What's the best tang for nuisance algae?

[wrfreeman]

I'm going to convert my QT in to frag tank so I need to buy a tang that loves to eat green and red algae. It's a 20 gallon tank so yes, I will buy a small one (1 - 1.5") and then sell him when het gets too big and get another small one. Suggestions?

 

[Kano]

I'd look into getting snails/hermits/lettuce nudi and/or doing a hang on back refug. rather than putting a fish into a tank that's not very large to begin with. My friend used one or two lettuce nudi in his 20g and it kept it looking clean but didn't have much algae to begin with. You won't have to feed them and they will produce less waste, plus they won't outgrow the tank (unless you run out of algae).

 

[mike007]

They will not eat nuisance algae. Cuc will help but if have nutrient problem or lighting issue that need to be corrected. I would never suggest putting a tang in that size tank.

 

[wrfreeman]

The advice i got on the R2R tank setup forum was to add a tang and a wrasse, but then again I didn't specify such a small tank. A hang on back fuge sounds good. I don't know much about them so I'll have to do some research. The wrasse is probably still a good idea for pests, but I'll have to do without the lettuce nudis. Can you recommend a HOB fuge?

 

[Singlefin]

AC110 with a inTank media basket. What about a lawn mower Blenny. A tang probably won't do much. Especially a small one.

 

[Singlefin]

Do you have another tank you can tie into?

 

[cdness]

The algae is there for a reason, probably high nutrients... If you get that under control the issue will go away. GFO, Bio Pellets, water changes, vodka, etc are all ways that you can use to fix the issue. Adding a tang will not only stress the fish for being that small of a tank, but it will add to your nutrient issue.

 

[wrfreeman]

I do have another tank, but unfortunately it's built in and there's no room next to it to put another tank. OK, well there is, but my wife gave me the Heisman on that one. A stand alone in the basement is as good as I'm going to get. I could feasibly pipe it in down in the basement, but I'd have to have a womp big pond pump for a return pump. Still doable I guess. I already have the sump plumbed through the floor to the chiller located on a shelf just under the floor and then back up to the DT. My QT is on a bench about 20 feet away from where the chiller is, but there's no reason I can't move it over to just under the chiller. If I raise the tank up to about 4 foot off the ground, that would mean another 3 foot drop to the tank from where the chiller is and another three foot rise which would require a pump with more head pressure like a big pond pump. Something to think about though. That would save a lot of hassle with filtration. I would just need a better light maybe (I have a PAR38 right now). I smell a secret weekend project