what eats hair algae?

lubbockfishdude

lubbockfishdude

Member
I was hoping to get small blurbs from anyone on what the best animals that eat hair algae? My tank size is 20 gal., so size does matter?
Would appreciate any feedback.
I havea good understanding of what causes hair algae, but just wondering in case I havea n outbreak again and need a living thing to help me out.
 
toadstar

toadstar

New Member
Get a lawnmower blenny. It is worthed to have one. My blenny is one happy guy in the tank. Its stomach always full and doing lawnmowing everyday. I love it:D
 
danrw84

danrw84

Active Member
i am thinking about a lawnmower too
they are really cute
do they hide a lot? Id love to get my watchman goby out who hides all the time! and get a outgoing goby.
 
striker

striker

Member
I am battling hair algae in my tank right now and they only scavengers that are helping are my long black spined urchins. Whenver they come across a patch of hair algae they devour it. Hopefully they can keep it under control until I order me a couple of sallys and emeralds.
 
lordofthereef

lordofthereef

Member
i really hope you know how bad urchins are for a reef tank. not only will they eat the hair algea, but they will also eat the coraline too. and good luck to ya if you have any power cords going into the tank. they will eventually eat them too. i've seen it happen to someone once, and it wasn't pretty.
 
jim672

jim672

Member
Dan,
I had a lawnmower blennie that was very outgoing. Always eating algea off the glass and rock. He did not go anywhere near some hair algea I had, though.
Unfortunately he committed fish-a-cide as he jumped for freedom and found my carpet. :(
Jim
 
clarkiiboi

clarkiiboi

Active Member
I finally added my lawnmower blenny about 3 maybe 4 weeks ago, and I had a spot of hair algea about the size of a golf ball on a piece of rock, well as of yesterday that is all gone. I never seen it munching on it, but every morning I saw more rock! Mine seems to be out of sight most of the time. If you dont have alot in that 20 gall., I dont see a problem with adding one, but if its pretty full I would go with the other crabs and such that were mentioned. (all this is based on my assumption that your tank is not aggressive). Side note though---I have seen more than once on here that sally light foots get nasty when they get bigger. And yes, from experience my urchins ate coraline. My emerald crab did too, but that is a hit or miss. HTH ;)
 
majakarot

majakarot

Member
i bought a slf to try to help get rid of my hair algae but it won't touch it, in fact the only thing i've found that ALWAYS works is plucking... but that really sux:(
 
katara

katara

Member

Originally posted by LORDOFTHEREEF
i really hope you know how bad urchins are for a reef tank. not only will they eat the hair algea, but they will also eat the coraline too. and good luck to ya if you have any power cords going into the tank. they will eventually eat them too. i've seen it happen to someone once, and it wasn't pretty.
I personally bought a lm blenny for a MASSIVE hair algae prob. and I've noticed that when it smells the food I feed the other tank mates it goes crazy ripping out chunks of the algae..too soon for any real difference yet though.As for urchins..I have had two of them for almost a year and I have not noticed any coraline missing..they also however did not do anything for my hair algae.Neither of them has touched any of my coral, much less any power cords.
 
lordofthereef

lordofthereef

Member
trust me, i've seen them eat power cords in the past! i suppose it's a hit or miss kind of thing though...ya know. i personaly woudn't trust them. just my opinion.
 
wamp

wamp

Active Member
Some urchins are not reef safe. Others are considered safe. Tuxedo urchins are safe... Pencil Urchins are not.. there are many others.
 
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