What species of fish eats macroalgae other than a Tang

[Basile]

Hi everyone , need to find a herbivore fish other than a tang. Anybody have suggestion . I'm setting up a macro-algae tank and need a small fish to help controle the algae pop. A sea hare is too big for my tank , and so is a tang. The blenny eats only micro-algae , so i need a smaller fish that eats macro-algaeThanks.

Edited September 15, 2008 by Basile

[geekreef_05]

For a nano? Not many. If you find a good one let me know, Id be interested too. Most nano fish are carnivores.

 

For larger tanks:

- Angels

- Butterfly's

- moorish idols

- foxfaces

- etc... alot of larger fish will eat macro, but I suspect this is a nano question, which rules out everything cept a dwarf angels, and you would have to have at LEAST a 30-40gal tank to support any of them. Some are also not reef safe or 50/50 reef safe.

Edited September 11, 2008 by geekreef_05

[Break]

I have insane amounts of macro...there has to be a fish/invert solution...

[Basile]

I have insane amounts of macro...there has to be a fish/invert solution...

 

 

The only invert that eat MACRO-ALGAE is a sea hare, about 6" to 8" long, not for nano, or biocube. And the onther inverts eats MICRO-ALGAE When you say insane macroalgae, they have big leafs right? Otherwise it micro.

Edited September 13, 2008 by Basile

[uwwmatt]

Macro algae is easy to pull off with your hands. Just think of it as gardening. If its really micro algae that you mean then there are many things that it could be done to control it.

[Break]

I know the difference between micro and macro algaes; no need for the patronizing tone. Not all macros have "leaves" either.

 

And yes, I did some "gardening" today but not all species of macro are easy to just yank off.

 

No matter I guess. Since I'm going to take the system in the low nutrient direction using ZEOvit, all the macro will die off anyway. I'd just rather spend my cash on stocking the tank right now rather than buying the ZEOvit products.

Edited September 14, 2008 by Break

[Marine1]

Hi everyone , need to find a herbivore fish other than a tang. Anybody have suggestion Thanks.

 

What size tank do you have? Lawnmower blenny or a foxface rabbitfish (probably too big for your tank) are great algae eaters. Pigmy angel fish could be another choice.

 

If you don't have any corals yet you can run your tank for a couple of weeks w/o lights to get rid of the algae. The fish will be fine with no light for a while.

Edited September 15, 2008 by Marine1

[BKtomodachi]

leaves? no.

[KingLucy]

Here is a website explaining the types of snails that eat macro algae: https://www.aquariumcreationsonline.net/snails.html

[Ohmegg]

Mollies! Had bad luck acclimating the gold colored kind with black lyre tails (may be hybrids with non salt tolerant species). But had great luck with sailfins and balloon mollies. Can't go wrong with a $4 fish you can "rescue" from pet smart that won't have any disease and don't need to quarantine.