hippo tang

[hangles]

I'm looking to putting my second fish in the tank. a hippo tang ! i;v heard that they will eat grape alge i have it growing on my rock and its getting out of hand is this true? or are there other fish more suited to eating this alge ! my first fish is a lawnmower blenny.
thanks for any help or coments

 

[moobar]

Maybe a rabbitfish (foxface) or yellow tang?

Hippo tang grows quite large and is prone to ich if stressed from too little swimming room.

 

[six.line]

Your 75 gallon will be all right for a year or two, depending on how much he grows... They've been known to eat algae, but to be honest with you I haven't heard of it being grape algae. Is this the caulerpa kind? You'll have a chance if so. I'd wait for some other responses and try to read up on hippo tang diets.

Good luck.

 

[hangles]

the alge looks like small bunches of grapes in the nooks and crannies of my rock and grows runners out to touch more rock and spread. im not sure what type it is. i just keep pulling it out and it keeps spreading

 

[six.line]

Sounds like caulerpa. This is good stuff to have, which I'm sure you knew. I gotta admit... Once it takes hold of rocks it's dang near impossible to get off, hippo tang or no.

Good luck dude.

 

[somethingphishy]

according to others, tangs are hit or miss for some types of algae(in my case hit, my tang eats it all except for turf algae.) You should be fine with a hippo and your tank size just don't populate the tank like noah's ark.

 

[nmprisons]

i wouldn't get a tang to control algae (particularly when your tank is too small for that particular type of tang). maybe a foxface or other rabbitfish (as someone else suggested) or some type of invert (maybe an urchin or a mithrix crab)

 

[ambaratur]

Here is a useful guide on keeping tangs: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=739380

 

[hangles]

thanks for the thread Ambaratur!
the min size tank for the hippo is 75g but he gets quite big in the body. so a yellow tang would be the better choice of the two. I checked on the foxface and rabbit both are not really reef safe for me since i have softies. I dont want this algae to take over my tank and i;m looking for a natural balanced way to curtail the problem.
thanks!