looking for an algae decimating fish

If you are having an algae problem You MUST FIRST ID THE SOURCE OF EXCESS NUTRIENTS check your nitrate and phosphate levels, do you have a sump and refrugium? If so purchase cheato algae to compete with the diatoms . preform a water change,AND USE SEACHEM PHOSGUARD. Do you know what the ORP of you tank is? cyano grows best under 300 mv. One of the best algae eating group of fish are Rabbit fish THUS THE REPUTATION OF EATING GRASS LIKE RABBITS!

 

A lawnmower blenny was a good choice!

 

+1 for the lawnmower blenny, I personally like starry blennies better though (their appearance) and an urchin will help out too.

 

Nitrates are fine. Phosphates are . 025. I have a phosban reactor in my sump but no refuge. I just bought this tank a few months ago used and the sump is on the list of things to upgrade. I have used a chemclean phosphate product and it helped alot. What is ORP?

 

If you an do so, add a refugium with some cheato, and reduce the photocells in your display.

If your tap water has phosphates in it right out of the faucet you are going to need as much phosphate absorption and utilization as possible.

The shorter photoperiod should be done regardless of if you add a refugium or not. This shortens the amount of time algea has for photosynthesis, and stunts it's growth a bit making it easier for your herbivores to take control of the situation.


But, If you can, save for an R/O system, right now, everytime you do a water change or top off evaporation you are putting phosphates in your tank.

 

i believe you need a skimmer if mine broke down i would have a new one within 3 days and gfo in that reactor would also help you are gonna say where does all that stuff come from, nutrients must be removed, all the fish in the world can't keep up with the alage growth in a closed system. invest in a great skimmer,

 

thanks for the advice guys. Ill definitely be investing in a skimmer ASAP. I am also headed to a fish auction this weekend to try to pick up a used 20 or 30 gallon tank to build a new sump with refuge.


what do you guys think of UV sterilizers? I plan on getting one of those in the very near future as well

 

Bottom of the list in terms of neccessity. I wouldn't get one till you have a skimmer, gfo/carbon reactors, and a fuge. I would rank all of those as more important.

 

reactor and skimmer more important than UV sterilizer. keep in mind you're also sterilizing all your little pods and free swimmers that get sucked through your filters. IMO they aren't worth the $ unless we're talking freshwater, typically a pond.

im looking into a hector goby, they are really pretty and eat GHA and sift the sand bed