Algae eating fish...wich one

[coralmorphian]

The obvious answer would be a tang...BUT...

I have a 50 gallon, and I dont want to have a tang in a tank this small.

I do need to keep the macro algae in check though. I have a lawnmower blenny in there as well as a sixline and 2 bangi's.

As for other critters I have 2 cleaner shrimp and 2 crabs. 1 porcelin and 1 emerald.
2 fighting conchs 10 nassarious and 10 nerite snails.

What suggestions do you folks have for inhabitants to keep the algae growth down.

 

[Pineapple House]

Have you ever tried scarlet reef hermets? I hear these are great algea eaters, esspecielly for a reef. HTH

Pineapple House

 

[2poor2reef]

Hermits aren't going to help you with macro. Neither is the lawnmower as I'm sure you've noticed. It takes a pretty good sized fish to appreciate macroalgae. Have you considered an urchin perhaps? My queen conch also eats it now that it is large. I understand they eat sea grass in their natural habitat. I've seen my emerald mithrax crab munch down young macro. Might help to keep it from regrowing.

You could always remove it by hand in a tank that small also. Makes for great nutrient export.

 

[RicardoMiozzo]

If your algae is filamentous or Derbesia sp., you can try Amblygobius rainfordi.

 

[danmhippo]

Green File fish eats algae as well. I have one in my tank and he supplement his diet with macros through out the day. None of my algae leaves have normal ends, all I see are jagged edges from his grazing behaviour. The file fishes are slow, very slow moving fish and shy indeed. Only when he has been in the tank for a long time will he venture out in the open with the rest of the herds. My file fish also relishes mysis, flakes, and ghosts shrimps. However I have never seen it make attemps on larger shrimps (cleaners, peppermint), hermits, snails, and crabs. I don't know about porcelain crabs as I do now own one.

Green file fish are harder to find, but I have seen FFE carries them from time to time. I haven't really found the exact sci-name for the green file fish I own. But I am guessing it's either Paramonacanthus barnardi, Cantherhines verrucundus, or Monacanthus chinensis. I had mine for close to 6 months. Here is a pic from FFE, but mine is much brighter and prettier.

 

[Dewman]

I noticed that my macro suddenly disappeared when I got my Coral Beauty Angel. He constantly grazes. I also have about 60 blue leg crabs. Dwarf angels can be slightly aggressive though and blue legs have been known to chew on things they aren't supposed to chew on ( I guess noone told them what to eat :wink: ) and they tend to climb up on my umbrella leather and stay there for days.
I have never had any problems with my angel though. Make sure to keep the blue legs fed and they shouldn't bother any of your healthy corals.

If you have valonia though, Emerald Crabs are the way to go (got two of them)

Just my experience....