My ever going quest for algae relief

[Alexander]

So hair algae is becoming a slight problem and i would love to nip it in the butt before it becomes a big problem like i have experieced in other tanks of mine.

My LFS has told me they had success by acclimating a molly fish to sw and puting them in some of thier bays to clear the hair algae. so on i went yesterday to the LFS to prchase one for myself in the 180g.

So far not impressed. all this huge hunk of ugly :pooh: has been doing lately is sitting near the surface of the water doing NOTHING! could i be set for another failure in the constant fight to maintain low algae levels in my tank? we will find out, if so im swooping up this fish and taking it right back. not much I can trade it for. they are only like 8 dollars. well here is a picture for all of you so you can see what I got. its nothing great, especially since its not doing the job i had assumed it would be doing so far.

 

[Alexander]

hard to get a good picture since its sitting in the far back near the surface but thats what i have

 

[Rcpilot]

That doesn't look like a black molly to me. Maybe it's just the angle or the light?

 

[Bifferwine]

Give Molly some time to get adjusted... I have heard about them eating algae. Hopefully you didn't pick up another lemon like 'ol Emily the sea hare...

 

[Bifferwine]

That doesn't look like a black molly to me. Maybe it's just the angle or the light?

The males and females are different colors.

 

[Rcpilot]

Oh. :shock:

Still, it ain't black. I don't think it will do a thing to your algea. It's the wrong color. :wink:

 

[Alexander]

i know nothing about mollys are you saying that only the black ones are known to eat algae? the lfs seems to have had luck with ones that were not black

 

[bobby]

I have heard the mollys do a good job. I have tried the sugar method and it has helped alot. I've only done it once too, but plan to do it more.

 

[Rcpilot]

i know nothing about mollys are you saying that only the black ones are known to eat algae? the lfs seems to have had luck with ones that were not black

I don't know for sure. I just read somewhere that black mollys would eat algae. Never heard of any other mollys eating algae.

Biff, are you saying the female black molly isn't really black?

 

[bobby]

I read and heard that it's the sailfin only. Dfrench used them before and said they helped alot. You might want to try and PM him. I think he used the sailfin.

 

[Bifferwine]

I googled "black molly". And it showed that one gender is brown, and the other is black.

 

[yote]

A molly is a molly.The only difference is the color.

Red,All I can say is good luck.I been fighting the same BS for close to 3 months now.Its finally starting to let up some though.

 

[Doc]

if it is long hair algae, try another sea hare. Turbos do great with the short stuff, but seem to need help finding the right spots to eat. they pig out and sit for a while. I like to place them in the thick of the algae and watch them eat a trail.

Yote's idea of shutting off the lights for 4 days worked great for me and it has not come back at all. the coral did not suffer a bit.

Lastly, I would do the old school method of a tough bristle toothbrush and raging the he!! out of the rocks in a bucket of salt water. I hate to hear about your hair algae trouble. I imagine you are running adequate phosguard or something of the like. Mine gets used up pretty fast and I find myself changing it every other week - it seems to start to go yellow.

-Doc

 

[reeffreak]

Wouldn't a tang do better than a molly?I heard of people putting mollies in saltwater tanks but not for algae control.I'm guessing your big ass Vlamingi isn't doing anything.Go ahead Biff,type out Vlamingi several times.

 

[Bifferwine]

Vlamingi! Vlamingi! Vlamingi!

I don't hold back, baby.

 

[Bifferwine]

Alexander, for serious, try Marine SAT. This stuff, I mean WOW. I had really bad hair algae. Only on two certain rocks, where crap seems to get trapped easily. That stuff DISAPPEARED overnight... And I'm pretty sure it was the Marine SAT. I had been dosing it for 3 or 4 weeks, which is how long the bottle said it would take to start working. I mean, not a freaking trace of the stuff.

 

[Doc]

I have never tried that Marine SAT stuff before. Give it a shot if Biff endorses it.

-Doc

 

[Alexander]

well it is a Sailfin for the contraversy there. still doing nothing but sitting at the top of the water

no my tang LOVES seaweed clips but doesnt give a crap about the hair on the rocks of course.

I started using phosphate remover, not sure what kind it is i forgot. its the only thing that my LFS had at the time. I guess ill sit on it for a while and see what happens. Im definately taking this molly back as soon as i get time to take it back.

Doc I have placed my turbos on the rocks multiple times, no dice. and Im really not so hot on the idea of another sea hare after the last POS i bought. Biff, how is your new hare doing? still seems like a lemon or no?

 

[Bifferwine]

I have to take Jessica II back to the LFS tomorrow because the Marine SAT seems to have eliminated all the hair algae in the tank. I'm afraid she's going to starve.

 

[Alexander]

well if the stuff i have now doesnt work i guess ill pick some of that stuff up