Tang & Caulerpa in 75 gallon?

RadReef · 07/25/2009, 06:26 PM

I know that I've read about what's the best tang for mowing caulerpa but for the life of me I cannot remember. I did a site search and came up with nothing. That being said, what's the best tang to eat caulerpa in a 75 gallon aquarium? I appreciate any advice.......

RadReef · 07/25/2009, 06:56 PM

I'm thinking that I'm going to buy a true yellow tang as they only reach ~ 8 in.

sevendigitcake · 07/25/2009, 06:57 PM

true yellow tang? i never knew there was a false yellow tang!

snorvich · 07/25/2009, 08:54 PM

My recollection is that tangs don't eat caulerpa. Getting rid of caulerpa is definitely not a trivial problem.

wrestle1952 · 07/25/2009, 09:55 PM

Tangs will eat caulerpa. Don't be surprised if they only eat parts of the plant. YOu will still need to pull some out if you really want to get rid of it.

EMV7904 · 07/25/2009, 10:06 PM

I used to grow calurpa in my fuge and feed it to my Tangs. Rabbitfish ate it too. It was grape calurpa and the tangs that ate it were, naso, yellow, white cheek, hippo and I had an orangespot rabbit. Heck my maroon clowns ate it too!

All that said, any of the aforementioned fish would be too large for a 75 gallon tank - yellow tang included. 8 inches in a 48 inch tank is insane. lol 8 inches in a 72 inch tank is crazy too!!

rendogg · 07/25/2009, 10:53 PM

The only place caulerpa grows in my tank is where the tangs can't get to it. My rabbitfish love it too! I think you could get away with a young yellow or scopas tang with tank upgrade or tang removal in the future. A longspine or multicolour urchin would probably be a wiser choice, it all depends how accessible the caulerpa is.

RadReef · 07/25/2009, 10:54 PM

I was advised to buy a Tomini tang or bristletooth tang as it only gets 6 inches long and I have a 75 gallon. There's a yellow tang mimic called Acanthurus pyroferus and the true is Zebrasoma flavescens. Do you think the Tomini would be the best choice?

Ehaze · 07/25/2009, 10:56 PM

my tangs munch that stuff. and fox box.

rendogg · 07/25/2009, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by RadReef
I was advised to buy a Tomini tang or bristletooth tang as it only gets 6 inches long and I have a 75 gallon. There's a yellow tang mimic called Acanthurus pyroferus and the true is Zebrasoma flavescens. Do you think the Tomini would be the best choice?

I'm not sure about the Tomini, I think the Yellow or a Scopas would work very well though. I am a huge advocate of the Scopas tang, it'll help you combat or prevent most future algae problems.

pwoller · 07/25/2009, 11:04 PM

I disagree, a 4 foot tank is fine for a yellow tang. My tank is 4 x2 and my yellow tang is doing wonderfully.

Quote:

Originally posted by EMV7904
I used to grow calurpa in my fuge and feed it to my Tangs. Rabbitfish ate it too. It was grape calurpa and the tangs that ate it were, naso, yellow, white cheek, hippo and I had an orangespot rabbit. Heck my maroon clowns ate it too!

All that said, any of the aforementioned fish would be too large for a 75 gallon tank - yellow tang included. 8 inches in a 48 inch tank is insane. lol 8 inches in a 72 inch tank is crazy too!!

RadReef · 07/25/2009, 11:11 PM

The Scopas do look pretty as well but they do get up to 12 inches although on liveaquaria they say the minimum tank size is 70 gallons and my tank is 75 gallons and 4 feet long. Maybe the Scopas would be a better choice than a Tomini?

Mike31154 · 07/26/2009, 11:02 AM

I have not observed my Yellow Tang grazing on the grape caulerpa in my display. He does peck away at the LR, but whatever it is, it's too small for me to make out what he's eating there. Certainly not fully developed caulerpa. My female Maroon Clown will sometimes tear off a piece that annoys her if it's close to her territory, does not eat it though. Tears it off, spits it away.

