How To Grow Algae?

[randoma]

We have a kole tang who refuses to eat anything but film algae (kind growing on the walls of the tank) - no interest in hair algae or any of the macro (grape caulerpa and 'lettuce' algae) that I've offered. Also not interested in four different types of nori (3 sheet types and 1 Julien Sprung), or frozen herbivore food or algae flakes....

So... Other than dosing the tank with phytoplankton and getting algae anywhere, does anyone know how to cultivate film algae on rocks..etc? I'm thinking that if I can get film algae on rocks, I can put pieces of nori on the rock, until he gets the idea that nori is food too...

 

[stingythingy45]

Interesting,you might be the first person to ask"How to grow algae" on rocks on a BRS thread?
Does it show any interest if you soak the nori in garlic?
I wonder if the tang would eat bubble algae.I read that a Tang can clear a tank of it.And from what I'm experiencing it seems to grow very well.
But,my mithrax has taken a liking to it so it's living on borrowed time....I hope.

 

[Chris L]

Extend your light cycle and try to add phosphates to your tank somehow. that should get some algae growing

 

[TomD]

My tang would not touch nori but eventually came around and now is a pig. I say feed regular food and eventually he will eat nori. JMO

 

[randoma]

We've had him about a month now - he's starting to look really thin.

 

[TomD]

Ohh, did not realize he was not eating any pellets or frozen either.

 

[fanaglethebagle]

Try doing what everyone else wishes they can do, overfeed, have a longer light cycle, maybe lowering your alk/mag?

 

[chew*]

Use tap water treated tapwater of course........

 

[Scott]

I don't know if it's cost effective, but as a stop-gap, maybe buy or borrow some LR that others have that are loaded up with algae.

Algae cleaning service.

 

[dz6t]

If the tang doesn't eat hair algae, it will be an issue to get enoguh film algae for it. Some tang actually are meat eatter. Have you try Cyclopezze?

 

[Scott]

My scopus tang loves mysis (as well as algae)

 

[Salty Dog]

CS,

If I can borrow him for a week, I can guarantee he'll be much fatter when you get him back. I have a huge brown algae problem right now

Eric

 

[randoma]

As far as I can tell he won't eat anything but film algae. No interest in mysis, fish good, 'reef plankton', algae flakes, pellets...etc..etc.

 

[~Flighty~]

My regals were eating mysis and other meety food, but wouldn't eat nori until I put it inside a container attached to the glass (to catch another fish). I don't know if it was because it was secluded or if it was not moving in the current, but they both started eating it.