Purple tang or Biota Yellow?

[aaron186]

I’m looking to add a second and final tang to my tank. I currently have a white tail bristletooth tang that is about 4 inches long. Temperament seems good but no other tangs in the 4x2x2 tank. I want to add a yellow but I’m concerned the tangs from Biota which are about 1.5 inches will be too small and be picked on by the bristletooth tang. Would I be better off with a purple tang that’s closer in size? I know purples can be more aggressive and get a little bigger.

 

[bradreef]

Purple- There are other yellow fish they are better like halichoeres chrysus. Not much like a purple tang imo.

 

[aaron186]

Purple- There are other yellow fish they are better like halichoeres chrysus. Not much like a purple tang imo.

I agree about the color/looks. My concern is aggression and the purple getting too big. But I’m also concerned that the tiny captive bred biota yellow isn’t a good option to add to a currently larger tang

 

[bradreef]

My experience is that yellow can be some of the biggest jerks in the tank. Its a risk with any tang. Mirror trick when you add.

 

[aaron186]

My experience is that yellow can be some of the biggest jerks in the tank. Its a risk with any tang. Mirror trick when you add.

Interesting. Everything I’ve read says purples are more aggressive. I used to have a yellow in a tank a long time ago that was model citizen

 

[bradreef]

See what others think, i was just at a friends and moved a blue hippo to a tank with a yellow. Yellow went at him right away. Tangs just get nuts some times.

 

[aaron186]

I’ve noticed my bristletooth is a bit of bully. It chases other fish but doesn’t beat them up. Would I be better off with a a more aggressive fish in this case?

 

[littlefoxx]

I’m looking to add a second and final tang to my tank. I currently have a white tail bristletooth tang that is about 4 inches long. Temperament seems good but no other tangs in the 4x2x2 tank. I want to add a yellow but I’m concerned the tangs from Biota which are about 1.5 inches will be too small and be picked on by the bristletooth tang. Would I be better off with a purple tang that’s closer in size? I know purples can be more aggressive and get a little bigger.

Ive got my little guy from biota, added him last with an adult purple tang and a powder blue (since re homed) and boy does he hold his own with those two. They are all good without the powder blue stirring the pot but he is a little feisty guy and stands up to the bigger fish. You can always use the acclimation box too. Had him about 2 months now, he has grown pretty fast! Also had a bristletooth before my electrical crash, re homed because boy was that fish a bully, right up there with the powder blue!

 

[vetteguy53081]

I’m looking to add a second and final tang to my tank. I currently have a white tail bristletooth tang that is about 4 inches long. Temperament seems good but no other tangs in the 4x2x2 tank. I want to add a yellow but I’m concerned the tangs from Biota which are about 1.5 inches will be too small and be picked on by the bristletooth tang. Would I be better off with a purple tang that’s closer in size? I know purples can be more aggressive and get a little bigger.

Purples doing well out there with little known field issues.

 

[aaron186]

Ive got my little guy from biota, added him last with an adult purple tang and a powder blue (since re homed) and boy does he hold his own with those two. They are all good without the powder blue stirring the pot but he is a little feisty guy and stands up to the bigger fish. You can always use the acclimation box too. Had him about 2 months now, he has grown pretty fast! Also had a bristletooth before my electrical crash, re homed because boy was that fish a bully, right up there with the powder blue!

Interesting that the bristle was a bully. I’ve heard they are supposed to be chill. I guess it’s all a crap shoot. I wish this was an easier decision lol.

 

[ti_lavender]

I have a similarly sized tank and initially had a 4” white tail tang as the first fish. After a few additions of small angels, a few mollies, and a royal gramma I ordered a yellow tang from biota. I got a small one too. I initially had the tang in an acclimation box to help make sure it was eating and have the fish exposed to it. After a few weeks I released it towards the evening and initially the white tail was showing aggression. Over the next few days there’d be some aggression here and there but it eventually subsided. I fed more often during this period to help with the adjustment.

