Kole / Bristletooth Tangs

[Patrick Cox]

My 100G tank is about 75 days old and I started out with Tampa Bay Saltwater Live Rock and my tank is also a Zeovit Tank. I have always had in my stocking plan to add a Kole or Bristletooth tang as my last fish. I recently added 3 small anthias and because of the extra feeding I have been doing for the Anthias, I am getting some brown fuzz algae on my rocks. My One Spot Foxface is picking at the algae but I am wondering if it is time to add the tang. I am a bit worried about the additional bio load on the system, but then if the Tang will eat this algae then that may help. So, any idea if either a Bristletooth or Kole tang will eat this algae? And would now be an Ok time to add?

Current fish
One Spot Foxface
Clownfish pair
Trio of Ignitus Anthias
Small Yellow Assessor
Small Possum Wrasse

Thanks!

 

[nereefpat]

Probably just diatoms you have there. Common in a new tank. Bristle tooth tangs will eat on them, but the brown stuff you are seeing will go away soon anyway.

I would wait another month or two for the diatoms to die off and other algae to start before adding the tang. IMO give it another few weeks, then find the kole and get him in qt. By the time that's done, your tank will be mature.

 

[Patrick Cox]

Probably just diatoms you have there. Common in a new tank. Bristle tooth tangs will eat on them, but the brown stuff you are seeing will go away soon anyway.

I would wait another month or two for the diatoms to die off and other algae to start before adding the tang. IMO give it another few weeks, then find the kole and get him in qt. By the time that's done, your tank will be mature.

Thanks for the reply. Do diatoms get kind of fuzzy? What I see on the rocks is fuzzy. Thanks.

 

[nereefpat]

Not generally. Closer pic might help

 

[ca1ore]

Fuzzy brown algae doesn't sound like diatoms; plus at 75 days should be past that. Does it brush off easily - diatoms will. Bristles are good at scraping the rocks, though they go for slime and film alga, more than hair algae. Absent the QT issue, yes, now would probably be a good time for a Kole.

 

[Patrick Cox]

Not generally. Closer pic might help

Here are a couple of close up pictures of the algae... (I forgot to correct the white balance but you get the idea.) Looks like brown hair algae.

 

[Patrick Cox]

Any thoughts on if a Kole Tang or Potter's Angel will eat this hair algae?

 

[ca1ore]

I would think your foxface would? Looks like hair algae to me. Proabbly a zebrasoma would be a better choice.

 

[Patrick Cox]

I would think your foxface would? Looks like hair algae to me. Proabbly a zebrasoma would be a better choice.

The Foxface does not seem that interested. It is definitely looking for algae to eat but is not really going after this. Just picking really.