Are Tangs important in a Reef?

[JEBrown2]

Is a Tang necessary or suggested in a Reef Tank for algae control?

[jamie1981]

Yes they help but depending on the size of the tank may not be feasible. What size tank do you have?

[apstreck]

No, their contribution to algae control is minimal. Many don't eat any at all. And most tangs like 6' + tanks to be happy.

[jamie1981]

No, their contribution to algae control is minimal. Many don't eat any at all. And most tangs like 6' + tanks to be happy.

Would disagree with that, they are naturally algae grazers in the wild. My tangs are constantly picking at algae on rocks all day.

[reef_aholic]

Would disagree with that, they are naturally algae grazers in the wild. My tangs are constantly picking at algae on rocks all day.

I can attest to that, my white tail and yellow are constantly grazing.

[apstreck]

Depends on the tang, but I wouldn't consider them to be part of cuc either way.

[pyithar]

a tang is not necessary in a reef tank. there're many nano reef tanks without a tang. i have tangs in my tank because i like them and they don't eat my corals. i would control the nutrients for algae control. just my .02.

[SPS_77493]

Tangs are nothing but poop machines :-)

[Sk8r]

I would say no. There are other ways to control algae. Critters that eat algae only poo the phosphate back into the tank in about the same amount. If you remove the phosphate, you remove the algae. In general, tangs like any large species tend to have a list of requirements, and unless you are utterly keen on having one for its own sake, I'd say no. Get a fish that pleases you and fits your tank situation.

[inktomi]

Tangs are nothing but poop machines :-)

What comes out has to go in sometime :strooper:

[cody6766]

I've found fox faces to be better algae control critters than tangs. My personal experience only covers a kole tang and scopas tang, but I've also never heard anyone rave about their tangs munching all forms of algae like foxface owners do. My foxface ate anything that looked like a plant in the tank. It mowed bubble algae that the tangs wouldn't touch.


Now..would I use them as part of a CUC? No. I will, however, have a foxface in every tank that will support one. You won't find one in a 30g tank in my house, but you will in my 120g. The same goes for tangs. I'll add one to an appropriate tank, but would not try to shoehorn one into a tank that is too small.

[CStrickland]

For little tanks, starry blennys and lawnmower blennys can fill that herbivore niche too. Like others said, they just poop most of it back out, but they do seem to really yank it from the roots and they are good at getting into tight spots that are hard to reach by hand if you are having an outbreak. Then they poop the phos into your water for the gfo and algae to compete for. That's basically all a CUC does for algae anyway.

[_E_]

Are they required for a tank? No.

They're nice to have if there's the space for them, but I don't consider them a part of the clean up crew.

[Waters40]

I would consider any fish (or invert) part of the CUC that provides a service to keep the tank healthy. Tangs (along with a lot of other fish) do eat algae....they may not be the best option, but they are still helpful when combined with other methods.

[Pet Detective]

Zebrasomas are very good grazers in a reef tank, they are also one of the more aggressive of the Tang species. The pointier the snout, in my experience with tangs, the more they graze on algae & far less on corals, for example my current reef has a yellow & purple tang & they constantly are picking at any algae growth & not corals, when I had powder blues & browns & achilles tangs in there, they tended to pick at the corals a bit more, of course this is just MY experience.

[3dees]

as much as I love tangs, I won't have one in my tank. too much fear of ich. my one spot foxface does the job and is a much hardier fish.

[inktomi]

You should check out the tank transfer method of QT for ich. Super easy, and you'll be able to feel safe putting in tangs :)

[mfaso24]

as much as I love tangs, I won't have one in my tank. too much fear of ich. my one spot foxface does the job and is a much hardier fish.


I feel like the ich thing with tangs is a tad overblown. Yes, they are more susceptible due to their think mucous membranes, but if you keep them healthy and happy and limit stress, they'll fight it off just the rest of em.

A lot of people kind of make seem like if you get a tang and don't quarantine it, it's just going to get ich and/or die, and that's just simply far from true.

[Waters40]

The ich parasite has to be there for tangs to become a host......the idea is to keep it out of the DT and then you won't have anything to worry about :-)

[e048]

Depends on the tang, but I wouldn't consider them to be part of cuc either way.


+1
Depends on the tang and the algae you're trying to control

Most bristletooth tangs work wonders as cuc tangs some of the others not so much... My kole is pecking at rocks almost all day while the yellow tang only pecks at the algae clip

In a reef tangs eat a variety of things, micro and macro algae, diatoms, sponges, small worms, small crustaceans, etc etc. their diet is varied.

I've seen while scuba diving schools of Atlantic blue tangs clean sea turtles and manatees of algae and parasites it's really cool to see

[shifty51008]

Keeping your nitrates and phosphates low is a much better way to control algae than any fish or invert.

[Buzz1329]

No, their contribution to algae control is minimal. Many don't eat any at all. And most tangs like 6' + tanks to be happy.

+1

If you have an algae problem, a tang (or any other fish or invert) is not the answer IME.