Next best tang to a yellow tang

[Izzy’sReefTank]

Working on the cycle process now, have two clowns and looking to add a couple tangs next have 125.3 waterbox infinia. Needing/ and wanting some color in the tank, but also want a good algae eating crew. Looking at a bristletooth tang verity for second tang. New to the reef tank world so any help with out a over load of upper level information would be great! Just want two very colorful tangs that eat algae like champs!! Please and thank you in advance!

 

[Timfish]

Dwarf angels are algae eaters too, just a little more omnivorus than tangs. I'd go with a Kole tang. Urchins (except pencils) are really good algae eaters and they have the advatage of scraping algae down to the rock surface remvoing the holdfasts algaes sue to hang onto surfaces and regrwo.

 

[davidcalgary29]

Dwarf angels sure do dig in to my nori...but I really don't think that they're that big a help in cleaning up the nuisance algae around the tank.

Your options for a tang in a three-and-a-half foot tank are going to be very limited, and you'll have to start out small. I agree that a tuxedo urchin and a variety of molluscs are probably going to be a better option for you for algae control than fish.

 

[Goby Bryant]

great setup! I’d go with the urchins

 

[jmichaelh7]

Powder brown or blue, Blonde naso

 

[Rmckoy]

Powder brown or blue, Blonde naso

Although beautiful fish IMO neither the blue or brown would be a good fish for a new tank

 

[Rmckoy]

Bright coloured but not a tang .
my recommendation leans more towards a rabbit fish .
Fox face are great algae eaters , and active

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

Powder brown or blue, Blonde naso

All those 3 tangs are huge and require a very large system. I think the authors is being sarcastic, but if you are new you may not know that. So please, do not get any of the above tangs.
The best algae eater will be a tuxedo urchin.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Biota yellows come in small. Like 1"-1.5" overall length. I've seen a lot of smaller WT bristletooths at shops locally.

If you could find a small enough WT, it should pair well in there with the YT for a couple of years. Neither would be suited for their whole life in that tank though.

 

[doubleshot00]

Hard to beat a scopas tang or a foxface. Eating algae all day long. Just wish they would eat cyano.

Imo add all your tangs at once. I want a blue eye kole tang but don’t want ti mess up the vibe in my tank.

 

[Homebrewer]

For that size tank I’d go with 1) a flame fin tomini, or 2) yellow eye Kole tang. I’ve had both (not at the same time) in a 36” tank and they’ve done well.

Both of those, as many tangs do, graze ALL DAY. So while you might not need a completely mature system, I agree with the notion that you’d want to let the tank mature a good bit before adding.

 

[DarthChaos]

White Tailed Kole/Bristletooth

 

[threebuoys]

Although not very colorful, a convict tang is great at eating algae and remains relatively small. Another great algae eater is the lawnmower blennie. Powder blue is really pretty, but I personally would wait until the tank becomes more established before tanking that route.

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

I know TSM has WT bristletooth tangs and they are unique endemics from French Polynesia. Get while u can.

 

[Tcook]

I love my Tomini tang. Always working.

 

[BoriReefer]

Yellow Eye Kole, but introduce it last so it doesn’t bully the other fish additions.

 

[Rmckoy]

Yellow Eye Kole, but introduce it last so it doesn’t bully the other fish additions.

These are beautiful fish .
even leaving kiss marks on the glass where they have been .
One question : is there ever a last fish to be added ?

I’ve been reefing for 20+ years . IMO there is never a last fish
Once one system is full there is always a way to add something new .

 

[SPS2020]

Working on the cycle process now, have two clowns and looking to add a couple tangs next have 125.3 waterbox infinia. Needing/ and wanting some color in the tank, but also want a good algae eating crew. Looking at a bristletooth tang verity for second tang. New to the reef tank world so any help with out a over load of upper level information would be great! Just want two very colorful tangs that eat algae like champs!! Please and thank you in advance!

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

 

[keithw283]

All those 3 tangs are huge and require a very large system. I think the authors is being sarcastic, but if you are new you may not know that. So please, do not get any of the above tangs.
The best algae eater will be a tuxedo urchin.

While I agree I wouldn't put a powder brown or blue in a newer tank. They don't get nearly as big as a Naso. I'm not familiar with waterbox sizes but I'd put them in a 5-6 foot tank before a Naso. I'd never put a Naso in anything under a a 240 gallon tbh. Just because they can get to about 18" in the home aquarium. The Powders are more like 9"

 

[s_tooz_123]

In addition to eating algae off the rocks, don't forget about the sand.

I have a diamond watchman goby that, does a fantastic job moving, sifting, and cleaning the sand. He is one of the more interesting fish to watch in my tank, and doesn't bother anyone.