Plan to add a herbivore to my 90gal.

[96gts]

I have a 90gal (36x24x24) reef tank (mainly SPS) with a Solorensis, Ornate Leopard, McCosker's, Melanurus Wrasse, Midas Blenny and a clown. I plan on adding a herbivore and it'll be the last fish for my tank.

I really like the Powder Blue, but I know they are hard to keep and will get too big for my tank. Powder Brown will be my 2nd choice, but it will also get big. I am also considering a Yellow Eye Kole or Blue Eye Bristletooth Tang as they don't get as big. What do you recommend? What other herbivore will work in my tank?

Thanks,
Jason

 

[rholguin]

How about a fox? I have a magnificent in my 95g. Great fish very peaceful and does a great job at eating algea of the rocks.

 

[IFbettas]

A tomini tang would be a good choice, because they stay pretty small and are really peaceful.

 

[96gts]

How about a fox? I have a magnificent in my 95g. Great fish very peaceful and does a great job at eating algea of the rocks.

Do you have any problem with your foxface nipping on corals? The Foxface gets pretty big too right?

 

[wildman6809]

+1 on fox mine pick at rocks more than tangs do. mine don't pick at any corals, but i have heard of them doing it for others

 

[jda]

Foxfaces get pretty big.

The tangs that you listed are good choices. So are chocolate tangs. Purples stay pretty small too. They are not herbivores, rather omnivores, and do need some meat - please don't just feed them greens.

 

[96gts]

Foxfaces get pretty big.

The tangs that you listed are good choices. So are chocolate tangs. Purples stay pretty small too. They are not herbivores, rather omnivores, and do need some meat - please don't just feed them greens.

Whatever Tang I get will have some meat when I feed the rest of the fish. I thought about Purple Tang, but I hear they are very aggressive. Do you think it'll be fine will my current livestock?

 

[anbosu]

I wouldn't put a purple in a tank with your dimensions. I think a kole is a pretty good choice. Anything else you run the risk of some serious aggression I think.

 

[jda]

None of the purples that I have ever had were aggressive. They were well fed, including enough meat/protein to grow and get fat. They also had good water quality, non aggressive tankmates and otherwise had their needs met. I don't buy into the whole "body shape" theory for tang aggression, but they will react if you don't meet their needs with security, quality environment and adequate food - most of us would do the same thing...

FWIW - Chocolate is my favorite tang of all time. They have a subtle beauty and grace that I just love. Plus, not everybody has one.

Here is an old, old picture of my tank. There are 2 other purples in there that were hiding. Since I took this, the sailfin and PBT had to move on to a bigger home and the smallest purple made its way into my reef. The sailfin, PBT and purples all got along quite nicely:

My rant of the week: I think that people do tangs a disservice when they call them herbivores and people just try and feed them nori all of the time (not all, but some). Almost all of the skinny tangs that I have seen were very aggressive - needs not being met.

 

[96gts]

Wow! 3 Purple Tang together. Very nice, what size is the tank?

 

[96gts]

I wouldn't put a purple in a tank with your dimensions. I think a kole is a pretty good choice. Anything else you run the risk of some serious aggression I think.

Ya, I'm also leaning toward getting a Yellow Eye Kole.

 

[jda]

84x24x25. Oceanic made a lot of these and called them 200G tanks... but the measurements come out to more like 218G... so who knows.

 

[rholguin]

My fox does not pick at any of my corals. My tanks is mostly sps I have a couple of chalices and clams and leaves those alone too.