Tang for my 120g...

revhtree · Dec 22, 2007

I really need a tang for my 120g that has some new tank algae. The diatoms are about gone but I have a little green hair algae that was underneath the brown stuff that formed. I want to get a tang anyway but I need it faster now I think. I only have one fish and that's a solar wrasse. Here are a few I was thinking of getting. Just one of them though.

small-medium Purple Tang (will it be territorial to new fish?)
small-medium Powder Blue (will it be territorial to new fish?)
small-medium Salfin Tang

Any other suggestions besides Yellow, Blue, and Naso?

Pitcom · Dec 23, 2007

It's not one you mentioned but I have an orange shoulder reef tang. I love him, he is the leader of the tank. I got him because of an algae problem and he got rid of everything in about a week. I feed him, krill, mysid, cyclopeeze and supper veg flakes with garlic. He's a pig, and a real community type tang.

NapoliNewJersey · Dec 23, 2007

Achilles Tang... by far my favorite fish. Hard to keep though. I've had mine for over 5 months and he's a monster. He had ich for like the first month but he's been spot free since then. He eats everything I throw in the tank.

My advice if you pick this fish or a powederblue/brown. Make sure they are eating at the store before you take him. Watch him eat and ask the LFS to feed him more than one thing. Be picky. I'm lucky that my LFS (Aquatic Obsessions in Woodbridge, Nj) is really cool and usually won't even sell you a fish that they think isn't going to make it. And he'll tell you if it's eating or not.

surfn · Dec 23, 2007

powder blues are pretty aggressive and mean towards other tangs.....its recomended if you add one, add it last. if you add it first, it will establish its territory and defend it when you put in other tangs. if you add it last, it will have to deal with the other fish already having established territories.

i don't think a purple tang will be able to put a big enough dent into the algae as you need.

definitely recomend going the naso route if you can find a good one, allot of the ones in stores loook beat up and stressed out. may want to QT it first and do a hyposalinity treatment just to make sure its a-ok before putting into the tank.

also.........if you can find a chevron tang.....they are wicked cool....and do allot of grazing on the rocks.

revhtree · Dec 23, 2007

Great suggestions!! I forgot about the Achilles tang and the Chevron! I have wanted them both for sometime. Ok I am set on the Achilles for right now. You think a 120g would house both of these?

edwing206 · Dec 23, 2007

You should also take a look at the chocolate tang.

patedship · Dec 23, 2007

Stay away from the powder blue, they are a very aggressive fish.

revhtree · Dec 23, 2007

I owned a PB in my 125g and it got along with a Naso and all my other fish fine. I guess it varies from fish to fish.

Azurel · Dec 23, 2007

You can look at Tomlini tangs as well they don't get as big as some others do.....I like Scopus for algae cleaning.....There is a really cool Eibli minic tang as well that is really cool....

Raptor · Dec 23, 2007

All those fish get too big for your tank, the powder and the achilles still get somewhat big, and have similar temperments. (Mean) Plus they need lots of open swimming space, They are hyper active fish.
I have owned both at one point or another. I lost them in a tank crash a couple years back.
I second the toomini tang its a great algea eater, and is peacefull very hearty.

b0bby1 · Dec 23, 2007

achillies tang is the nicest fish around, great fish.

twon8 · Dec 23, 2007

i love my powder brown, A. japonicus, very hearty and happy in my 90, so he would be fine a 120

the naso, sailfin get way too big for a 120. ive got a naso in a 180 and i know he will be getting too big for it within a few years.

i wouldn't put the achilles in there till the last fish, my powder brown won't let me put new wrasses in with him, and he will harass them for a while.

the achillles is a very sensitive fish, i don't know that a newly setup tank would be the best bet to keep one alive. any of the bristletooth tangs would be your best bet

also, powder blues and achilles may not eat the nuisance algae, as they tend to prefer the red algaes and mostly ignore other kinds.

patedship · Dec 23, 2007

If you can find a blue eyed tang, I would go with that. I just picked one up 2 weeks ago and I love the guy, he has a lot of personality and isnt at all aggressive.

revhtree · Dec 23, 2007

Well update...

Almost over night, the algae is like almost gone. The green hair is like brown and dead and is stringing off. The brown diatoms are almost 100% gone. I think my tank just caught up.

Also I agree that some tangs get to big for my tank especially a Naso. Most tangs need at least 6ft swimming area. I think though I am going to go with Achilles!

Does anybody know where I can get one at a decent price?

Thanks.

twon8 · Dec 23, 2007

the best place to get one is a good lfs, i would want to see it eating, they are very finicky fish and most don't survive long. live aquaria would be my second bet, as they have a 14 guarantee.

also, if you are going with the achilles, make sure you've got all your flow going, as they like high current as this better mimics their natural habitat

revhtree · Dec 23, 2007

twon8 said:
the best place to get one is a good lfs, i would want to see it eating, they are very finicky fish and most don't survive long. live aquaria would be my second bet, as they have a 14 guarantee.

also, if you are going with the achilles, make sure you've got all your flow going, as they like high current as this better mimics their natural habitat

Good points! I have (2) x Tunze 6100's and a 6025 so flow is good.

reef-nut · Dec 23, 2007

I had a purple tang for over 5 years. The first 2 weeks he laid on the bottom of the tank with ick and you thought he was dieing any minute. One day he got up and never looked back. I never seen a speck of algae ever!!!

NapoliNewJersey · Dec 23, 2007

Good choice Rev. I just wanted to chime in on some of the things said.

An Achilles tang should be one of the last fish in the tank. They are agressive and very teritorial.

They are hard to keep and are picky eaters for sure.

As far as him getting too large for your tank. If you buy him between 4-5 inches ... it will take him well long to out grow you tank. The are 10" fully grown in the wild. In a home aquarium you'll be luck to see 8" fully grown.

Also, here's a big one, when you have a 48" long (like I do) and you have a tang that likes to swim, do this .. build your rock off the back wall and off the side .. this way he can swim around the back in a large circle. This makes the tank feel alot larger to the fish than it actually is. This really works.

As far as where to buy one. It's tough if you don't have a good LFS. I got mine local in NJ but my LFS had 4 of them over a few weeks and I didn't jump on the first one. I took my time and took one that was eating pellet(formula one and two) and misis shrimp. Now my tang eats everything from seaweed to clam. misis shrimp, arctic pods, and pellet foods.... I got very lucky with mine. And as much as he eats he still hasn't grown at all. If he has then it's very minor.

If you don't have a good LFS go to Dr. FostersJohnsonGreenSmith etc.