new guy...

[Tim Marvin]

Snails seem to do the best job on hair algae for me. Depending on the strain, some fish won't touch it because it taste bad. RO/DI is important, mainly the RO, and a refugium can export extra nutrients. I have kept tangs in tanks as small as 30 gallons with no problems they don't grow all that fast, and I am not too concerned with the tang police....LOL.... As long as you take good care of the tang and feed it properly it can thrive just fine for a couple years. Some of the tang police kill them in 200 gallon tanks so go figure that. Anyway, turbo snails can also knock over your corals so you need to keep that in mind, as well as the perching fish killing spots on the corals.
Seriously, if it were my tank I would get one tang(purple or yellow) and about 15-20 snails. That is my preference though.

[Reefdude]

Tim,
I love your argument for tangs..i think im gonna put a tiny purple tang in my 30 gallon. :fish1:

[Tim Marvin]

You also must consider, that eventually, the tang will need more room. I am only saying it can do fine in a 30 gallon for a couple years then you will need to get a bigger tank or sell it. When it is the size of your hand it would be better suited in about 100 gallons or more.

[savoy6]

i got a small yellow tang about a month ago now hes a med. my lawnmower blenny's fins dont touch the rock when he perchs or more accurately weebles on top of the rock and corals. Probably more than 3/4 of my hair problem is gone and it doesnt seem to be coming back or growing where it already is now that i hooked up a fuge and run phosguard every other week for a coupla days.

[TexasState]

Several things to consider about Lawn Mower Blenny:

*Only buy one
*They like to peck at things in your tank, they'll peck your Astrea Snails, making the snails falling down upside down on it back.
*Never try to feed your Lawn Mower common food, once they take to common food, they're less likely to clean your tank.
*Most important, Lawnmower usually worsen your hair algaes problem. They are not efficient hair eater. When they rip the hair out, then don't eat all of it. The stray hairs will float around, seeding itself elsewhere.
*Lawnmower usually are not hair algae eater. Nope, they like to eat the green surface algae more. It's hard to describe, but the surface I'm talking about is like the green stuff growing on your aquarium glass. The kind that makes it hard to see into the tank.

[Tim Marvin]

I have found the same to be true with the lawnmower.

[newtosa]

Dow -

OK, so now that you have a dozen ideas for hair algae control; here's my 2 cents:
1) I've always had a Zebrasoma-type tang in my tanks (yellow, purple, scopas). Tim is right; they don't eat all strains of what we call hair algae (although they do a great job with the types they do eat).
2) Try to develop a breeding population of different types of snails, limpets, chitons, etc. In addition to algae control, they help with the "last mile" of the extra fish food, stirring the sand, etc. And unlike a fish, the population will self-regulate, given enough Ca and alkalinity in the water. Which brings me to:
3) Consistent alkalinity support has been the single most noticeable factor in the wax & wane of hair algae for me. Even if I occasionally neglect the ro/di water, feed too much, or otherwise let the phosphate get too high, it seems like high alkalinity shields me from the impact of these other mistakes.

I'm only a few years into this; I know there are others with more extensive experience than I have. I definitely wouldn't count myself among the tang police, but I lean away from adding a fish you might not be able to support otherwise (if not for the algae).

Good luck with it.

Dean