RadReef · 07/26/2009, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mike31154
My female Maroon Clown will sometimes tear off a piece that annoys her if it's close to her territory, does not eat it though. Tears it off, spits it away.

Lol, only concerned with her little piece of the reef! My problem is grape caulerpa as well. I have one rock that is littered with the stuff and I've pulled it from the aquarium twice already and spent over an hour both times picking the junk off only to have it spring right back from hair roots! Someone suggested that I boil the rock and that would kill it but the rock has over 300 zoanthids of about 20 colors on it, so, yeah boiling it is not an option.......

Aquarist007 · 07/26/2009, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by snorvich
My recollection is that tangs don't eat caulerpa. Getting rid of caulerpa is definitely not a trivial problem.

I agree Snorvich. To my recollection this is the only thing that will eat caulerpa

http://www.reefcentral.com/wp/?p=273

ludnix · 07/26/2009, 12:35 PM

Bristle tooth tangs usually go only for filamentous algae as far as I know. I don't think it's a good idea to get a fish based on the idea that you want to eat a certain pest, it's not very reliable solution and you should be picking your fish based on what works best together for your tank size.

RadReef · 07/26/2009, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ludnix
Bristle tooth tangs usually go only for filamentous algae as far as I know. I don't think it's a good idea to get a fish based on the idea that you want to eat a certain pest, it's not very reliable solution and you should be picking your fish based on what works best together for your tank size.

Isn't choosing a natural predator what aquarists do in an effort to control pest populations? It's recreating a natural reef environment in an unnatural setting, an aquarium. That's why I'm trying to find the best fit for the fish and it's purpose. Capn_hylinur the saccoglossan sea slug is related to sea hares right and eat the same things? At this point I'm thinking of getting a couple emerald crabs, a scopas tang or yellow tang, and a dwarf sea hare. Hopefully that's comprehensive. Either tang would be fine in a 4 foot 75 gallon aquarium. I just hope I don't get a picky one! It sounds like in general tangs eat caulerpa but sometimes an individual will not.

OwenInAZ · 07/26/2009, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by EMV7904
All that said, any of the aforementioned fish would be too large for a 75 gallon tank - yellow tang included. 8 inches in a 48 inch tank is insane. lol 8 inches in a 72 inch tank is crazy too!!

Uh oh!! Busted!

Although, you may want to think long-term on a fish that can grow large like a tang. That's a reason to get a bigger tank!

RadReef · 07/26/2009, 03:54 PM

I think I'm just going to stick with trying sea hares and emerald crabs for now. I'd like to get a bigger tank but renting and having a 500 gallon system doesn't really work, maybe some day. OwenInAz do you have a tang in your 90 gallon?

OwenInAZ · 07/26/2009, 04:36 PM

I do. He's bright yellow. I would have preferred a Scopus, but my wife really wanted the yellow tang, so here we are. FWIW, I think a 75 is, realistically, too small to house a tang long-term. My 90 is pushing the lower limit of what is generally considered large enough. Could you throw one in to a 75 and have it live? Most likely, but assuming the fish grows large it will be a PITA to get it out when it's too big. That fact is compounded with the ideal of giving our livestock the best life possible, considering they're yanked from the ocean.

Your idea of trying a sea hare and/or emerald crabs is probably a decent one. If/when you get a new tank (larger or otherwise), you'll have learned the "don't put caulerpa in your display" lesson

RadReef · 07/26/2009, 05:13 PM

Your idea of trying a sea hare and/or emerald crabs is probably a decent one. If/when you get a new tank (larger or otherwise), you'll have learned the "don't put caulerpa in your display" lesson

[/B][/QUOTE]

Unfortunately, it's something I already know and I am having to deal with regardless. It's on a zoanthid rock that has over three hundred zoas of 20+ colors. So, it's not really an option to "get rid" of the rock but deal with the issue at hand. I added an orange zoa morph and the caulerpa roots where inside the rock and didn't appear till later on and I removed the orange zoanthid's rock but it was too late and the damage was done because the caulerpa had rooted out among the other morphs all since efforts to pull it out have failed so now I have to try and irradicate the stuff for good as I have been battling it for over a year. Thanks for the input though......

