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Lobophora control- I found the answer! Nasos 6/14/06 Hi Bob: <Paul> After 1 year of searching for the control of a serious outbreak of Lobophora <Brown Wafer Algae for browsers> I have finally found the answer. No it is not pulling out by hand (been there, done that) nor is it some exotic sea urchin (I've tried many different species). No, the answer is as simple as the common Naso Tang. <Heeee! I have some pix of "intertidal" Naso lituratus in Hawai'i... yes, with their heads out of the water, munching on "Limu" brown/Phaeophyte algae on the shoreline...> I read recently that someone had success with a Naso tang clearing out Lobophora within 1 month. It works! I purchased a blonde Naso Tang last week and he has not stopped working on the Lobophora since. I think the reason why many reefers are reluctant to try the Naso is for fear that if they don't do the job, they are stuck with a fish that will eventually get too big for their tank. I myself only have a 90 gal tank. I was willing to take the chance rather than see all my rock continue to me smothered with the Lobophora. There are plenty of small Naso Tangs on the market, you just have to look around and be patient until you find one that's not too big. I was lucky enough to find one around 3" from head to tail. I figure I will get a good year or so before he may have to relocate. I am confident that by that time, there won't be a piece of Lobophora in sight. In fact, in the past week he has cleared out about 25% of it and is working on the rest every day. By the way, he shares the 90 gal reef with a 4" Yellow Tang and a 2" Hippo Tang. I am sure you will have fun with that one! <Can be done... particularly where one or more is "occupied" as here> Neither of these tangs will touch the Lobophora. The Naso tang, which apparently has a diet that consists of mainly brown algae in the wild, loves this stuff. I hope you will post this email. <We post all> It may help out many frustrated reefers that are plagued with this algae. I have even seen some posts with reefers resorting to pulling out all there rock and scrubbing it. Good grief! Thanks again Bob for all your help on other issues throughout the years. <Thank you for sharing, writing so well. Cheers, Bob Fenner>
Re: Algae killing my corals (attn Bob Fenner) I swear I'm not
doing it! 5/27/06 Bob Thank you for the quick response.
Unfortunately I don't have the room for a Naso Tang, my tank is
only 40g so size is a factor. Do you know of any other creature that
can help? <Mmm... well, there are a number of mainly other fishes
and gastropods that do... but of animals that are readily available in
the trade to try... perhaps a Salarias or Atrosalarias blenny,
Mithraculus crab, even a Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens)...> Is
there any thing that I should try while the tank is broken down? Any
little tip would help, I'll try them all. Thanks Joshua Mansinon
<Favoring other macroalgae species (greens and reds) (Culturing them
in a lighted, tied-in sump/refugium) and stopping the dosing of
iodine/ide/ate compounds (brown kelp/algae need) will likely limit this
Dictyota overpopulation. Bob Fenner> |
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