i need a plan of attack

[wolfe4372]

on my zoas, they are so covered in algea i think i may lose them. any pointers on things i should do to get rid of the algea?

its only on them and my epxoy which i find weird.

you can see them in the right hand bottom corner. they are better in the picture then they are now

[Seamore]

Could it be that the rock they are on is laden w/phosphates? I can't think of another reason it would only grow there, if so it will eventualy leach out. For now I would clean off what you can by hand or find a friend with an agressive algea eater and place it in the tank. I have a very dedicated yellow tang that would have it done in a day. Your tank looks good BTW.

[aquawolf]

For now you can pluck it by hand on a daily basis. When you are doing your water changes, pull the rock and put it in the old tank water and scrub it gently with a soft bristle tooth brush to get as much of the algae off as possible. Since it is a nano tank a tang would not work, but a lawnmower blenny or more clean up crew members might help you out as well.

I have had rocks do the same thing and I have removed them from the system completely. Worse case scenario you begin fragging the zoanthids and gluing them to a new piece of rock so you can take this piece out and cook it.

Best of luck, and how is your head feeling today?

[OneDummHikk]

Lawnmower Blenny. Its phosphates showing its head in the tank and the only way you are going to stop it is to remove the source of the phosphate. As said, simply remove it from the tank (as much as possible) each water change and eventually the P will get to the point that its not feeding the algae.

Good luck with it.

[pastina]

I second the lawnmower blenny
but after he eats the algae he may starve since lawnmowers dont take to prepared foods as eagerly as other blennies.
other blennies to try are black blenny or a red lipped blenny (and some others), both of those will eat flakes when the algae runs out.

[wolfe4372]

Originally Posted by aquawolf

For now you can pluck it by hand on a daily basis. When you are doing your water changes, pull the rock and put it in the old tank water and scrub it gently with a soft bristle tooth brush to get as much of the algae off as possible. Since it is a nano tank a tang would not work, but a lawnmower blenny or more clean up crew members might help you out as well.

I have had rocks do the same thing and I have removed them from the system completely. Worse case scenario you begin fragging the zoanthids and gluing them to a new piece of rock so you can take this piece out and cook it.

Best of luck, and how is your head feeling today?

i cant try to frag it till brian decides if he wants mosey, or i figure out something to do with my little cowrie freind.
no one i know has tangs

i may step up on some clean up crews. i cant do blennies im at my fish limit.
i have been running some phosban and some neo zeo, ive turned my lighting schedual down and my duncan isnt getting his every other day treat.

and i do do the tooth brush thing to.

maybe more water changes?


and what do you guys suggest far as clean up crews?

(on a side note when i kept LBs they tended to take to the fish food too well and never ate anything but that.)



and my head, well ive had migraines since i was about 11 so i know how ot deal with them, very very well. vision changes usually mean to lack of magnisium in the diet so i took some tabs and laid in bed for a few. it went away but my tongue has been weird, it went numb last night. i was lucky i caught it so early, so i could make it go away.

[shaggy52282]

Originally Posted by wolfe4372

i cant try to frag it till brian decides if he wants mosey, or i figure out something to do with my little cowrie freind.
no one i know has tangs

You do realize that even best case scenerio my tank won't be ready for inhabitants for at least 2 months right?

[wolfe4372]

Originally Posted by shaggy52282

You do realize that even best case scenerio my tank won't be ready for inhabitants for at least 2 months right?

yea i do

the good news is is when mosey is eating my zoas hes busy eating the algea on them to.


ill probably just water change, and then scrub.

[Seamore]

What I ment was to put the rock in a friend's tank with the friend's agressive tang or other algae eater. Sorry I was not clear on this. I sometimes rotate rock into the display that need a mowing for my tang to have some fun with. So if you know someone near by that has a critter that will do the mowing for you offet your friend some free greens for his fish. Good luck

[nickev0]

get a surgeon

[aquawolf]

That is an excellent idea Seamore. I did not even think of it that way just because all of my reefing friends are at least 2 hours away so I usually have to be self sufficient.

[Rapidfire143]

did you ever think of a sea urchin?? i heard they are pretty good at eating hair and neusance algae. They can also go in a nano

[wolfe4372]

Originally Posted by aquawolf

That is an excellent idea Seamore. I did not even think of it that way just because all of my reefing friends are at least 2 hours away so I usually have to be self sufficient.

that would eb great, if i had freinds with tangs, and such. i dont.
a have a freind with an agressive tank and brian who has an empty tank.

[wolfe4372]

Originally Posted by Rapidfire143

did you ever think of a sea urchin?? i heard they are pretty good at eating hair and neusance algae. They can also go in a nano

i have one thats why im constantly covered in epoxy.