Small-tank algae eating replacement for yellow Tang

damienpbuckley

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I recently lost my yellow tang, I think due old age. Subsequently I now have a green hair algae outbreak which my mimic Tang & couple of hermit crabs are not making much of a dent in.

I have a Reefer 250 so would like to replace the YT with a smaller fish as I always felt the 250 was much too small for him, especially as he grew out.

Any suggestions on a smaller fish with an appetite for hair algae?


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Lawnmower blenny. If you are willing to consider an invert, a tuxedo or pincushion urchin would also be a good choice.


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Lawnmower blenny. If you are willing to consider an invert, a tuxedo or pincushion urchin would also be a good choice.


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Thanks. I had thought about an urchin. Is there anything they can't be kept with? Other inverts? SPS? Anemones?

I like lawnmower blennies too. I'll have to see what they have at the LFS.


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Ctenochaetus flavicauda? A very good algea scraper an max 16cm (6.29inch) . For a tang very small

Grüße Torben

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Thanks. I had thought about an urchin. Is there anything they can't be kept with? Other inverts? SPS? Anemones?

I like lawnmower blennies too. I'll have to see what they have at the LFS.


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I have a purple pincushion urchin and the thing mows down algae like crazy. Active all hours of the day too. Hasn't bothered any of my corals and I have all types. Looks funny with rock rubble and snail shells all over it. I'd highly recommend one.
 
I have a purple pincushion urchin and the thing mows down algae like crazy. Active all hours of the day too. Hasn't bothered any of my corals and I have all types. Looks funny with rock rubble and snail shells all over it. I'd highly recommend one.

I love my pincushion urchin. Completely reef-safe, and not much of a bulldozer.

Molly Miller blennies eat algae and aiptasia. They're also much easier to keep than lawnmower blennies, IME.
 
Pincushion urchins are excellent, but can be complete d#£%s so make sure everything you want to stay in place is glued or too heavy to pick up.

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I love my pincushion urchin. Completely reef-safe, and not much of a bulldozer.



Molly Miller blennies eat algae and aiptasia. They're also much easier to keep than lawnmower blennies, IME.



I have some aiptasia I have to keep nuking too so that would be helpful if I can find one. Ugly critters lol


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I love my pincushion urchin. Completely reef-safe, and not much of a bulldozer.

Molly Miller blennies eat algae and aiptasia. They're also much easier to keep than lawnmower blennies, IME.

IME Molly Miller blennies are not CUC safe. Mine tore up all my hermits.
 
I picked up a rock boring urchin on Sunday. He's promptly disappeared so just waiting for him to resurface now. After referring to Schmidt Bergkamp we're confident of the ID & hoping it's not the coral-scoffing cousin.

Thanks for the heads-up on the Molly Miller. They didn't have any & I have a lot of snails plus a couple hermits so while the aiptasia eating would have been good, that wouldn't have worked out well.

What about Lawnmower Blennies? Seem much easier to get here.


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I have a bicolour blenny and he eats lots of algae, has a comical personality as well. Initially they might not eat longer strands of hair but once you get it shorter he will keep it "mowed".
 
You might want to get another yellow tang while they are still available... Following the Hawaiian Supreme Court's decision to halt all fish collecting for the aquarium trade it may become a rare or at least pricey fish.

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You might want to get another yellow tang while they are still available... Following the Hawaiian Supreme Court's decision to halt all fish collecting for the aquarium trade it may become a rare or at least pricey fish.

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Yeah I got one a few months ago thanks. The Hawaii ban isn't likely to make a lot of difference in Australia- most of our fish are local


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