Best Tangs for the reef aquarium?

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Need your input here.

What do you think are the best tangs for a reef aquarium?

Pros?
Cons?

 

[kkiel02]

I like pretty much all the colorful ones. I'm doing blue hippo, desjardini, yellow, purple, blonde naso and whitetail bristletooth(trying to find this one). They also are part of my clean up crew.

I have found the acanthurus species to not be quite as hardy and a little more aggressive so I am leaving them out... for now. Then again every fish has its own personality like my blue hippo bosses around my bigger purple tang. lol

 

[pickupman66]

Most if not all of them are good for the reef. Depends on yor tank size and other inhabitants I guess. The Bristletooth types are very good for cleaning algae off the rocks. those are the Chevron, Tomini, Kole. Naso tangs can be like puppy dogs.

 

[SeymourDuncan]

If your tank is gigantic than any tang rocks. Pretty much the only thing with tangs to consider is their maximum size and if your tank already has a tang or similar shape/colored fish. They are all equally awesome to me. I've never met a tang that wasn't. My orange shoulder tang is really nice, even when my damsel tries dominating him he uses mental attacks rather than his scalpel scale. Plus they have this look on their face like they just heard something weird.

 

[johnanddawn]

IMO:

The bristletooths are by far the best choice for most tanks, a bit smaller, very hardy, and extremely hard workers constantly nipping at the rock and glass.
The zebrasomas are a near second (although some do get big and aggressive) - the classic yellow tang is a nice choice

Then with a few exceptions in each genera:
Most nasos and acanthurus tangs are too big and aggressive for all but the biggest tanks - there a a few that stay smaller but many of them are hard to keep
And although many include the Hippo tang in there tanks i have found it to be a very bad choice they get too big for most and they grow fast

 

[Aesl1982]

I started with a yellow tang it was very hardy never got ick and he was in a new system

 

[Mike J.]

I have a Powder Blue, but it takes priority over everything. It's really a Powder Blue tank slash reef tank. It is as much a pet as our dog.

 

[mainereefer]

the best I have had in the past 12 years has to be my half black mimmic tang
he looks great is peaceful and eats algae. no cons I can think of