Tang suggestion

Schnizzle · May 1, 2019

Working my way through a fallow period due to ich. Last night I lost my Powder Brown. So I'm starting to work on my restocking list. I only want one tang, not all the ones listed.

I have:
Firefish pair, Ocellaris pair, Royal Gramma, Lawnmower Blenny, Solorensis Wrasse and High-Fin Red Banded Goby.

I will be getting (replacing

):
Blotched Foxface, Naokoae or Rubeus Fairy Wrasse (or both)

What tang would you recommend? Is there one you feel is a better grazer than others? Does one seem more likely to cause chaos than another from your experience?
Looking at Convict, Tomini, Powder Brown, Kole Yellow Eye and Yellow Tangs.

I wasn't that impressed with the Powder Brown's grazing but I think I may have spoiled him and my foxface with LRS seaweed sheets...

Florida Sunshine · May 1, 2019

I would go with one of the bristletooths. A Tomini or a Kole would do a good job picking your tank clean.

McPuff · May 1, 2019

Florida Sunshine said:
I would go with one of the bristletooths. A Tomini or a Kole would do a good job picking your tank clean.

These are probably the best species for that size tank as well.

User1 · May 1, 2019

As noted above Bristletooths are darn good work horses and do not grow obsessively large. Convicts get mentioned time to time for some of their algae control but they are somewhat difficult to keep per various threads on the internet. So I do not recommend them unless you have a very mature tank and are willing to go the extra mile for care.

Yellow Eye / Kole may be your best option based on your requirement. When I had a 100 gallon that was my choice and it was a great fish. Always moving. Always on the rocks. I'd leave a corner of my tank glass untouched and over a bit of time algae would grow on it. It was his / her goto source for snacks and I'd always see mouth marks. At times they would be in a path looking like a stampede of horses ran over it leaving horse shoe patterns...go figure.

nereefpat · May 1, 2019

I did a quick glance at your build thread. It looks like your tank is a standard (4*1.5*2) 90 gallon.

I would not recommend either the convict or a powder brown for a 90 gallon. Tomini or kole would be the best choice, while a yellow is debatable for the tank size. Keep in mind that foxface will get pretty large too, actually bigger than many tangs.

BestMomEver · May 1, 2019

I have a teeny tiny tomini and he works harder than the Big Banana (yellow tang).

Schnizzle · May 1, 2019

nereefpat said:
I did a quick glance at your build thread. It looks like your tank is a standard (4*1.5*2) 90 gallon.

I would not recommend either the convict or a powder brown for a 90 gallon. Tomini or kole would be the best choice, while a yellow is debatable for the tank size. Keep in mind that foxface will get pretty large too, actually bigger than many tangs.

You’re correct on the dimensions. I don’t want to be that guy but this is a test tank. I’ll either be going 300 or bowing out in 2 years.

I had and will be getting the smallest of the genus, Siganus unimaculatus.

Jesterrace · May 1, 2019

saf1 said:
As noted above Bristletooths are darn good work horses and do not grow obsessively large. Convicts get mentioned time to time for some of their algae control but they are somewhat difficult to keep per various threads on the internet. So I do not recommend them unless you have a very mature tank and are willing to go the extra mile for care.

Yellow Eye / Kole may be your best option based on your requirement. When I had a 100 gallon that was my choice and it was a great fish. Always moving. Always on the rocks. I'd leave a corner of my tank glass untouched and over a bit of time algae would grow on it. It was his / her goto source for snacks and I'd always see mouth marks. At times they would be in a path looking like a stampede of horses ran over it leaving horse shoe patterns...go figure.

Agreed. My LFS says the Convict Tangs are the ones they have the worst track records with for keeping them alive and getting them to last. Unless they get special orders for them, they don't stock them anymore. Also agreed on the small Bristletooths being the best for his tank.

jsvand5 · May 1, 2019

Schnizzle said:
Working my way through a fallow period due to ich. Last night I lost my Powder Brown. So I'm starting to work on my restocking list. I only want one tang, not all the ones listed.

I have:
Firefish pair, Ocellaris pair, Royal Gramma, Lawnmower Blenny, Solorensis Wrasse and High-Fin Red Banded Goby.

I will be getting (replacing ):
Blotched Foxface, Naokoae or Rubeus Fairy Wrasse (or both)

What tang would you recommend? Is there one you feel is a better grazer than others? Does one seem more likely to cause chaos than another from your experience?
Looking at Convict, Tomini, Powder Brown, Kole Yellow Eye and Yellow Tangs.

I wasn't that impressed with the Powder Brown's grazing but I think I may have spoiled him and my foxface with LRS seaweed sheets...

How big is the tank, I’m a big fan of my convict. Peaceful and constantly picking the rocks clean

Schnizzle · May 1, 2019

jsvand5 said:
How big is the tank, I’m a big fan of my convict. Peaceful and constantly picking the rocks clean

48w 18d 24t 90g

jsvand5 · May 1, 2019

Jesterrace said:
Agreed. My LFS says the Convict Tangs are the ones they have the worst track records with for keeping them alive and getting them to last. Unless they get special orders for them, they don't stock them anymore. Also agreed on the small Bristletooths being the best for his tank.

If you get a healthy one that eats at the store they are just as easy as any other tang but finding one that isn’t emaciated is a challenge. I’d never order one online again. I got mine from my LFS who picks out the fish from the wholesaler himself.

Schnizzle · May 1, 2019

jsvand5 said:
If you get a healthy one that eats at the store they are just as easy as any other tang but finding one that isn’t emaciated is a challenge. I’d never order one online again. I got mine from my LFS who picks out the fish from the wholesaler himself.

I'm at 100% mortality on fish ordered online. I'm sticking with LFS, even if it is a three hour drive one way to my favorite one.

Marco S · May 1, 2019

Out of my five Tangs the Blue Eyed Kole Tang (or 2-Spot Bristletooth) is the best algae eater I have. I had him in a QT that was previously for my inverts, so it was running for 76 days already and had plenty of algae. He cleaned every bit of it off the glass and was working on the heater and HOB intake tube when I transferred him to another QT. I felt bad because the new QT did not have any algae, but he kept picking at the glass and PVC pipes hoping to find some.

Sadly he died in QT, but I just got another one a couple days ago and he is picking at the glass and PVC as well so I guess it's just in their nature to graze all day.