Black Mollies for hair algea?

mgny · 02/24/2009, 06:18 PM

Got a tip to control some hair algea in my frag tank. Was wondering if anyone has tried it, and any problems they may cause. I'm tempted to go try a few right now but figured i better ask first. thanks Mike

Vinny Kreyling · 02/24/2009, 06:29 PM

Mike - Have a trio in my tank but for other reasons.
Just drip them & you should be OK.

mgny · 02/24/2009, 06:49 PM

Seems to easy Vinny. If it works i will kick myself!!!

Long Island Andy · 02/24/2009, 08:12 PM

Mike

I have dalmation mollies in my main tank and frag tank

mgny · 02/24/2009, 08:45 PM

Andy do they do the job?

WallysWorld · 02/24/2009, 09:35 PM

What exactly do you do when you "drip them"? I understand you slowly dip saltwater into their tank or container but how long should it take and how many drops per hour? I guess I am looking for details or step by step...

-Walter

Long Island Andy · 02/24/2009, 10:41 PM

Mike

They pick at it constantly but don't touch bryopsis and in my opinion they are not as good as a foxface or rabbitfish. I just like the fish. They had babies in my frag tank that lived until the 6-line picked them off.

Walter

I just put the mollies in a small bucket(fresh water) and drip salt water from the tank for about 15 minutes. I have found them to be pretty hardy and actually are more active in the salt water than fresh

WallysWorld · 02/25/2009, 11:30 AM

I am going to try this over the weekend. Do you know if they even eat bryopsis? I have a species that looks like a fern cant seem to get rid of it?

Thanks for the info!

sjlesq99 · 02/26/2009, 01:10 PM

Let me know if you have any luck with the mollies eating Bryopsis. I have a terrible algae problem. I bought a sea hare and some big turbo snails from Andy. The sea hare does not like the Bryopsis. The turbos are pretty good, but they are bulldozers.
The only thing that I have heard works with Bryopsis is raising MG with Kent Tech-M. No other MG supplement works.

elvictre · 02/27/2009, 02:16 PM

Did you try them yet Mike?

mgny · 02/27/2009, 02:28 PM

hey Victor, started with 4. One went carpet surfin! The other 3 are starting to settle in.They haven't started to pick yet. will keep you posted.

Neurotech · 02/28/2009, 06:49 AM

aquahut has a tankfull in sw

elvictre · 03/09/2009, 05:52 PM

Update Mike?

pecan2phat · 03/10/2009, 10:04 AM

Andy,

Do mollies work better then algae blennies?

mgny · 03/10/2009, 12:05 PM

Hey Guys, 2 of them made it. They are starting to graze a little. hopefully they will pick it up. The mexican turbos are doin a great job in the frag tank. You can manually put them up on the rack when the lights go out and they go to work.

Long Island Andy · 03/10/2009, 12:12 PM

Warren

I don't know how much how much of a dent they really put in the algae. They do eat it , but can they keep up with an aggressive algae, that is asking a lot . They have had babies in my frag tank so they definately don't mind the salt. I am trying to convince people that they are a rare RED SEA species and sell them LOL

Andy

seldin · 03/16/2009, 12:14 PM

I had hair algae and finally got rid of it. I have a lot of flow in my tank and my nitrate and phosphates measured 0. I was told that the hair algae was consuming the phosphates before they had a chance to register.

What worked very quickly was increasing my clean up crew. I bought a bunch of hermit crabs and emerald crabs and that did the trick. It seems that if you keep the hair algae short, the clean up crew does a great job. However, it seems like the crew does not do as well on hair algae that has grown long. So I had to scrub that down. And after a couple of weeks, almost all of it is gone. What a pain.

The negative is that I heard from Ralphie a while back, that it seems like emerald crabs don't last a long time in the aquarium. I can vouch for the ones that I had. However, they do make an excellent part of the crew. They pick the rock clean. Very hard workers.

02/24/2009, 06:18 PM	#1
mgny Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: wantagh,ny Posts: 621	Black Mollies for hair algea? Got a tip to control some hair algea in my frag tank. Was wondering if anyone has tried it, and any problems they may cause. I'm tempted to go try a few right now but figured i better ask first. thanks Mike

02/24/2009, 06:29 PM	#2
Vinny Kreyling Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Miller Place, NY Posts: 7,206	Mike - Have a trio in my tank but for other reasons. Just drip them & you should be OK. __________________ 250 gallon mixed reef, 2 Reefbreeder's Photon V 2, Deepwater BLDC 12, DAS EX-3 Skimmer, MTC mini cal, 2-3/4" Sea Swirls, Aquacontroller & 6 Tunze pumps.

