Tang Recommendation

[ILikeFish]

I have some pesky algae I need to get rid of. I set up my tank about 6 months ago and was not using RODI water for a while. I have since got my water parameters in check but still have the algae. It is not growing fast any more is still there. I don't have a picture of the algae but it looks like a vine with small bubble like branches.

Someone recommend I get at tang. With all the threads on HLLE I am concerned...

Can someone recommend a tang that is relatively easy to keep that would help with my agea problem?

 

[D1J8Z]

everyone is just gonna tell u to figure out why you are getting this algea then figure out the proper route to treat.

Anyway tangs are algae grazers but you cant make em eat it.

What size tank do you have ?

 

[ellebelle]

How big is your tank (this will help decide if you can have a tang) and what are your levels?

Also your description sounds kind of like bubble algae which a tang will not eat. Does it looks like this:

 

[ILikeFish]

I don't think it is a water problem that I have now. It grew rapidly when I set up my tank but has stopped growing.

It looks like the algae in these picts.

My tank is a 29 gal but I will be upgrading to a 70 gal soon.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=3618&cmpid=aff-_-ls-_-Fish-_-Hang-On%20Refugium&ref=3665&subref=AA&GCID=C12188x007

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

No tangs in the 29 it's really not big enough. the 70 might be a yellow or a purple tang.

 

[skene]

sounds more like a grape calupera if it looks like this, its not a bad thing to have. I have a bunch of this growing in my tank and my butterfly and angel enjoy eating it. It's food for them and it also makes the tank look interesting.

 

[ILikeFish]

it does look like a grape vine but sticks to the rocks. As I said I am afraid of hlld. Any other fish r that might work.

 

[boardryder]

Not sure what exactly you have, but some snails and crabs should do the trick for the most part. Emerald crabs for bubble algae. An algae blenny could work too or my favorite starry blenny. Just be sure to supplement their diets when everything's gone.

 

[ILikeFish]

Thanks. It looks like the blenny might be a good idea for a smaller tank. Can anyone suggest a tang for a 70 gal. From some research on the web it looks like they like 100+ gal tanks.

 

[ellebelle]

I don't think a blenny is going to eat that something that big. Personally, I would manually remove all of the macro algae that you don't want and then get something like an emerald crab. I've seen my emeralds go after all kinds of algae, not just bubble algae.

In a 70g tank, you could maybe put a small yellow, purple or scopas tang. But it will likely outgrow your tank.

 

[ILikeFish]

Thanks for the recommendation! I had a crab but decided to go crab free after I caught it munching on some coral...

I am doing a tank switch and will try to scrub off as much as i can when I do the move and get one of those tangs you recommend. In your opinion which of the yellow, purple or scopas tangs are less susceptible to HLLE?

 

[KathyC]

Lissa's suggestions are excellent!
Not sure how soon your tank move is coming up, but you may not to wait that long as the algae will continue to grow and may be more of an issue to remove. Why not take the rock out now and scrub it off so it won't be an issue at all in the new tank?

HLLE seems to be more a disease of poor water quality (nobody is 100% sure of where it originates), and that opbviously is easily controlled by you. Whatever type of tang you choose should be fine as long as you QT it before adding it to your tank. The bigger concern with tangs is ich