Tang Alternatives for 40g Standard

[PaPaWicked85]

Hey everyone! I have a 40g standard (tall) and I'm looking for an alternative to a Tang for their utilitarian uses. I like the idea of having a good cleaner, reef safe, that looks pretty good as well. Yellow Tang fits that bill but my tank is much too small, and I'm likely 1 year or more from an upgrade. What fish do ya'll recommend that will give me similar results to the Tang while being happy in a 40g?

Edit: I'll have a pair of Clowns in here, and a CuC of various inverts as well as a Sixline Wrasse to start. So the less aggressive, the better. Still doing research on stock at the moment.

 

[davidcalgary29]

Urchins. No fish (well, no fish that's actually attractive) is going to give you results that surpass what a little tuxedo urchin can give. If algae is really a problem, you can try a mule's ear abalone, but they really do need a ton of supplemental feeding, or they'll starve.

 

[PaPaWicked85]

Urchins. No fish (well, no fish that's actually attractive) is going to give you results that surpass what a little tuxedo urchin can give. If algae is really a problem, you can try a mule's ear abalone, but they really do need a ton of supplemental feeding, or they'll starve.

I have thought of getting an urchin, if for no other reason that watching it steal all my stuff and redecorate my aquascape!

Are Tuxedo's reef safe? I know there are some urchins out there that don't play well with some corals/fish. Just want everyone in my tank happy and healthy!

 

[afrokobe]

I have thought of getting an urchin, if for no other reason that watching it steal all my stuff and redecorate my aquascape!

Are Tuxedo's reef safe? I know there are some urchins out there that don't play well with some corals/fish. Just want everyone in my tank happy and healthy!

tuxedos are relatively reef safe. As long as everything is glue down.

 

[adittam]

Tuxedo urchins are great. By far the best utilitarians in my tank.

 

[EricR]

I like urchins as well. Personally, my pincushion urchin never touched hair algae (when I had a bit of an algae issue) but loves to carve coralline off the rocks.

For smaller fish (than tang), I usually hear lawnmower blenny recommended but never had one. (The bicolor blenny I had for a couple of years and the tailspot blenny I have now never consumed hair algae off the rocks either, though).

 

[adittam]

Wild caught specimens are notoriously hard to keep, but captive bred court jester gobies are supposed to be great for algae eating also. Biota is out of stock currently, but breeds them. https://shop.thebiotagroup.com/collections/cultured-fish/products/court-jester

 

[Enderg60]

Just get a tang and swap it out when it gets big.

I had many tangs in my 58g (a 40g but taller) I would just get them as small as possible and bring them back to the store when they got to about 4" and swap them out for a small one again.

 

[MugenReef95]

ALGEA BLENNY does pretty good on algea

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

A bristletooth tang might work

 

[PaPaWicked85]

A bristletooth tang might work

Was definitely looking at this as an option.

 

[PNWoffroader]

I know its sacrilegious but a school of converted saltwater mollies will eat algae. And the best part is they wont break the bank. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder as there are many different types you can convert. I have had up to 10 in a tank of different colors all schooling together.

 

[PaPaWicked85]

I know its sacrilegious but a school of converted saltwater mollies will eat algae. And the best part is they wont break the bank. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder as there are many different types you can convert. I have had up to 10 in a tank of different colors all schooling together.

I have about 6 or so various Mollies in my freshwater tanks. Balloons are my favorites, little chonky guys. I have thought about that as a "well I can't decide so yeet" option lol

 

[adittam]

A bristletooth tang will definitely NOT work long term. Tangs need horizontal swimming space, and a standard 40 doesn’t have that.

 

[PaPaWicked85]

A bristletooth tang will definitely NOT work long term. Tangs need horizontal swimming space, and a standard 40 doesn’t have that.

Didn't think so, thus why I'm looking for alternatives. Did consider a Bristletooth as a temporary option but there's no guarantee either of my LFS would buy back or trade, and I couldn't live with myself handing them over to Petco. Definitely leaning towards the Tuxedo Urchin at this point. Gobies look like viable options, but for algae mitigation the ones I've researched thus far fall a bit short. My concern is that of starving the poor thing. I'm more or less going for preventative measures before I have an algae "problem". My tank is still new, so I'm preparing my stocking plan very early on. Research, research, and more research, right?

 

[davidcalgary29]

My tank is still new, so I'm preparing my stocking plan very early on. Research, research, and more research, right?

You're definitely going to have to feed your CUC until your microflora/fauna becomes more stable. I've put a tuxedo into a new tank, but it had lots of live rock to graze on. If you're using dead rock, I really would suggest that you add sinking algae pellets and some nori.

 

[adittam]

Didn't think so, thus why I'm looking for alternatives. Did consider a Bristletooth as a temporary option but there's no guarantee either of my LFS would buy back or trade, and I couldn't live with myself handing them over to Petco. Definitely leaning towards the Tuxedo Urchin at this point. Gobies look like viable options, but for algae mitigation the ones I've researched thus far fall a bit short. My concern is that of starving the poor thing. I'm more or less going for preventative measures before I have an algae "problem". My tank is still new, so I'm preparing my stocking plan very early on. Research, research, and more research, right?

When Biota has court jester gobies back in stock, they would be perfect. Will help with algae, will also eat pellets (because they're captive bred), and will stay fairly small.

 

[PaPaWicked85]

You're definitely going to have to feed your CUC until your microflora/fauna becomes more stable. I've put a tuxedo into a new tank, but it had lots of live rock to graze on. If you're using dead rock, I really would suggest that you add sinking algae pellets and some nori.

I'm using Live Rock. However I'm definitely going to keep some nori and algae wafers on hand for supplemental feeding. Any luck with other food types I may need to pick up?

 

[PaPaWicked85]

When Biota has court jester gobies back in stock, they would be perfect. Will help with algae, will also eat pellets (because they're captive bred), and will stay fairly small.

I'll give them a look for sure!

 

[adittam]

I'm using Live Rock. However I'm definitely going to keep some nori and algae wafers on hand for supplemental feeding. Any luck with other food types I may need to pick up?

Live rock from the ocean? Or from a tub in your LFS?