i'm using mollies to eat algae

i'm using fresh water mollies to eat the feather caulerpa in my tank.snails and crabs don't seem to be keeping up with this feather type caulerpa and the seahare does'nt want it.i went through 2 lawnmower blennies that died.my tanks to small 55gallon to keep a tang to full size and they are going for $50 around here.the white urchin lasted a wk and never ate much of the algae.i know i need a water change but i just had disc surgery 2 weeks ago and water is 8lbs per gallon.the caulerpa was smothering 2 large patches of zoos and releasing plumes of green smoke into the tank.so i bought 4 mollies.one died by morning and i'm thinking it was actually a platty so opps there.one molly died and other 2 are now a week old and eatting the feather caulerpa very well and looking healthy.i'm going to get someone to help me change water soon but the mollies are doing clean up great for now.at $3 a fish i'm happy with this solution


and eating algae

 

how about some chitons? they are great at eating algae!

 

your Xenia colony/ colonies are fantastic by the way

nice work on the mollies in the CUC

Steve

 

wow i didnt know u could do that thats cool

 

so just mollies or do they work the best for gha?

 

i did'nt know if they'de eat the feather caulerpa or not but i saw them cleaning my fresh water tank before i got into reefs and on a hunch i thought i'd try them seeing as their so cheap.you have to aclimate them very very slowly and expect some loss.they can go from saltwater to fresh just like salmon.idk if there is long term effects but i should be well enough by then to do more water changes and take better care of my tank so the caulerpa does'nt get out of hand.about the chittons,i have many small ones but they don't seem interested in the 2 problem rocks covered with zoas and caulerpa.you can see the green one in the 2nd photo.its not hair algae.it has thick stems nothing eats

 

U should ask some kids in the neighborhood and get your self a trashcan (or bucket) and a powerhead with 6ft of plastic tubing and fill it that way

 

I used to feed them to Lionfish..

Larry

 

That "green smoke" the caulerpa released sounds like it went sexual. If that is the case some serious water changes and carbon are in order or things are going to get much, much worse.

 

yeah but like i said.i can't even lift 5lbs so i'm doing all i can.even if i mixed a gallon at a time ,which would weight 3lbs more than i should lift,it would be 16 trips to my tank just to fill it up.i can't even make 5 trips before i'm popping more pain killers.this will have to do for now.oh and yes it was going sexual.the mollies should get it all in time.