Log in

View Full Version : good macroalgae eater for a small tank


Dasho
October 14th 03, 12:54 AM
What kind of fish can i put into my 25Gal that will help me keeping at bay
Caulerpa, Gracilaria, Halimeda and other macroalgae i keep in my tank (no
room for a refugium), without outgrowing it?
Since in a previous post i inquired about a yellow tang and i've been
strongly discouraged because of its fast growth and large adult size, is
there any smaller substitute?
Algae are superb looking and give the tank a great look, but i'm having a
damn hard time pruning them to avoid SPSs suffocation..
Thanks in advance

reefkeeper
October 14th 03, 01:28 AM
Dasho,

I can't think of anything that would fit your tank. From my experience the
gold-spotted rabbitfish is the fish that will eat the most types of
macroalgae. It ate a certain macroalgae that my tangs wouldn't touch. I'm
not sure if it will touch the calcium hard Halimeda, but it should make
quick work of the Caulerpa and Gracilaria, but this is a fish that can grow
to over a foot in length, and I have a feeling it will eventually outgrow my
150. The Foxface rabbitfish is a more common fish, but this fish is also too
large for a 25. If someone knows of a fish that's as indiscriminate as a
gold-spotted rabbitfish towards eating different types of macroalgae, but
also stays relatively small, I would love to hear about it.


"Dasho" > wrote in message
...
> What kind of fish can i put into my 25Gal that will help me keeping at bay
> Caulerpa, Gracilaria, Halimeda and other macroalgae i keep in my tank (no
> room for a refugium), without outgrowing it?
> Since in a previous post i inquired about a yellow tang and i've been
> strongly discouraged because of its fast growth and large adult size, is
> there any smaller substitute?
> Algae are superb looking and give the tank a great look, but i'm having a
> damn hard time pruning them to avoid SPSs suffocation..
> Thanks in advance
>
>

Wort
October 14th 03, 04:33 AM
Emerald Crab


On Mon, 13 Oct 2003 23:54:48 GMT, "Dasho" > wrote:

>What kind of fish can i put into my 25Gal that will help me keeping at bay
>Caulerpa, Gracilaria, Halimeda and other macroalgae i keep in my tank (no
>room for a refugium), without outgrowing it?
>Since in a previous post i inquired about a yellow tang and i've been
>strongly discouraged because of its fast growth and large adult size, is
>there any smaller substitute?
>Algae are superb looking and give the tank a great look, but i'm having a
>damn hard time pruning them to avoid SPSs suffocation..
>Thanks in advance
>

Dasho
October 14th 03, 10:17 AM
Wort, I have 2 emerald crabs, not only they seem to be indifferent to
Valonia, but also they never touch Caulerpas and stuff alike.And they are
REAL Mithrax sculptus.

wolfhedd
October 15th 03, 08:22 PM
i had a tang, it died recently, think cause it got overstress and underfed
during a hair algae crisis. however, i had this tang for 2 years and he
didng get much bigger because i fed him sparingly and tank was 60 gal with
good amount of rock.
wolfhedd

"Dasho" > wrote in message
...
> Wort, I have 2 emerald crabs, not only they seem to be indifferent to
> Valonia, but also they never touch Caulerpas and stuff alike.And they are
> REAL Mithrax sculptus.
>
>
>
>