algae eating reef fish

[clarki]

Besides a tang what other fish is reef safe and will keep my calpauera under control?
It's taking over my tank and I have to pull it out in handfuls every couple of days...
Tangs are so prone to ick I'm reluctant to get one... what else is an option?

 

[ray28576]

Lawnmower Blenny

 

[dburr]

foxface

 

[fedukeford]

foxface is a type of tang, the lawnmower blenny would do the job

 

[feixjai]

even though foxface is a tang, they are very hardy. my suggestion is not really fish but an invert. a emarld crab might take care of it. instead of adding bioload to your tank add a little invert.

 

[fanker]

i had a scopa tang and gobbled it all up. he was one fat tang until my lionfish stung it

 

[clarki]

I have a 60 gal. reef tank that has been established for a few years and has a number of corals and a mated pair of black perculas, a yellow wrasse, a lawmower blenny and tons of crabs (emerald, porcelain, sally light foot, red & blue legged hermits) a coral banded shrimp, a red serpent star, a brittle star and a handful of snails. The calpaura has taken off and is basically overtaking the tank.... I've tried adding tangs a couple of times and each time they've come down with ick within a couple of weeks of being added...
Then the perculas get infected and the tang ends up dying... the perculas I was able to treat and save... I'm afraid to add a tang again after my past luck.. the blenny is a fat happy guy but he isn't even making a dent in the macro algae... there's too much to take it out completely by hand.. but I pull out handfuls every few days...
What about a flame angel? do they eat the sea grapes? or is there a tang that is MUCH less suseptible to ick? I tried a naso tang and a powder blue (should have known better on that one...but the lfs guy talked me into it) I know hippos are very prone to ick...
I'm stumped...

 

[ray28576]

An urchin would do the job.

 

[jacklax]

I have a Coral Beauty (similar to the Flame)...it doesn't even touch my caulerpa. Bang Guy mentioned a Foxface for me a while ago. Does your Emerald Crab do anything?

 

[dburr]

Foxface is a tang? Sinse when? It's a rabbitfish.

 

[bdare]

Hey,
A fish or an invert is not the answer to your problem. If your algae is that out of control you need to find out what the nutrient source is. It usually comes from high nitrates. Are you testing your water? Are you over feeding? Are you using RO or tap water? Adding livestock could only make your problem worse... not better.
BDare