Is there an algae eater in the saltwater realm?

[dreamweaver]

I have a very old, small house... And because of also having a sectional couch, I don't have the luxury of being able to re-arrange furniture.... Thus, I'm left with only one place where my 55 gal aquarium can go...
Here's my dilemma.... My aquarium is gathering green alage on the glass sides. While I can use my "magnet cleaner" on the front and one side - it's virtually impossible to reach the back and the other side.
When the aquarium was set up for freshwater - I was able to maintain algae control by certain fish..... So I'm left wondering - Does saltwater offer algae eaters as well?

[hr]
Another thing I have to consider is the fact that my aquarium suffered with ick a 2-3 months ago and the product utilized to rid my fish of ick contained copper. I purchased a copper testing kit - and even though we tested the water before adding our starfish back in to the aquarium population, apparently traces of copper remained undetected and I lost my star....
If anyone could help I'd be extremely grateful.... To be honest, recently due to severe illness I've been pretty much on the go taking care of my mother. Don't really have much time for my usual tank maintenance. This am I tried to use a long handled scrubber which I purchased at my lfs - but again, I'm having difficulty really reaching around due to the location of the tank...
Thanks for any help you can give.

 

[chadman]

well it is usually inverts which take care of algae...i.e. snails hermits and such....and unfortunately they will not do well with copper in the water....
question: did you leave all your live rock and everything in your tank as well when you treated your tank for ich with copper?

 

[lsu]

I would have said snails but the trace amounts of copper will more than likely kill them as well. Have you tried a lawnmower blenny? Mine destroys the algae on the back of the tank to the point that I now have an obese fish.

 

[chadman]

oh yes!! forgot about my little algae eathing friend....good call with the lawnmower...they are excellent algae eaters

 

[dreamweaver]

Yes... All live rock, etc. were left in.... Didn't know I should have removed it - ?? My lfs only gave instruction on Copper Safe and advised that I move my Red Knobby Star to another tank.......

 

[aquareefer]

There are many Blennies are great algae eaters, most mentionable of which is the lawnmower blenny. There are many sand sifting gobies that will help clean any algae blooms on/in your sandbed. The brownbarred goby does great cleaning sand, as does the yellowheaded sleeper goby. Surgeonfish and rabbitfish wil many microalgae too, but don't get the filmy stuff on the glass like many of the algae eating blennies.
A good algae attack crew of fish only would be a blenny for the glass, a tang or rabitfish for the rocks/decor, and a goby for the sand.