Is it safe, relatively, to add any other fish to this tank.

[sqznest]

I have a 90 gal mixed reef with 20G sump, been up about about 3 years. Been off and on fighting some GHA. I have 8 urchins, bunch of snails, crabs, etc for CUC. What I'm fighting is the nooks and crannies get a bit hairy. I run a very small refugium with chaeto which keeps my levels low. I have one Purple Tang which does a great job grazing, also have a starry blenny that does what it can. I was considering the addition of a couple other algae eaters, potentially a tang or two if possible. I wish I would have added multiple small ones in the beginning.

Parameters:
Salinity: 35.5
Temp: 77.5 - 78.5
Alk: 9dKH
Cal: 450
Mag: 1400
Nitrate: 2
Phosphate: .03

Current fish roster:
Purple Tang (wrasse chaser)
Starry Blenny
Small goby and pistol shrimp
Filefish
Marble Wrasse (hermit crab killer)
2x cleaner shrimp
3 lyre-tail anthias
2 Red and 2 purple firefish
3 Dart fish
2 clowns

I'd appreciate any suggestions on anything that could be added to help manage the algae? I don't really want to mess with adding any chemicals as its more of an aesthetic thing than being overrun. The answer may be nothing but more CUC.

 

[fishski13]

So looking at your list of already inhabitants, thats a pretty big list for a 90 gallon, however looking at your parameters it looks like you are doing a good job keeping nitrates and phosphates low with such a bio load. That being said I think it is possible to add another herbivore fish into this tank. However I would say you dont have that many options. I would stay away from the other zebrosoma tangs, the yellow, scopas, gem, etc cause you already have the purple which might put aggression towards theses. For a 90 gallon tank I would suggest adding a tomini tang or another tang from the bristletooth family. I would even suggest maybe adding a foxface fish as they are a herbivore fish that graze on algae.

Also have you have any mexican turbo snails in there. When I had some GHA in a 10 gallon, I got one big turbo and over night all GHA was gone.

 

[jtf74]

Dwarf angels are pretty good. My bicolor grazes more than my flame.

edit- sorry didn't notice GHA green hair algae. Not sure dwarf angels are good for that

 

[sqznest]

So looking at your list of already inhabitants, thats a pretty big list for a 90 gallon, however looking at your parameters it looks like you are doing a good job keeping nitrates and phosphates low with such a bio load. That being said I think it is possible to add another herbivore fish into this tank. However I would say you dont have that many options. I would stay away from the other zebrosoma tangs, the yellow, scopas, gem, etc cause you already have the purple which might put aggression towards theses. For a 90 gallon tank I would suggest adding a tomini tang or another tang from the bristletooth family. I would even suggest maybe adding a foxface fish as they are a herbivore fish that graze on algae.

Also have you have any mexican turbo snails in there. When I had some GHA in a 10 gallon, I got one big turbo and over night all GHA was gone.

I don't think an are Turbo snails, these all pretty much stay on the glass. I'll hit the LFS and see if they have any. I'll have to read up on the Tomini as well.

Appreciate the feedback.

 

[DavidinGA]

Fwiw...i also have a 90g tank and I've never ran a cuc (actually in my 20+ years in the hobby I've never run a cuc, but that's another story) and I've never had algae issues. I currently have about ten fish in the 90g including some med/large tangs (powder blue, Hippo, and naso) and zero algae issues. I don't do water changes, don't run a skimmer, don't run reactors. All I do is run a diy ATS. An ATS will solve your algae issues.

 

[Chortanator]

Dwarf angels are pretty good. My bicolor grazes more than my flame.

edit- sorry didn't notice GHA green hair algae. Not sure dwarf angels are good for that

I have a coral beauty that loves GHA, but it all depends on the fish

 

[Steve and his Animals]

If you purple tang allows it, you can probably get away with one, maybe two more midsize/largeish fish. I wouldn't risk anymore tangs unless they were bristletooth species like a tomini or white-tail tang.

 

[i cant think]

I have a 90 gal mixed reef with 20G sump, been up about about 3 years. Been off and on fighting some GHA. I have 8 urchins, bunch of snails, crabs, etc for CUC. What I'm fighting is the nooks and crannies get a bit hairy. I run a very small refugium with chaeto which keeps my levels low. I have one Purple Tang which does a great job grazing, also have a starry blenny that does what it can. I was considering the addition of a couple other algae eaters, potentially a tang or two if possible. I wish I would have added multiple small ones in the beginning.

