3 tangs in a 75g long term?

ReefGuy1234 · Feb 6, 2022

I have two tangs right now in a 75. One is a tomini tang he’s about an inch or less and a chocolate tang and he’s a baby too, he is only 3 inches. So they have some room to grow but I’m most likely not going to upgrade in the future but there is a very slim change I could upgrade to a 125 but that wouldn’t be for a few years. Could I add a bristle tooth tang that’s about the size of dwarf angel? I’m am aware that 3 tang IN A 75G is pushing it but I really like tang I just don’t want to get arrested by the tang police! Thanks for your help!

polyppal · Feb 6, 2022

There would prob some serious aggression with three in a 75

Piker · Feb 6, 2022

I would not keep more than what you have personally, I think that might be pushing it when they are full grown. I did have a yellow and a tomini together in my 75 but they both got a bit aggressive, I'm down to just the full grown tomini. I grabbed some urchin to pick up the algae eating slack.

DaddyFish · Feb 6, 2022

A lot depends on your aquascape. Picture / FTS?

Mav88 · Feb 6, 2022

I would not recommend a third tang there’s a good chance you’ll end up with problems with the two you have when they get larger. That’s not a lot of territory for two.

davidcalgary29 · Feb 7, 2022

If they come for you, they're certainly going to come for me. I acquired a yellow tang, a regal tang, and a Lamarck's angelfish from a reefer who was shutting down his tank, and they're in my Reefer 350 (for the record, I did not pick up the Harlequin Tuskfish that was also available, so please note that I still have some restraint. Some.) They're best pals, having established some type of social dynamic in their old tank, and spend their time in a high school clique (a "clique" of tangs should be the name for a grouping). I have to say that I never did quite understand the phrase eats like a pig until I saw these three go after their meals, and it's got to the point where the Lamarck's angel is the fattest fish I've ever seen. None are very large right now, but I see a six foot tank in my future. Short term? Sure. Long term? No way.

Fishfreak2009 · Feb 7, 2022

Personally, I wouldn't keep any tang in a 4' tank long term. Honestly, I kept a variety of Zebrasoma (yellow, purple, scopas, sailfin, and desjardinii sailfin) in a 5' 187 gallon tank over the years and varying numbers at different times and they were always agressive and super territorial. Swapped to a 6' 180 gallon tank and all the Zebrasoma got along much better, just had a little agression from the Acanthurus. Put them in an 8'x4' footprint 380 gallon tank, and had no aggression at all from any fish, even the clown tang and powder blue tang.

damsels are not mean · Feb 7, 2022

I think you should already be under arrest. IMO I'd rehome that chocolate and get the tomini. The bristletooths are smaller and fit better in that tank. The chocolate at full size ~8" is gonna make the tank look small.

Fishfreak2009 · Feb 7, 2022

Fishfreak2009 said:
Personally, I wouldn't keep any tang in a 4' tank long term. Honestly, I kept a variety of Zebrasoma (yellow, purple, scopas, sailfin, and desjardinii sailfin) in a 5' 187 gallon tank over the years and varying numbers at different times and they were always agressive and super territorial. Swapped to a 6' 180 gallon tank and all the Zebrasoma got along much better, just had a little agression from the Acanthurus. Put them in an 8'x4' footprint 380 gallon tank, and had no aggression at all from any fish, even the clown tang and powder blue tang.

Forgot to add, I have a 75 gallon now. I plan on upgrading to an 8'x4' system again in roughly 2.5 years time, when I graduate from veterinary school as a graduation gift to myself. I won't put any tangs or the moorish idol and regal angel I so desperately want in this tank because it just isn't fair to them. Maybe I'd buy one if I found a healthy baby and I was only a couple months from having the new tank set up (as in already paid for, built, and just waiting to set it up in my house), but no way before that. A healthy tang, in clean water and with good food should grow very quickly. My old clown tang went from 2" to 7" in less than a year, my vlamingii grew 6" in 8 months, and my sailfin tangs grew to 8" in less than 2 years time.

Forty-Two · Feb 7, 2022

I keep one tang in my 70G. Even that Im only 'ok' with as I have a 230G tank that is built and waiting to be shipped.

GavinRad · Feb 7, 2022

I had to try it , I brought home a Scopas tang and Blue eye kole to my 75g with a powder blue already and the powder blue picked on them for an hour yesterday
but then came around to sleep in the same rock happily together.

Suprisingly , that powder blue was first in the tank. Nobody advises 3 tangs in a 75g and neither do I but I was willing to take out the powder blue to keep the others happy just in case but they took to each other nicely after a bit

Piker · Feb 7, 2022

GavinRad said:
I had to try it , I brought home a Scopas tang and Blue eye kole to my 75g with a powder blue already and the powder blue picked on them for an hour yesterday
but then came around to sleep in the same rock happily together.

Suprisingly , that powder blue was first in the tank. Nobody advises 3 tangs in a 75g and neither do I but I was willing to take out the powder blue to keep the others happy just in case but they took to each other nicely after a bit

It's not the getting along at first that'll always be your real issue, especially if they are young. Young tangs are cute and will follow whoever they see as a leader around.

It'll be the fighting due to space when they get a few more months old. I understand any fish will work if you plan to move them... sometimes that one fight that is the warning sign means a lost pet though.

The aggression may sneak up on you, it was hard for me to accept that my yellow had turned into a bully.

GarrettT · Feb 7, 2022

3 tangs in a 75g? No certainly not.

GavinRad · Feb 7, 2022

Piker said:
It's not the getting along at first that'll always be your real issue, especially if they are young. Young tangs are cute and will follow whoever they see as a leader around.

It'll be the fighting due to space when they get a few more months old. I understand any fish will work if you plan to move them... sometimes that one fight that is the warning sign means a lost pet though.

The aggression may sneak up on you, it was hard for me to accept that my yellow had turned into a bully.

Well, hopefully they will come to love each other for the next 8 months till my upgrade.