Are sohal tangs really that bad?

[mfinn]

Yeah I think I might give it a go but

Well it's 2m x 2m 80cm high. How was it in your tank? I think I will bite the bullet just not with the adult one I originally wanted. Probably get a small juvenile.

I think you will be better off getting a smaller one. Get one that doesn't already have a big attitude. ( juvi vs adult ).
I personally think they need a really big tank like yours. I had one in my 240 and it outgrew my tank in a couple years. IMO

 

[OrionN]

I do think Sohal and clown tangs are beautiful, but due their size and aggressiveness, it is a no go for me since my tank is only about 360 US gal.
Let us know if you decided to get one. Please keep us update if this is the case.

 

[FishOkay]

Thanks everyone for your comments, I have ordered a small juvenile so we will see how it goes. They did have a large adult for £500 but going by all the comments I think that's a risk to far as its considerably larger than any fish I have right now!

 

[0MNSH1ZLLC]

I do think Sohal and clown tangs are beautiful, but due their size and aggressiveness, it is a no go for me since my tank is only about 360 US gal.
Let us know if you decided to get one. Please keep us update if this is the case.

Here’s a full tank shot of my 230. The Sohal is the biggest fish about a foot. 6 foot tank, I don’t think he will grow much more. I think a 360 would be fine but I don’t have any other tangs.

 

[mboley]

Thanks everyone for your comments, I have ordered a small juvenile so we will see how it goes. They did have a large adult for £500 but going by all the comments I think that's a risk to far as its considerably larger than any fish I have right now!

I think you made the right purchase. I once added a 6-7" Shohol to an 8ft 240 gallon tank with other Tangs, Triggers, and Angel's. I thought since he was last in it would be fine. He killed my prized 7" Queen Angel within a few days.

 

[Pricy147]

We have had our sohal around 15 years. Bought when about 3 inches long. Now an adult around 12 inches. He is generally a model citizen. Rarely puts his blade out. He was in a 6x2x2.5 until last few months, we upgraded to a 8x2.5x2.5.

He has the odd ding dong with our pink tail trigger who is similar size, but it's more argy bargy before bed.

When moving our fish from two tanks over to the 8ft...we moved the sohal last as likely to be most dominant. Believe it or not....our 6 inch or so princess parrotfish pinned our sohal to one corner of the tank, and kept attacking him. He had some cuts back, but was super aggressive. We had to move our parrot back to our 5ft where he now gets picked on from a small black and white clownfish when in corner of the tank lol. You couldn't make it up!!!

We have added several fish since the sohal including some Dwarf Angels, purple tang, sweetlips and he hasn't battered an eye lid. He is in with a similar size emporer...no issues.

He even likes being stroked like a dog lol. Very friendly. I will post a video of our luner wrasse cleaning him!!

 

[Pricy147]

We have had our sohal around 15 years. Bought when about 3 inches long. Now an adult around 12 inches. He is generally a model citizen. Rarely puts his blade out. He was in a 6x2x2.5 until last few months, we upgraded to a 8x2.5x2.5.

He has the odd ding dong with our pink tail trigger who is similar size, but it's more argy bargy before bed.

When moving our fish from two tanks over to the 8ft...we moved the sohal last as likely to be most dominant. Believe it or not....our 6 inch or so princess parrotfish pinned our sohal to one corner of the tank, and kept attacking him. He had some cuts back, but was super aggressive. We had to move our parrot back to our 5ft where he now gets picked on from a small black and white clownfish when in corner of the tank lol. You couldn't make it up!!!

We have added several fish since the sohal including some Dwarf Angels, purple tang, sweetlips and he hasn't battered an eye lid. He is in with a similar size emporer...no issues.

He even likes being stroked like a dog lol. Very friendly. I will post a video of our luner wrasse cleaning him!!

 

[punchy7080]

The sohal is my favorite fish and the reason I’ll never have less than an 8’ tank. I’ve had mine for about three years and he’s at least 12” with the streamers. He’s in the tank with six other tangs currently and I’ve added several over the years and he’s yet to care. He was large and established and didn’t seem to consider any of them threats I guess. He bothers absolutely no one other than at feeding time. He really doesn’t like my purple or naso to be around the nori when I put it in and will chase them off but that’s about it. He doesn’t like the purple for some reason and does chase him every once in a while but just for a sec until the purple hides in the rocks then he’s done. I’ve currently got (all good size) sohal, naso, purple, lieutenant, orange shoulder, black and vlamimgi.

 

[ReeferMedic]

So I've been wanting to add a sohal tang to my reef for quite a while but have been put off by scare stories of it being an overly aggressive bully, contstantly harassing other fish. What are peoples opinions? Should I risk it? Is it even a risk? Any successful soho keepers?
It's a 750G pond with multiple other tang species. Purple, regal, mustard, yellow and more.

Ps I know the title is wrong I don't know how to change it lol

They will absolutely go after any surgeon fish. They should leave any othe fish alone. Great centerpiece fish for a 220 or iarger reef.

 

[ReeferMedic]

They will absolutely go after any surgeon fish. They should leave any othe fish alone. Great centerpiece fish for a 220 or iarger reef.