Wade Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 So i bought a Starry Blenny to help control hair algae, but my Bristle Tooth Tang constantly bullies it back into hiding any time it comes out to feed. It's to the point where the blenny is getting very thin and I'm going to have to give it away before it starves to death. Will a Foxface eat hair algae? I don't think the Bristletooth will bully it and get away with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 Thefoxface is an active grazer of hair algae. You might have the same problem though. If you're going to qt, then pull the tang out and qt then together. I've been looking for a starry and I'd be happy to adopt him. Lmk. Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wade Posted April 11, 2016 Author Share Posted April 11, 2016 That would be great, but unfortunately I'm located in TN. I used to live not too far from Pflugerville though:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 Haha! I forgot. I remember that you used to live close by. Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jestep Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 Foxface would be my choice for any algae eating. 100x better than a starry blenny which also do not typically have good long term results in tanks. Most people lose them in under a year even if they are eating well. I think they're susceptible to internal parasites as I've seen a number of them that eat a lot but have the slightly sunken belly which is common in parasitic infections. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+BobcatReefer Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 starry blenny which also do not typically have good long term results in tanks. Most people lose them in under a year even if they are eating well. I think they're susceptible to internal parasites as I've seen a number of them that eat a lot but have the slightly sunken belly which is common in parasitic infections. Dang, that's a downer. I just put a Starry Blenny in my tank and love him! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mFrame Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 Foxface would be my choice for any algae eating. 100x better than a starry blenny which also do not typically have good long term results in tanks. Most people lose them in under a year even if they are eating well. I think they're susceptible to internal parasites as I've seen a number of them that eat a lot but have the slightly sunken belly which is common in parasitic infections. I've never seen my foxface touch algae in my tank. If I were looking for a non-competitive algae eater that eat hair algae I'd look at sea urchins and sea hares before I went for fish. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 I'd go urchin, foxface, then seahare, as the first two are sustainable in most aquariums. The seahare is akin to a moving truck for me, rent it, and once done, return it. Their appetites are so voracious that they'll eat themselves out of a food source in a couple days in most tanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 I would also go urchin instead of the sea hare. Urchins eliminate whole areas of algae and they'll strip the rock down to the skeleton, including the coralline. Plus, you won't have any aggression problems. I probably wouldn't bother with a lettuce nudi, but it's also an option. The problem with them is that they help control the growth, but don't eliminate the problem. I mean the algae problem and not any possible underlying causation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wade Posted June 2, 2016 Author Share Posted June 2, 2016 I had a blue tuxedo urchin that recently perished. Not sure why. Any one urchin better than another? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mFrame Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 I had a blue tuxedo urchin that recently perished. Not sure why. Any one urchin better than another? The tuxedos and smaller ones can fit more places. I love my long spines but cringe when I see them around certain corals, fish, or anemones. I believe pencil urchins don't eat algae. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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