 

[aaron186]

I have a similarly sized tank and initially had a 4” white tail tang as the first fish. After a few additions of small angels, a few mollies, and a royal gramma I ordered a yellow tang from biota. I got a small one too. I initially had the tang in an acclimation box to help make sure it was eating and have the fish exposed to it. After a few weeks I released it towards the evening and initially the white tail was showing aggression. Over the next few days there’d be some aggression here and there but it eventually subsided. I fed more often during this period to help with the adjustment.

Thanks this is super helpful.

 

[littlefoxx]

I have a similarly sized tank and initially had a 4” white tail tang as the first fish. After a few additions of small angels, a few mollies, and a royal gramma I ordered a yellow tang from biota. I got a small one too. I initially had the tang in an acclimation box to help make sure it was eating and have the fish exposed to it. After a few weeks I released it towards the evening and initially the white tail was showing aggression. Over the next few days there’d be some aggression here and there but it eventually subsided. I fed more often during this period to help with the adjustment.

I agree, this is what happened with my yellow too. Mine has got some spunk though! I think you should be okay, it being smaller might pacify your kole and not see him as a threat!

Interesting that the bristle was a bully. I’ve heard they are supposed to be chill. I guess it’s all a crap shoot. I wish this was an easier decision lol.

Yeah the LFS was surprised too. Demon fish!! Im trying a white tail though for my smaller tank, need a algae cleaning fish since my dwarf angel died how do you like yours??

 

[aaron186]

I agree, this is what happened with my yellow too. Mine has got some spunk though! I think you should be okay, it being smaller might pacify your kole and not see him as a threat!

Yeah the LFS was surprised too. Demon fish!! Im trying a white tail though for my smaller tank, need an algae cleaning fish since my dwarf angel died how do you like yours??

It’s a beautiful fish and very active. It was pricey but it’s definitely the best looking bristletooth by a wide margin. Mine is a pinkish red that’s hard to find elsewhere

 

[littlefoxx]

It’s a beautiful fish and very active. It was pricey but it’s definitely the best looking bristletooth by a wide margin. Mine is a pinkish red that’s hard to find elsewhere

Yeah I got mine at a deal since my vendor didnt have a certain fish he offered me that one!

 

[nereefpat]

I’ve noticed my bristletooth is a bit of bully. It chases other fish but doesn’t beat them up. Would I be better off with a a more aggressive fish in this case?

Another option would be a foxface, either S. unimaculatus or S. vulpinus. They would give you a big yellow fish. They also stand up to bullies, since they can just tilt their dorsal spines toward an attacker. I added one to my 125 with two established tangs (5+ years), and they tried to give him the business but backed off right away.

 

[aaron186]

Another option would be a foxface, either S. unimaculatus or S. vulpinus. They would give you a big yellow fish. They also stand up to bullies, since they can just tilt their dorsal spines toward an attacker. I added one to my 125 with two established tangs (5+ years), and they tried to give him the business but backed off right away.

I have a 1 spot foxface already

 

[nereefpat]

I have a 1 spot foxface already

That's a tough one then. In a 4 foot tank, I wouldn't add another tang. A dwarf angel, like a flame or coral beauty might be a good fit.

But, since the question is if the purple or small yellow is the better bet: I don't know for sure. I would guess the tiny yellow. You can use an acclimation box to see how the established tang acts.

 

[Buckster]

I have a purple, yellow, hippo, sailfish and scopas. They all get along fine. In the beginning the purple would bother the yellow for months until he grew up or something.

 

[chad 1079]

I’m looking to add a second and final tang to my tank. I currently have a white tail bristletooth tang that is about 4 inches long. Temperament seems good but no other tangs in the 4x2x2 tank. I want to add a yellow but I’m concerned the tangs from Biota which are about 1.5 inches will be too small and be picked on by the bristletooth tang. Would I be better off with a purple tang that’s closer in size? I know purples can be more aggressive and get a little bigger.

I've been wanting to try one of the Biota myself but I've heard they don't do that well shipped. And there's the size factor as well. But if you want to try the bristletooth may not pick on him because there different shaped. I put a small Vlamini tang in my tank that has a pretty good size purple and the purple left him alone.