Which Tang is best for hair algae?

[tobster]

All I’ll say is that risk is very little.
I work around 2 (maybe 3 after today…) in my own tank and have worked around countless in an LFS. If you just watch their behaviour and go slowly without any sudden movements they’re absolutely fine!
Here’s my Bicolour - I also have a Magnificent who is much larger (the biggest fish in the tank).

That’s a cool looking fish! So these guys are reef safe and invert safe? My tank is mostly LPS

 

[crazyfishmom]

My foxy is an awesome algae eater. He even tries to eat the film algae on the glass and on snail shells. He’s also the biggest baby in the tank and goes and hides any time I put my hands near the tank. Very minimal risk in my experience. Just be aware of where your hands are, the fox face is very unlikely to come try to hang out by your hands while you’re in the tank. My fox faces have always bonded with one of my tangs. My first one bonded with a hippo and the second is best buds with my gem.

As far as tangs are concerned: bristletooths are the absolute best in my experience when it comes to tangs and algae. My white tail will eat both hair algae and bubble algae, with the bubble algae she will pick it off seemingly very gently from the side of a frag it’s cool to watch.

 

[tobster]

My foxy is an awesome algae eater. He even tries to eat the film algae on the glass and on snail shells. He’s also the biggest baby in the tank and goes and hides any time I put my hands near the tank. Very minimal risk in my experience. Just be aware of where your hands are, the fox face is very unlikely to come try to hang out by your hands while you’re in the tank. My fox faces have always bonded with one of my tangs. My first one bonded with a hippo and the second is best buds with my gem.

As far as tangs are concerned: bristletooths are the absolute best in my experience when it comes to tangs and algae. My white tail will eat both hair algae and bubble algae, with the bubble algae she will pick it off seemingly very gently from the side of a frag it’s cool to watch.

Good to know about the foxface. I wasn’t sure if they were aggressive or not but it sounds like they are pretty docile.
I had been looking at the bristletooth also. Are they the same as Kole tang? LFS has a blue-eyed Kole that’s pretty cool looking.

 

[crazyfishmom]

Good to know about the foxface. I wasn’t sure if they were aggressive or not but it sounds like they are pretty docile.
I had been looking at the bristletooth also. Are they the same as Kole tang? LFS has a blue-eyed Kole that’s pretty cool looking.

yes, kole tangs are bristletooths and very pretty. I have a blue eyed Kole in one of my tanks. He’s beautiful and picks at rock all day. No hair algae ever in that tank so I don’t know how good he would be about removing it but probably would do a decent job!

 

[tobster]

yes, kole tangs are bristletooths and very pretty. I have a blue eyed Kole in one of my tanks. He’s beautiful and picks at rock all day. No hair algae ever in that tank so I don’t know how good he would be about removing it but probably would do a decent job!

Thanks for the info!

 

[OrionN]

I would recommend two or three tangs that grow to small size of 8-9 inches max.
Convic, Yellow, Kole would be the ones I choose. Other than that as many different species of snails that you can get, maybe a Tropical Abalone.

 

[Reeferbadness]

I have 2 tangs in 2 tanks + a foxface. They def help with early stage algae but are really not any good once it get's a bit more established. My go to are a combo of turbo snails and urchins (who do an amazing job no matter how long the algae is).

 

[Uncle99]

Yellow tang
Best fish rock cleaner ever made.

But a bit expensive

 

[tobster]

I would recommend two or three tangs that grow to small size of 8-9 inches max.
Convic, Yellow, Kole would be the ones I choose. Other than that as many different species of snails that you can get, maybe a Tropical Abalone.

Definitely looking for a Kole. Yep I have several species of snails, urchin and some hermits.

 

[tobster]

I have 2 tangs in 2 tanks + a foxface. They def help with early stage algae but are really not any good once it get's a bit more established. My go to are a combo of turbo snails and urchins (who do an amazing job no matter how long the algae is).

Yes my urchin is the hardest worker in the tank. That guy mows through algae and even ate cyano when the tank was going through that stage awhile back.

 

[tobster]

Yellow tang
Best fish rock cleaner ever made.

But a bit expensive

Would love to have one but I have not seen any for sale around here.

 

[blueface]

White Tail tang 100%

 

[slingfox]

I have a yellow tang and white tail Bristletooth tang. Both do a nice job of picking at the rocks but the Bristletooth is a harder worker. Better than both for algae eating purposes is my lawnmower Blenny who is an algae eating machine.

 

[klc]

Be aware not all same species fish behave the same. I have a blue eye kole and he is a bully, so much so that I need to remove him from the display.

The common foxface will eat algae for sure but not after the algae is long enough to wave in the current. Yes they have poisonous dorsal spines but it’s unlikely they will let you get near enough to them to actually have contact. They are shy.

I like convict tangs, I have 1 in the display and my frag system and the do a good job. If I let the film get heavy on the glass they will cover it with fish kisses in a day. Peaceful fish too.

If your GHA is an issue, a siphon hose into a filter sock in the sump will allow you to clean for hours lol.

 

[tobster]

I have a yellow tang and white tail Bristletooth tang. Both do a nice job of picking at the rocks but the Bristletooth is a harder worker. Better than both for algae eating purposes is my lawnmower Blenny who is an algae eating machine.

I like the look of the whitetail tang. I heard that blennys would pick at LPS?

 

[tobster]

Be aware not all same species fish behave the same. I have a blue eye kole and he is a bully, so much so that I need to remove him from the display.

The common foxface will eat algae for sure but not after the algae is long enough to wave in the current. Yes they have poisonous dorsal spines but it’s unlikely they will let you get near enough to them to actually have contact. They are shy.

I like convict tangs, I have 1 in the display and my frag system and the do a good job. If I let the film get heavy on the glass they will cover it with fish kisses in a day. Peaceful fish too.

If your GHA is an issue, a siphon hose into a filter sock in the sump will allow you to clean for hours lol.

It’s not a huge issue, mostly just grows on back glass which I’m fine with because you can’t really see it. It also gives the urchin and turbo something to munch on.
Been there done that with the filter sock many times lol.
I’m not familiar with the convict tang. I’ll have to read up on that.

 

[OrionN]

Convict tang, while not the flashiest of the tangs, they are one of the best algae cleansers. Also they are not the easiest tang to get established. Once established they do very well in reef tanks.

 

[tobster]

Convict tang, while not the flashiest of the tangs, they are one of the best algae cleansers. Also they are not the easiest tang to get established. Once established they do very well in reef tanks.

That’s a cool looking fish. Are they hard to get to start eating? Is that what you mean by “not easy to establish “?

 

[i cant think]

All I’ll say is that risk is very little.
I work around 2 (maybe 3 after today…) in my own tank and have worked around countless in an LFS. If you just watch their behaviour and go slowly without any sudden movements they’re absolutely fine!
Here’s my Bicolour - I also have a Magnificent who is much larger (the biggest fish in the tank).

And now I have an adorable little guy;

 

[tobster]

And now I have an adorable little guy;

Nice, is that a foxface?