Parameters:
Salinity: 35.5
Temp: 77.5 - 78.5
Alk: 9dKH
Cal: 450
Mag: 1400
Nitrate: 2
Phosphate: .03

Current fish roster:
Purple Tang (wrasse chaser)
Starry Blenny
Small goby and pistol shrimp
Filefish
Marble Wrasse (hermit crab killer)
2x cleaner shrimp
3 lyre-tail anthias
2 Red and 2 purple firefish
3 Dart fish
2 clowns

I'd appreciate any suggestions on anything that could be added to help manage the algae? I don't really want to mess with adding any chemicals as its more of an aesthetic thing than being overrun. The answer may be nothing but more CUC.

The marble wrasse will outgrow the tank eventually, same with the Purple Tang. One other issue with the marble wrasse is they’re notoriously known for being aggressive to any similarly shaped fish.
I wouldn’t add anything else to that tank as you’ve already got a good mix that get along, any new additions could trip a whole change in hierarchy and mess up the peace.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Have you considered a bristletooth tang? A small one spot foxface might also work.

 

[mandyvan]

Fwiw...i also have a 90g tank and I've never ran a cuc (actually in my 20+ years in the hobby I've never run a cuc, but that's another story) and I've never had algae issues. I currently have about ten fish in the 90g including some med/large tangs (powder blue, Hippo, and naso) and zero algae issues. I don't do water changes, don't run a skimmer, don't run reactors. All I do is run a diy ATS. An ATS will solve your algae issues.

ATS - is that auto tip-off system, or something else? Just learning all the abbreviations.
Does GHA stay green or does it turn brown?

 

[i cant think]

Have you considered a bristletooth tang? A small one spot foxface might also work.

I personally wouldn’t do either as the foxface and purple tang both get large, maybe if it was a different stock it would work but 4’ tanks are just too small for most tangs for all their life.

 

[blaxsun]

17 fish with a 90-gallon is probably nearing the upper limits - not so much in terms of the maximum number of fish but the potential bio load. I have 43 in my 160-gallon display, but I have a lot of rock work for everyone to hide in, a massive cleanup crew and a fairly heavy-duty filtration setup.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

17 fish with a 90-gallon is probably nearing the upper limits - not so much in terms of the maximum number of fish but the potential bio load. I have 43 in my 160-gallon display, but I have a lot of rock work for everyone to hide in, a massive cleanup crew and a fairly heavy-duty filtration setup.

I didn't count the fish the OP listed. 100% agree with @blaxsun here.

 

[DavidinGA]

ATS - is that auto tip-off system, or something else? Just learning all the abbreviations.
Does GHA stay green or does it turn brown?

ATS is algae turf scrubber filtration setup

 

[SlugSnorter]

I have a 90 gal mixed reef with 20G sump, been up about about 3 years. Been off and on fighting some GHA. I have 8 urchins, bunch of snails, crabs, etc for CUC. What I'm fighting is the nooks and crannies get a bit hairy. I run a very small refugium with chaeto which keeps my levels low. I have one Purple Tang which does a great job grazing, also have a starry blenny that does what it can. I was considering the addition of a couple other algae eaters, potentially a tang or two if possible. I wish I would have added multiple small ones in the beginning.

Parameters:
Salinity: 35.5
Temp: 77.5 - 78.5
Alk: 9dKH
Cal: 450
Mag: 1400
Nitrate: 2
Phosphate: .03

Current fish roster:
Purple Tang (wrasse chaser)
Starry Blenny
Small goby and pistol shrimp
Filefish
Marble Wrasse (hermit crab killer)
2x cleaner shrimp
3 lyre-tail anthias
2 Red and 2 purple firefish
3 Dart fish
2 clowns

I'd appreciate any suggestions on anything that could be added to help manage the algae? I don't really want to mess with adding any chemicals as its more of an aesthetic thing than being overrun. The answer may be nothing but more CUC.

tank sounds pretty stocked imo, I would not recommend more fish. If the issue is GHA in nooks and crannies, small hermits or ceriths would help.

 

[sqznest]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. My first course of action is to add some additional CUC and see how it goes.

 

[kevgib67]

I see you don’t have any urchins, my Royal tuxedo urchin is a work horse on algae. At times I have to supplement with nori because I don’t want him/her to starve. Your tank could probably handle 2-3. My emerald crab has done damage to GHA in the past. I know the consensus is you’ve reached your bio load, l heard lawnmowers blennies tear through GHA and are a smaller fish. Good luck.

 

[SlugSnorter]

I see you don’t have any urchins, my Royal tuxedo urchin is a work horse on algae. At times I have to supplement with nori because I don’t want him/her to starve. Your tank could probably handle 2-3. My emerald crab has done damage to GHA in the past. I know the consensus is you’ve reached your bio load, l heard lawnmowers blennies tear through GHA and are a smaller fish. Good luck.

I have 8 urchins

I think OP has enough urchins

 

[sqznest]

The urchins do a fantastic job of mowing down all the flat areas.