Reef nutrition

Tangs, Tank dimensions, water volume

rygh said:
Funny thought:
I run an algae scrubber in the sump. I wonder if one could build an algae-scrubber-tang-feeder thing.
Click to expand...
That’s like nutrient recycling, interesting idea!

How long does it take for a screen to grow the algae? You could maybe set it up with multiple strips of those plastic sheets used in scrubbers, and swap a strip to the display to be grazed.

Here’s a pic to explain what I’m thinking. So this would have 4 strips that can be rotated with a 5th in the display that’s being grazed
7B51D613-06B6-43A0-B427-1B9C71B6142D.jpeg
 
max_nano said:
That’s like nutrient recycling, interesting idea!

How long does it take for a screen to grow the algae? You could maybe set it up with multiple strips of those plastic sheets used in scrubbers, and swap a strip to the display to be grazed.

Here’s a pic to explain what I’m thinking. So this would have 4 strips that can be rotated with a 5th in the display that’s being grazed
Click to expand...
From a bare screen, it takes a long time to grow. Weeks.
So you really cannot let the tangs eat it all the way down clean.
But swapping, where you put it in the full screen in some sort of protection grid, might work.

However, even for an ATS running normally, you swap it out weekly, so it would not really be an ongoing feeder.
 
At that point, couldn't you just get rid of the algae scrubber and let the tangs go at the algae in the main display instead? Save money on powering an algae scrubber and feed the tangs with less maintenance.
 
I think that it really depends on the species in general. Some of them are more pelagic by nature and cover vast distances while grazing (relative to say damsels/dwarf angels which occupy meters of space instead). With that said, I wouldn't even consider anything other than the smaller bristletooths in smaller tanks. 5' would be a nice starting point; more space the better.
 
It's funny that somehow the phrase "Tang Police" has become a label with a negative connotation. The truth is "tang Police" really translates into "responsible reefers." Why isn't that a good thing?
 
Bruce Spiegelman said:
It's funny that somehow the phrase "Tang Police" has become a label with a negative connotation. The truth is "tang Police" really translates into "responsible reefers." Why isn't that a good thing?
Click to expand...
Because people don't like being told they shouldn't do something. Its like when your mom told you not to lick the outlet, you did it anyway!
 
Last edited:
Vhuang168 said:
Because people don't like being told they shouldn't do something. Its like when your mom told you not to like the outlet, you did it anyway!
Click to expand...
It could also be the mentality of "oh no, I'm doing this differently, so there will be better results", and yeah people don't like being told what to do, they want things the way they want them and no one is going tell them otherwise.

It's funny I see "tang police" more as a synonym of "Yeah I know that I'm not going to upgrade to a larger tank anytime soon, and I really don't believe I'll find someone with a bigger tank to house these fish but I really wanted them"
 
I remember snorkeling around Maui some years back, and there was this one tang, I want to say it was an orange shoulder tang (I saw so many fish I can't remember exactly) and this thing was quite literally as long as my chest is tall, such a huge fish and yeah it was very curious near me. I was snapped out of that instant moment of cool recalling why they're referred to as surgeon fish though, and one that big probably could have eviscerated me if it wanted.

Honestly it's that kind of memory that made me get rid of all my fish when I broke down my 300g tub, they had nearly 6 feet by 6 feet of oval to swim, I did manage to find someone with a 6' long tank, not quite as large in the other direction, but it was the best I could do, and I knew trying to house them while I got my shit together for an undetermined amount of time was not the right thing to do.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top