Algae Grazer Recs For Nano

My tank is about 34 gallons... I am looking for a suitable algae eater.. my tank is getting hairy. (2 months old, nitrates < 10ppm) Fuge now kicking in...

In the past I have had good luck with Coral Beauties. I may get one again, however I am looking for your input on other options suitable for my tank.

If you have a favorite, please post.

If you have a Coral Beauty, I have a question about clams here:
http://www.3reef.com/forums/tropical-fish/coral-beauty-angelfish-fine-your-clams-86328.html


Thanks all!

matt

 

I've had good luck with an algae blenny.

 

The problem with algae blennies is that if they don't eat prepared foods, they'll starve after the algae runs out. Also, I'm pretty sure that most algae blennies eat film algae, not hair algae.

I have had a coral beauty in the same tank as a clam and never had any problems. You know how it is with angel fish though Matt. Your mileage may vary. I say get one if you really want one (and I know you do).

 

I have seen my algae blenny take a mouthful of hair algae and rip it out of the rock. if you have tried pulling hair algae (the filamentous kind) with your fingers, you know it is not easy to remove.
I added him when I had algae problem. he did a better job on cleaning than all my snails combined. even frag plugs covered in algae was completely clean. maybe just lucky. I know just as with any fish, it is hit or miss. my current favorite fish.

 

Has to be a fish?

Trochus snails are good snails that have big appetites and are not quite as bulldozery as turbos.

 

I have tried bristle-tooth tangs, blennies, foxface, and pygmy angels trying to find a fish that would eat hair, but none of mine have. The foxface took one bite when I first added him, but never again since.

 

Thanks - I should clarify - when I said 'hairy' I meant that there is some algae growing on some rocks - not particularly hair algae per say, it is just getting green in there.

 

My algae blenny was awesome when he was eating algae in the tank. He also ate flake, pellets, live food etc....He got lazy and would leave the algae on the rocks and such and only eat prepared foods, LMAO.

 

mine all disappeared within 3 weeks of getting my sump running with a double fistfull of chateo and a few Mangroves.

 

I've had success with a bi-colored blenny, which ate a ton of algae at the start, and I got to eat prepared foods like bloodworms.

What interested me in this whole process is that my overflow was COVERED in hair algae, as my pod population exploded, the pods invaded my overflow and ate all of the algae out of it within a matter of 2-3 weeks. You might want to wait for a bit before getting anything perhaps until pods start eating what's there?

But if you were thinking of getting anything I'd recommend a bi-color rather than an algae blenny. from what I've read and my own experience they're easy to get eating frozen foods after the algae runs out.