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Natural Tank Maintanence


itskris

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White searching online for some natural solutions for some nuisance issues a friend is having with a tank I came up with this list... If you have anything to add please post it here so that I can amend the list.
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Bubble/Valonia Algae
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Aptasia, Majano
Berghia Nudibranch
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Hair Algae
Saltwater Molly
Turbo Snails
Sea Hare
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Asterina
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Nudibranch
Red Sea Butterfly & Thread Fin Butterfly
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Acropora Red Bugs
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Flat Worm
Six Line Wrasse
Yellow Wrasse
Leopard Wrasse
Dragonets
Blue Velvet Nudibranch
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Pyramid Snails
Six line wrasse
Green Wrasse
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SchnauzerFace

Turbo snails and sea hares are great for hair algae, too.

 

Creating this list is an excellent idea! It could easily grow into an indispensable resource for hobbyists. But it's probably best to mention two things:

 

1.) Every individual animal is different. For example, I've had a lawnmower blenny that ate hair algae all day, and another one who wouldn't touch it. I've had mixed luck with peppermints eating aiptasia. Each animal is not necessarily representative of the "species norm," so go in with tempered expectations. And with that in mind ....

 

2.) It's usually best to fix a problem at its source rather than adding livestock to take care of it. I.E. Hair algae -- take care of phosphates and nitrates. Aiptasia can usually be handled with Aiptasia X or lemon juice, provided you jump on the problem EARLY. Bubble algae can usually be handled with proper tank husbandry. Other pests can be largely avoided through quarantines and/or coral dips.

 

Bringing in new livestock is a great way to increase the diversity of the tank ecosystem, but it can also cause problems of its own. And, like I mentioned with hair algae, it can sometimes be a temporary fix when a permanent solution is better.

 

Finally, some of these animals (the sea hare in particular) will ONLY eat the thing you're trying to get them to kill. So if you put a sea hare in the tank and he eats all the hair algae, you either need to bring him back to the fish store or give him to another hobbyist or he'll starve to death.

 

Anyway, I think this is a great idea for a thread, but I just wanted to add a quick footnote.

 

Thanks!

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ill tell you a story, i had a colony of zoas (6"x3"x3" large)... COMPLETELY infested with long hair algae, probably about 4 inches long at times. All zoas closed, completely immersed in algae.. I did a 2 minute dip in H202 mixed with tank water (1:1) and the next day there was 0 hair algae and all zoas open. No algae since either..

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SchnauzerFace

I've heard about h202 dips killing hair algae. Do you think I could put a few pieces of live rock in a peroxide dip and not risk a mini cycle? I worry about die off, but I also hate hair algae so I'm willing to try new things.

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CronicReefer

Turbo snails eat hair pretty much guaranteed and berghia nudibranch is the natural predator for aiptasia anemone. H2O2 has been used successfully for a very long time but you need to read how to do it properly to prevent harming your tank inhabitants.

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