fast herbivore

[dave green]

75 gallon reef tank with corals, 3 serpent stars, lionfish (about 4-inch body) (there are other critters and another fish, but these are the conditions of note). Everything is growing... fish, starts, inverts, corals... and the algae. I'll be upgrading to a bigger tank in the coming months.

I'm pretty sure that the serpent stars are the cause of the demise of fish and other animals that I have put into this tank to take care of this green hair algae problem... the latest a pretty fair-sized sea hare.

My instinct is to get the serpents out of there (while avoiding the lionfish)... it'll be tricky, but doable... but I'd rather do something that would not involve upsetting the system's balance (as off kilter as it may be).

Is there a fish, invert, alien being, etc... that eats green hair algae, is big enough not to be eaten by the lionfish, and fast enough (or stays out in the open enough) to not be snagged by the stars?

Suggestions?

 

[ralph atl]

hummm.......I'm not sure but top crown snails at liveaquaria might do the trick. You could always call them directly to see what they say. Great customer service.

 

[skriz]

propane torch! It will stay lit underwater and will incinerate the hair algae with a quickness. Everything else will have a so-so affect.

Also, if you can find a way to use some duct tape during this process, then you up the manness scale of the project two-fold!

 

[jmaneyapanda]

i doubt a serpent wuld predate. Brittle starts are the other hand are nororious consumers. Try to find the root of the algae and eliminate that. Getting a hervbivore wont eliminate the root cause (and may only make it worse).

 

[reefwife]

Skriz;199512 wrote:

Also, if you can find a way to use some duct tape during this process, then you up the manness scale of the project two-fold!

Manness.... or redneckness? :doh: LOL