i-need-an-algae-eater

[tidesound]

I've been trying to help my girlfriend with her 20 gallon saltwater tank, but I'm a freshwater guy myself, so I'm pretty clueless. In my experience with freshwater tanks, I've used plecos or otos to help with algae control. What are some good options for a saltwater tank though?

She's got a chocolate chip starfish, and we were hoping he'd help out with the algae, but so far it doesn't seem like he's making much of a dent. Any advice would be a huge help.

Thanks,
Joshua

[dreamon7]

For saltwater tanks, I've found that snails are the way to go. I personally prefer using astrea snails, as well as nassarius snails. They seem to do a great job of keeping the algae under control. I'm not sure if the chocolate chip starfish would be enough to handle the algae problem on its own, but adding some of these snails might help.

[havenmix]

For tackling algae in a saltwater tank, consider a clean up crew consisting of snails, crabs, and hermits. These guys can be really helpful. If you're interested in learning more about Chocolate chip stars, I'd recommend checking out the recent posts or reaching out to chrissayes for their expertise.

[dreamon7]

Check the link in my signature for my thread on keeping Chocolate Chip Stars. They will eat algae, but they're not very effective at keeping the tank clear of it. The issue you'll face is that they'll pick off and devour snails they come across on the glass. Astrea snails might be safe, though. I've had success keeping mine with blue legged hermits. My star's snail consumption rate is slow enough that I can keep up with buying new snails, and the snails still have time to clean the substrate and glass. For my 14-gallon CCS tank, I've found a good balance is buying 25 small Nassarius snails every two months and keeping 5 blue legged hermits. Keep in mind this is specific to my tank size.

Best bet for buying a bunch of snails at once is usually ebay.

[fleeton]

What kind of algae are we dealing with here - is it the nuisance of Green Hair Algae, the stubbornness of Diatoms, the toxicity of Cyanobacteria, or the unappealing look of Dinoflagellates? Certain organisms tend to target specific types of algae. Also, what's the tank size? If it's on the larger side, over 75 gallons, you might consider a foxface or tang, but for a smaller tank like a 20 gallon, that's not a viable option.

[dreamon7]

Good point fleeton. Since this is coming from a freshwater keeper and he's not freaking out about the algae taking over, I just assumed it was probably diatoms or maybe some cyano growth. To get a better idea of how to tackle this, it'd be helpful if tidesound could describe the algae in more detail - color, texture, how fast it's growing - that kind of thing.

[zenoxa]

Considering the 20-gallon tank size, I think the best cleanup crew for a tank with a chocolate chip star would be fast-moving crustaceans, like hermit or true crabs. These guys can evade the star's snacking habits. If the algae is on the walls, just scrape it off manually or use a magnet.

[dreamon7]

My mag float is actually way more effective at cleaning the walls than any snail I've tried, hands down.

[zenoxa]

I've got a mix of snails and hermits in my tank, but to be honest, I don't really rely on them for cleaning. The snails do make their way up the walls, but they leave behind these weird little tracks - kinda like a map of where they've been.