OwenInAZ · 07/26/2009, 05:46 PM

Ah, I see. Yeah I'm not sure how to eradicate the stuff if it's really attached to a rock full of things you want to keep

Good luck with it, hopefully you can find something to eat it once and for all.

RadReef · 07/26/2009, 05:49 PM

For now I have the rock set off by itself so the caulerpa cannot creep too far. It does try to grow under the substrate and actually pop-up somewhere else (Arrggg!), the stuff is really horrible.....

Aquarist007 · 07/26/2009, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by OwenInAZ
Uh oh!! Busted!

Although, you may want to think long-term on a fish that can grow large like a tang. That's a reason to get a bigger tank!

07/25/2009, 06:26 PM	#1
RadReef Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Franklin Park, IL Posts: 121	Tang & Caulerpa in 75 gallon? I know that I've read about what's the best tang for mowing caulerpa but for the life of me I cannot remember. I did a site search and came up with nothing. That being said, what's the best tang to eat caulerpa in a 75 gallon aquarium? I appreciate any advice.......

07/25/2009, 08:54 PM	#4
snorvich Team RC member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Outlander Posts: 40,953 Blog Entries: 46	My recollection is that tangs don't eat caulerpa. Getting rid of caulerpa is definitely not a trivial problem. __________________ Warmest regards, ~Steve~

07/25/2009, 10:56 PM	#9
Ehaze Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Thornton, Colorado Posts: 1,259	my tangs munch that stuff. and fox box. __________________ 75g SPS tank, 30gal sump/refuge. Melev RO/DI, Coravue duel calc reactor, MSP 200 skimmer, 2 Vortech MP40, Mag drive 9.5 return, autotopoff.com ATO, 2 CoralVue 250W SE finished pendants(with 20k Radium bulbs), powered by 2x Icecap ballasts, controlled by a ACJR.

07/26/2009, 11:02 AM	#13
Mike31154 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: B.C. Canada Posts: 1,555	I have not observed my Yellow Tang grazing on the grape caulerpa in my display. He does peck away at the LR, but whatever it is, it's too small for me to make out what he's eating there. Certainly not fully developed caulerpa. My female Maroon Clown will sometimes tear off a piece that annoys her if it's close to her territory, does not eat it though. Tears it off, spits it away. __________________ Mike Current Tank Info: 77g sumpless sw with rock, sand, a few critters, fishes & polyps. Lights, pumps.....

07/26/2009, 12:35 PM	#16
ludnix Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: California Posts: 3,031	Bristle tooth tangs usually go only for filamentous algae as far as I know. I don't think it's a good idea to get a fish based on the idea that you want to eat a certain pest, it's not very reliable solution and you should be picking your fish based on what works best together for your tank size. __________________ -Eric Sutter Current Tank Info: 14g Biocube

07/25/2009, 06:56 PM	#2
RadReef Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Franklin Park, IL Posts: 121	I'm thinking that I'm going to buy a true yellow tang as they only reach ~ 8 in.

07/25/2009, 06:57 PM	#3
sevendigitcake Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 452	true yellow tang? i never knew there was a false yellow tang!

07/25/2009, 09:55 PM	#5
wrestle1952 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: San Leandro, CA Posts: 286	Tangs will eat caulerpa. Don't be surprised if they only eat parts of the plant. YOu will still need to pull some out if you really want to get rid of it.

07/25/2009, 10:06 PM	#6
EMV7904 Moved On Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: US Posts: 203	I used to grow calurpa in my fuge and feed it to my Tangs. Rabbitfish ate it too. It was grape calurpa and the tangs that ate it were, naso, yellow, white cheek, hippo and I had an orangespot rabbit. Heck my maroon clowns ate it too! All that said, any of the aforementioned fish would be too large for a 75 gallon tank - yellow tang included. 8 inches in a 48 inch tank is insane. lol 8 inches in a 72 inch tank is crazy too!!

