Tang compatibility question

[javajaws]

Here's my dilemma...

I've got a roughly 110g tank (see here for tank details ) that has the following fish in it:

purple tang
1 male lyretail anthias
5 female lyretail anthias
true clown
possum wrasse
lawnmoer blenny
sunrise dottyback

The last fish added were the wrasse and anthias...a couple months ago. The purple tang has been in there a little longer.

Here's the rub...I REALLY need to add a Naso tang to try and get rid of some brown wafer algae I've got in there. I don't need him in there forever so I'm not worried about tank size issues, etc.

I am worried about him and the purple tang co-existing. Is it possible to add the Naso without the purple killing him? When I added the anthias, the purple bullied them pretty good for a week or so, but never did any real physical damage to them.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

no offense, but adding fish to solve an algae problem is not the right solution. You'll need to manage your nutrients, and get some clean up crew like crabs and snails. But anyway, I cant imaging your purple would tolerate another tang, although naso are quite different in appearance. A naso would be to big for a 110 anyway. Sorry.

 

[javajaws]

Thank you for the boilerplate response to algae problems. Your comments have been noted and quite frankly dismissed. I have NO nutrient problems (unless you include not enough nutrients as a problem). And if you were familiar with brown wafer algae you would know it thrives in nutrient poor water and is not eaten by snails. There are some reports of mithrix crabs eating the stuff but not enough to eradicate it. I don't like the idea of mithrix crabs in my SPS tank anyway.

Also, if you would have read my original comments thoroughly you would know I have no intention of keeping a Naso in this tank for its entire life.

Anybody else?

 

[jmaneyapanda]

Well, quite honestly, I was talking that 52" is not an appropriate length for a naso currently. Especially with a purple tang. And I did not know that you have an algae that does not use nutrients. Forgive my ignorance for not knowing you did want to put crabs into your tank either. My apologies for trying to help you. Be sure, I will not try to help you again.

 

[javajaws]

I've seen little to make me believe crabs would really get rid of this stuff...nibble, yes...eradicate, no.

And again...I see no problem with putting a 4" Naso in a 52" tank for a few months. If anything, I think I would be rescuing it from the 30g holding tank at the LFS...

Does anybody have experience adding other tangs to a tank currently holding a purple tang? If this is not feasable I'll just have to pull the purple tang from the tank. I'm not looking to get anything killed here...just trying to solve a problem.

jmaney, I'm sorry if I seem harsh...but responding with common answers like reducing nutrients does NOT answer my question and comes off as belittling. I've researched my problem fairly well and know what I'm doing (with the exception of the fish compatibility issue). And if you think badly of my trying to use a fish as a tool in my tank, well that's something I'm prepared to live with. People do it all the time with tangs, wrasses, snails, etc.

 

[massman]

It is a risky proposition.

There is no guarantee the naso will solve your problem.
There is a chance it will be killed.

If you must try, I would remove the purple, slighly rearrange the tank, then drop in the naso.
Reintroduce the purple after a few days- week.

Might be easier to manually remove the algae?

 

[javajaws]

This type of algae is almost encrusting in its adherance to the rock. You can scrub it off, but it'll just come back eventually. To make matters worse, the rock it is on is the "base" of my rockwork.

One thing I can do is divide my tank in two with some sort of mesh/eggcrate (my rockwork is divided into 2 islands). Would this help them acclimate with each other? Or would they just go at it after I took the divider out?

 

[yoboyjdizz]

Naso's are one of the more passive tangs and there is a very good potential of it getting bullied and stressed and may cause death to itself and maybe a diease outbreak in your other fish as well. A 110 is way to small for a 4icnh naso in the first place, though for a few months would be fine but then you will get attach and won't have room to keep it. Another situation it will get bigger then giving it back to a lfs ( if you do ) probably will go into a smaller tank and even add more stress on it.

Not sure on your algae issue's but maybe try asking this in the reef forum and maybe people can help you out on other ways how to get rid of it.

 

[mrp2g]

In my tank... my purple rules. He is intollerant of any additions, tang or other. Divide the tank seems to be the common solution I have been given aswell.

 

[javajaws]

Yeah, that seems to be the common theme. I had no idea how much of a bully they were until I added my anthias. I won't be adding the Naso with him in there, have no worries. I'm gonna try out an urchin first and see if it solves my problem before doing any fish moving in/out.

 

[spoiledcats]

If you have a quarantine tank, I would put the purple tang in there. I don't see a problem with keeping a 4" naso in a 110 for a couple of months(maybe even less if it's hungry ). Then, take it back to the LFS, and put the purple back. Purples are pretty aggressive from what I've read, and I don't know that I would chance keeping them together unless the naso was established before the purple.

 

[jda]

I have 2 purples and they are very passive. I keep them fed, so that helps. They don't bother any of my other fish - even new additions They are in a 210G though.

I had some of that stuff and Mexican turbos ate it. I pruned it back by hand as much as I could and then added 15 larger mexican turbos. They ate it in quick order since I don't really have any algae issues either. They also ate a little bit of byropsis that I had. Mexican Turbos will eat the macro if there is nothing else to eat. They aren't too dissimilar from the naso in that they are not permanant residents - once the algae is gone, you will have to remove them or else they will starve.

 

[javajaws]

Hmmm...never heard of one of those eating this stuff before. I definitely don't have any other algae in there so maybe one would go after it. I might try a couple along with the urchin as well. Thx.

 

[DrBegalke]

Although my setup is longer then yours, I have a naso with a yellow, blue hippo, and sohal tang...

they all get along fine.

A took a brief look at your tank thread, it seemed as if the rock work would be easy to change around?

If so, I would suggest moving the rocks around (at least somewhat) just before adding the naso and having the lights off the day you add it.

I think you will be fine in adding a naso, especially since they have much different body types then a purple.

Good luck!

 

[jda]

I would not move the rock in a reef tank. Even if the coral would not be disturbed, which is unlikely, you have established anoxic and aerobic zones that will die off and have to repopulate. I would leave the rock alone.

 

[javajaws]

Actually, in my tank most of the touch points between rocks are fairly small..most of the rock is separated by acrylic dowels. Regardless though...my SPS are glued to the rock so no moving of rock will be going on any time soon.

 

[jda]

Kinda off subject, but do you grow macro? I had macro problem in my FOWLR (nobody would eat it and the snails had enough easy algae to eat). I hooked up a 75G tank and put some chaeto in it and it really slowed it down and eventually it died back. It is all gone now.

 

[javajaws]

I don't...but this stuff is so slow growing I don't think it would help. It thrives in nutrient poor water.

 

[SDguy]

I think you'll have good luck with an urchin. IME (with the diadema) it eats all algae (macro, micro, coralline, encrusting, and yes, even the brown wafer stuff). I know others have had success with pincushion urchins too.

 

[DriftRtist]

I don't know if anyone else suggested this but try putting a mirror in front of the purple. Make sure the glass on both the mirror and tank is clean. The purple will be busy fighting his own reflection to deal with the Naso. Just grab any mirror and try it out to see if it works for you before you go out the buy the naso.