker7 · 12/15/2018, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IveGotSunshine

Let us know how the foxface works out for you.=, I was considering one too! I personally dont think any of the fish typically go out of their way to eat GHA bc better food is usually available. If there were some fish/inverts that could seriously handle it, I dont think it would be the most common salt water tank issue that it is. I have turbo snails, urchins, sailfin algae blenny, yellow tang,hippo tang, I had a naso and a nudibranch and a quyoi parrotfish before, I have emerald crabs etc- nothing ever eats the GHA that I have ever seen. (Or, if they do, it has been such a small amount it has made no visible impact.)- but thats just for me personally. Id love to hear if a foxface works for you- I have a 220 so I have some space.

What urchins do you have? I have long-spines in my tank, and they will chow down on hair algae if it gets in their path.

lapin · 12/15/2018, 05:15 PM

I never had much luck with fish eating all my algae. What I thought was fishing eating algae in one of my tanks turned out to be a long spined urchin that came as a stowaway on some live rock. In my current tank I have a pencil urchin that's the size of my fist. Eats everything in its path.

HippieSmell · 01/22/2019, 03:00 PM

Update: He’s a great fish and eats hair algae, but he doesn’t keep my tank algae free. He helps, but he’s not a cure all. I’m still glad I have him, though!

neoh74 · 01/23/2019, 05:02 PM

My lawnmower Bleny used to mow my tank!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

12/13/2018, 01:41 PM	#54
Joe0813 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Boston strong Posts: 2,766	Foxface can eat coral. They can also be massive jerks. Mine killed my purple tang __________________ Joe and Jenny Current Tank Info: 180 reef

12/15/2018, 05:15 PM	#59
lapin Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: Austin Posts: 801	I never had much luck with fish eating all my algae. What I thought was fishing eating algae in one of my tanks turned out to be a long spined urchin that came as a stowaway on some live rock. In my current tank I have a pencil urchin that's the size of my fist. Eats everything in its path. __________________ Tank sizes, 2-10's a 55 and one that's about 500gal Current Tank Info: Interior decorating happening

01/22/2019, 03:00 PM	#60
HippieSmell Occupy Reef Central Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Orbiting Posts: 4,141	Update: He’s a great fish and eats hair algae, but he doesn’t keep my tank algae free. He helps, but he’s not a cure all. I’m still glad I have him, though! __________________ Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like bananas. Current Tank Info: 78"x36"x27" acrylic, 6 Orphek Atlantik V3+ Compacts, MRC Orca Pro II w/washdown, CalcFeeder Pro AC3, Emperor Aquatics 80w UV, 80/20 aluminum stand, Vortech MP60's, Theiling Rollermat, GHL Profilux 3.1T EX, Kessil H380

01/23/2019, 05:02 PM	#61
neoh74 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: Oakley, CA Posts: 151	My lawnmower Bleny used to mow my tank! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk __________________ 118 gallon Aqua Vim Moon View glass tank w/ hood Aqueon Proflex model 3 sump w/ refugium and full spectrum led Aqua C EV180 skimmer 2 Viparspectra 165w LEDs Hydor Smart Wave

12/13/2018, 12:41 PM	#53
Fish559 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Posts: 129	I had a purple for 2.5 years. No algae in tank. Swapped him for a tiny blue tang. Algae on rocks. Zebras are great for algae, at least in my experience.

12/13/2018, 06:14 PM	#56
candymancan Registered Member. Join Date: Aug 2013 Posts: 124	my astrea snails eat it like crazy.. so does my pin cushion urchin

12/13/2018, 09:00 PM	#57
IveGotSunshine Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: Maryland Posts: 15	Let us know how the foxface works out for you.=, I was considering one too! I personally dont think any of the fish typically go out of their way to eat GHA bc better food is usually available. If there were some fish/inverts that could seriously handle it, I dont think it would be the most common salt water tank issue that it is. I have turbo snails, urchins, sailfin algae blenny, yellow tang,hippo tang, I had a naso and a nudibranch and a quyoi parrotfish before, I have emerald crabs etc- nothing ever eats the GHA that I have ever seen. (Or, if they do, it has been such a small amount it has made no visible impact.)- but thats just for me personally. Id love to hear if a foxface works for you- I have a 220 so I have some space.