07/25/2009, 10:53 PM	#7
rendogg Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Abbotsford, B.C. Posts: 578	The only place caulerpa grows in my tank is where the tangs can't get to it. My rabbitfish love it too! I think you could get away with a young yellow or scopas tang with tank upgrade or tang removal in the future. A longspine or multicolour urchin would probably be a wiser choice, it all depends how accessible the caulerpa is.

07/25/2009, 10:54 PM	#8
RadReef Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Franklin Park, IL Posts: 121	I was advised to buy a Tomini tang or bristletooth tang as it only gets 6 inches long and I have a 75 gallon. There's a yellow tang mimic called Acanthurus pyroferus and the true is Zebrasoma flavescens. Do you think the Tomini would be the best choice?

07/25/2009, 11:11 PM	#12
RadReef Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Franklin Park, IL Posts: 121	The Scopas do look pretty as well but they do get up to 12 inches although on liveaquaria they say the minimum tank size is 70 gallons and my tank is 75 gallons and 4 feet long. Maybe the Scopas would be a better choice than a Tomini?

07/26/2009, 03:54 PM	#19
RadReef Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Franklin Park, IL Posts: 121	I think I'm just going to stick with trying sea hares and emerald crabs for now. I'd like to get a bigger tank but renting and having a 500 gallon system doesn't really work, maybe some day. OwenInAz do you have a tang in your 90 gallon?

07/26/2009, 04:36 PM	#20
OwenInAZ Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Flagstaff, AZ Posts: 2,409	I do. He's bright yellow. I would have preferred a Scopus, but my wife really wanted the yellow tang, so here we are. FWIW, I think a 75 is, realistically, too small to house a tang long-term. My 90 is pushing the lower limit of what is generally considered large enough. Could you throw one in to a 75 and have it live? Most likely, but assuming the fish grows large it will be a PITA to get it out when it's too big. That fact is compounded with the ideal of giving our livestock the best life possible, considering they're yanked from the ocean. Your idea of trying a sea hare and/or emerald crabs is probably a decent one. If/when you get a new tank (larger or otherwise), you'll have learned the "don't put caulerpa in your display" lesson __________________ Owen Professional Bacteria Geek "Ree... cy... cling?" "One day it's a bowl full of cherries, one night I'm suckin' on lemons and spittin' out the seeds" Current Tank Info: 90 gallon tall reef

07/26/2009, 05:13 PM	#21
RadReef Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Franklin Park, IL Posts: 121	Your idea of trying a sea hare and/or emerald crabs is probably a decent one. If/when you get a new tank (larger or otherwise), you'll have learned the "don't put caulerpa in your display" lesson [/B][/QUOTE] Unfortunately, it's something I already know and I am having to deal with regardless. It's on a zoanthid rock that has over three hundred zoas of 20+ colors. So, it's not really an option to "get rid" of the rock but deal with the issue at hand. I added an orange zoa morph and the caulerpa roots where inside the rock and didn't appear till later on and I removed the orange zoanthid's rock but it was too late and the damage was done because the caulerpa had rooted out among the other morphs all since efforts to pull it out have failed so now I have to try and irradicate the stuff for good as I have been battling it for over a year. Thanks for the input though......

07/26/2009, 05:46 PM	#22
OwenInAZ Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Flagstaff, AZ Posts: 2,409	Ah, I see. Yeah I'm not sure how to eradicate the stuff if it's really attached to a rock full of things you want to keep Good luck with it, hopefully you can find something to eat it once and for all. __________________ Owen Professional Bacteria Geek "Ree... cy... cling?" "One day it's a bowl full of cherries, one night I'm suckin' on lemons and spittin' out the seeds" Current Tank Info: 90 gallon tall reef

07/26/2009, 05:49 PM	#23
RadReef Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Franklin Park, IL Posts: 121	For now I have the rock set off by itself so the caulerpa cannot creep too far. It does try to grow under the substrate and actually pop-up somewhere else (Arrggg!), the stuff is really horrible.....