Best Tang For Post Cycle Nuisance Algae (Non Zebrasoma or Acanthurus)

[nuxx]

Hey guys,

About to setup one of my quarantine tanks and was curious about what the best tang would be to deal with some of the nuisance algae that might pop up during the cycle.

I'd like to stay away from Zebrasoma and Acanthurus tangs for now. I'll be adding my existing Yellow along with a Black and Purple in the next batch of fish to go in. Also near the end of my stocking I'll be adding an Achilles and Sohal, so I don't want an Acanthurus in there already.

Was sort of eyeing a Blonde Naso or Yellow Eyed Kole to go in first. Only thing is that I'll be adding a Chevron down the line, and aren't sure how the Kole would treat a newly adding Chevron.

Also, would it be fine to QT a tang with 3 Cardinals in a 40 gallon breeder? Or do they need their own QTs?

Thanks :wave:

 

[crabbyreef]

Not a tang but my One Spot Foxface is an algae eating machine. He's got my tank spotless!

 

[Marine fish man]

U could do the blonde naso but when u said u wanted to add a sohal tang I would not recomd it
I have to get rid if my sohal tang because he is picking on my moorish idol

 

[nuxx]

Sort of the point of getting this size tank was to have the Sohal and Achilles together.

Spoke at length with a few people have kept multiple Sohals over the years, basically comes down to tank size, stock order and the individual fish.

Also heard of Hippo Tangs taking out any other Tang introduced, you never know

 

[woodnaquanut]

I have a yellow eyed Kole. That and a one spot Foxface have done a job on all the algae. They seem to prefer different algae and different locations.

The Kole is much better at flat surfaces. That little mouth can really open wide.

The FF is much better at getting down in crevices. Long snout compared to Kole.

Having them both seems to create competition between them and a willingness to eat almost anything algae!

Of course YMMV.

 

[nuxx]

Don't want to starve the little guys out

Which would be considered hardier?

 

[Jasanden]

my best tang was a powder brown. beautiful fish and had my tank spotless. at the time it was bubble algea driving me nutz.

 

[nuxx]

my best tang was a powder brown. beautiful fish and had my tank spotless. at the time it was bubble algea driving me nutz.

Pretty fish, but too nervous to add in with the other 2 Acan. Tangs.

Do you have aggression issues with the Powder Brown? I've heard the Powder Blue is a devil fish... even from owners of Sohals who had PBT in the tank as well.

 

[Jasanden]

i dont have him anymore but he was a pia to any new aquisitions for about a day. then everyone was fine.

 

[Dmorty217]

You could do a Tomini, yes it is a bristle tooth like the Kole and Chevron, but stay quite small and grow slow compared to most tangs. I wouldn't want another aggressive tang in with the Achilles, even after proper QT fighting could cause stress to the AT and that spells disaster