What do you know about Yellow Tangs?

[Jrsydevi1]

I'm considering adding one to my 29 gal reef... the only other fish i have is a little clown...

Is my tank too small? Will it bother my clown? Will it help eat algae?

I know very little about marine fishes bigger than a matchbook... help me out..

-Devil

 

[Will C1]

your tanks is too small. wait for the tang poilice they will set you straight.

 

[Jrsydevi1]

LOL.. ok.. thats what I had figured.. I heard alot about Hippos and Purples.. but not much on Yello Tangs...

..Oh well

-Devil

 

[danmhippo]

If algae is your concern, you may try an urchin, abalone, mithrax crab (maybe not.....). Tangs generally do not do well in tank that size. I recommend against it.

You may want to try to lively up your tank with other active fish such as wrass, pygmy angel, goby, or basslets, and leave the cleaning duties to the inverts.

 

[Jrsydevi1]

thanks Dan..

I'll consider those fish... I remember you from a few years back on the boards... glad to see you're still around ..

-Devil

 

[reefsRcool]

i have a yellow in my 75 and though he has enough room to swim i probably woulodn't get another if i knew then what i know now. a 29 just would not work. i would also recomend against adding any emerald crabs.

 

[danmhippo]

Heh, Welcome back..........Ummm.......Devil? :wink:

 

[Jrsydevi1]

Why no emerald Crab? Grows too fast?

 

[danmhippo]

Not quite, but there are numerous reports of them becoming aggressive or tore up corals in search for food. Some have reported witnessing them munch on polyps of various kinds, in addition to green algae.

 

[caloggins]

I don't know about eating polyps, but my newest Mythrax eats sponges. I actually watched it rip a small sponge off the rock, rip the sponge into pieces, and stuff those pieces into its mouth. The bastard.

By the by, abalone eat hair algae?

 

[naesco]

Yes, your tank is too small for a tang.

 

[danmhippo]

By the way, abalone eat hair algae?

No. Abalone graze on film algae and diatoms. They leaves the stringy and leafy algae alone.