What is this...!?!?

[mikus]

Can anyone tell me what this is?? I added a Brown Scopas Tang and a Two Spot Bristle Tang three days ago, and have not seen this prior to having them in the tank. It does not look like "poop". There is actually a small piece of waste front left/center of the pile of "whatever that is??" It looks like maggots, but obviously not...There are a few other smaller piles of the same stuff in the DS.

 

[mcwhng]

Actually that’s what tang poop looks like! They’re the cows of the reef world-endlessly grazing on algae and leaving LARGE poop piles wherever they want!

 

[mikus]

Actually that’s what tang poop looks like! They’re the cows of the reef world-endlessly grazing on algae and leaving LARGE poop piles wherever they want!

Wow! If that's the case...Ill need a larger CUC!! So is it best to leave it alone and let the CUC and the Fuge (Cheato/kessil h380) and skimmer deal with it or should it be siphoned out?

 

[mcwhng]

My weekly waterchange usually involves siphoning out tang poop stuck to the bottom glass- you’d be amazed how sticky that stuff is! It’s like cleaning up after a Great Dane! No worries just poop.

 

[mikus]

Ugh! lol I'm aiming for a low maintenance system with as little water changes as possible. So far has been working well, with nutrients all being at zero. The masses of Tang Poop may change that! lol I am actually hoping to up my nutrients a bit to help the cheato along and prep for getting some of my first corals in there.

 

[mcwhng]

Ugh! lol I'm aiming for a low maintenance system with as little water changes as possible. So far has been working well, with nutrients all being at zero. The masses of Tang Poop may change that! lol I am actually hoping to up my nutrients a bit to help the cheato along and prep for getting some of my first corals in there.

Then don’t worry about it-tang poop will increase nutrients cause it’s just recycling all the nutrients from the nuisance algae it eats back to the tank. Just keep doing what you’re doing, test often, and don’t sweat it-adjust as needed and just remember nothing good ever happens fast. You can always siphon just the poop out into a piece of filter floss/pad/sock and return the water to the aquarium.

 

[mikus]

Then don’t worry about it-tang poop will increase nutrients cause it’s just recycling all the nutrients from the nuisance algae it eats back to the tank. Just keep doing what you’re doing, test often, and don’t sweat it-adjust as needed and just remember nothing good ever happens fast. You can always siphon just the poop out into a piece of filter floss/pad/sock and return the water to the aquarium.

Thanks for the great info and reassurance!