A less nervous algae eater instead of tangs?

[mandarin417]

So I have gone through a lot of transitions in my reef tank since setting it up a couple of years ago. I am finding that I am drawn really to fish more than corals. I am fascinated by the captive bred scribbled angels and other on the market.

I have always kept a species of bristle tooth tangs to help with algae control. I haven't found a tang yet that isn't jumpy and I think that jumpiness creates nervousness in the whole tank. I do also have a lawnmower blenny and fox face in my tank. They act much less jumpy. My thinking is to just not have tangs in my tank and see if everyone calms down.

Any thoughts on other critters to work on rock algae other than fox face and lawnmowers in what is becoming a more fish than coral tank?

 

[Pslreefer]

Uh really? Lol tangs don't cause nervousness and make everything in your tank freak out... relax


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[mitchrapp]

My white tail bristletooth tang is not jumpy. He's the most strainer fish in my tank. I used to have a foxface and he was wire jumpy.

 

[ReefTeacher]

I agree, tangs can be jumpy. Some are beautiful enough to put up with. Still, I find that dwarf angels do a decent job of algae control, and are much more peaceful. Some are notorious coral nippers, but this varies not only within the genus but within a species. I have had good luck with the midnight (Centropyge nox) the golden (C. aurantius) the cherub (C. argi) and even the bicolor (C. bicolor), although many have had nippers among the last species. I also had luck with a multibarred (Paracentropyge multifasciata) who was beautiful and always eating algae from the rocks.

I have tried large angels, but almost all of them have turned on coral at one time or another: Emperors, Regals, Bluefaced. The only longterm one who didn't eat coral was a Yellow bar (Pomacanthus maculosus) but he was captive bred. He was a model citizen for five years and grew to be huge.

So try angels for your algae needs. I love them!