02/24/2009, 08:12 PM	#4
Long Island Andy Andy Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Ronkonkoma Long Island Posts: 1,357	Mike I have dalmation mollies in my main tank and frag tank __________________ Andy Current Tank Info: 65g Reef,15g Mantis Tank

02/24/2009, 09:35 PM	#6
WallysWorld Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Port Jefferson Station Posts: 1,855	What exactly do you do when you "drip them"? I understand you slowly dip saltwater into their tank or container but how long should it take and how many drops per hour? I guess I am looking for details or step by step... -Walter __________________ SCIENTIA EST POTENTIA! Current Tank Info: 120 gal 4x2x2 Reef, 4 x 160W Kessil's, Refuge, Korallin Calcium Reactor, ASM G3 Skimmer and Refuge.

02/24/2009, 10:41 PM	#7
Long Island Andy Andy Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Ronkonkoma Long Island Posts: 1,357	Mike They pick at it constantly but don't touch bryopsis and in my opinion they are not as good as a foxface or rabbitfish. I just like the fish. They had babies in my frag tank that lived until the 6-line picked them off. Walter I just put the mollies in a small bucket(fresh water) and drip salt water from the tank for about 15 minutes. I have found them to be pretty hardy and actually are more active in the salt water than fresh __________________ Andy Current Tank Info: 65g Reef,15g Mantis Tank

02/24/2009, 06:49 PM	#3
mgny Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: wantagh,ny Posts: 621	Seems to easy Vinny. If it works i will kick myself!!!

02/24/2009, 08:45 PM	#5
mgny Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: wantagh,ny Posts: 621	Andy do they do the job?

02/25/2009, 11:30 AM	#8
WallysWorld Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Port Jefferson Station Posts: 1,855	I am going to try this over the weekend. Do you know if they even eat bryopsis? I have a species that looks like a fern cant seem to get rid of it? Thanks for the info! __________________ SCIENTIA EST POTENTIA! Current Tank Info: 120 gal 4x2x2 Reef, 4 x 160W Kessil's, Refuge, Korallin Calcium Reactor, ASM G3 Skimmer and Refuge.

02/26/2009, 01:10 PM	#9
sjlesq99 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 271	Let me know if you have any luck with the mollies eating Bryopsis. I have a terrible algae problem. I bought a sea hare and some big turbo snails from Andy. The sea hare does not like the Bryopsis. The turbos are pretty good, but they are bulldozers. The only thing that I have heard works with Bryopsis is raising MG with Kent Tech-M. No other MG supplement works.

02/27/2009, 02:16 PM	#10
elvictre Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 294	Did you try them yet Mike?

02/27/2009, 02:28 PM	#11
mgny Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: wantagh,ny Posts: 621	hey Victor, started with 4. One went carpet surfin! The other 3 are starting to settle in.They haven't started to pick yet. will keep you posted.

02/28/2009, 06:49 AM	#12
Neurotech Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 870	aquahut has a tankfull in sw __________________ Boneh Current Tank Info: 2 54 corner tanks. 1 2X65 PC and 1 250 watt 20K MH.

03/09/2009, 05:52 PM	#13
elvictre Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 294	Update Mike?

03/10/2009, 10:04 AM	#14
pecan2phat Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Wallingford, CT Posts: 4,990	Andy, Do mollies work better then algae blennies?

03/10/2009, 12:05 PM	#15
mgny Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: wantagh,ny Posts: 621	Hey Guys, 2 of them made it. They are starting to graze a little. hopefully they will pick it up. The mexican turbos are doin a great job in the frag tank. You can manually put them up on the rack when the lights go out and they go to work.

03/10/2009, 12:12 PM	#16
Long Island Andy Andy Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Ronkonkoma Long Island Posts: 1,357	Warren I don't know how much how much of a dent they really put in the algae. They do eat it , but can they keep up with an aggressive algae, that is asking a lot . They have had babies in my frag tank so they definately don't mind the salt. I am trying to convince people that they are a rare RED SEA species and sell them LOL Andy __________________ Andy Current Tank Info: 65g Reef,15g Mantis Tank

03/16/2009, 12:14 PM	#17
seldin Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Suffolk County, NY Posts: 1,091	I had hair algae and finally got rid of it. I have a lot of flow in my tank and my nitrate and phosphates measured 0. I was told that the hair algae was consuming the phosphates before they had a chance to register. What worked very quickly was increasing my clean up crew. I bought a bunch of hermit crabs and emerald crabs and that did the trick. It seems that if you keep the hair algae short, the clean up crew does a great job. However, it seems like the crew does not do as well on hair algae that has grown long. So I had to scrub that down. And after a couple of weeks, almost all of it is gone. What a pain. The negative is that I heard from Ralphie a while back, that it seems like emerald crabs don't last a long time in the aquarium. I can vouch for the ones that I had. However, they do make an excellent part of the crew. They pick the rock clean. Very hard workers. __________________ - Larry Current Tank Info: 55 gallon Reef, Aquactinics MH/T5, 1/3 hp chiller, LifeReef overflow, custom sump/refugium, AquaC pro skimmer and Vortech MP40w. Also, a Solana Rimless nano, Viper 150MH, Tunze 9002 skimmer, Vortech MP10 ES and RKL Controller.