Are we too hard on people asking if they can mix tangs

[Faisal27]

hello reefers
While giving advise to the wonderful people in this forum ( as well as receiving advise ) I found myself saying more than once “ if they each have a cave to sleep in at night and have unlimited supply of nori ( or close to it ) , one can add more tangs to a tank than expected .. my question here is are we hard on some people when they ask if they can have more than one tang is said tank ( 125 for example ) or 10 tangs in a 500..
Me personally I have 8 tangs in 10 foot 500 gallons tank and it was hell at the start ( tank was more open aquascaping ) but when I switched the aquascaping and added more liverocks and added a bunch of caves it felt like I the stopped acting like tangs as we know them to act .. eating together .. swimming together from one side of the tank to the other .. and at night everyone would be in their own cave or under a part of the liverock .. after observing this behavior for a few weeks I noticed that each of my 8 tangs will sleep in the exact same spot every single night .. added also that I always have nori on the clippers throughout the day and they nibble on the nori all day long ..
There are tangs that are just aggressive by nature to whatever Fish is in the tank but most tangs will only have a problem if there is another tang in the tank or one of similar shape .. from the 8 tangs 6 are from the zebrsoma family ..
Thoughts ?

 

[happyhourhero]

The average person is not rocking a 500 gallon tank. The average asker of the question is often someone who has a 55-90 gallon aquarium and they are hoping someone will help them justify going against what they have undoubtedly learned doing their research.

It's ultimately up to the individual reefer as to the level of care they give their animals and we can all hope they strive to be the best they can.

 

[Faisal27]

The average person is not rocking a 500 gallon tank. The average asker of the question is often someone who has a 55-90 gallon aquarium and they are hoping someone will help them justify going against what they have undoubtedly learned doing their research.

It's ultimately up to the individual reefer as to the level of care they give their animals and we can all hope they strive to be the best they can.

I agree with that but I’m talking about the amount of tangs that can be okay in a 125 or 150 .. just wanted to know if it’s possible if they have everything they need that say for example two from the same family can be okay in a 125 or 3 from the same family in a 150 .. but I appreciate the reply

 

[ca1ore]

I figure people that ask the question fall broadly into two camps. Those who truly do not know and are asking for good advice, and those who likely know better and are just looking for someone to say it's a good idea. Then there are the - people who ask for an opinion then proceed to argue when your opinion differs from that they were looking for. A small minority fortunately.

I tend to think of these things in terms of the playing-in-traffic rule, just because somebody has been able to do it successfully doesn't make it a good idea.

 

[Faisal27]

I figure people that ask the question fall broadly into two camps. Those who truly do not know and are asking for good advice, and those who likely know better and are just looking for someone to say it's a good idea. Then there are the - people who ask for an opinion then proceed to argue when your opinion differs from that they were looking for. A small minority fortunately.

I tend to think of these things in terms of the playing-in-traffic rule, just because somebody has been able to do it successfully doesn't make it a good idea.

In general I agree with the above points you stated .. I’m just trying to say that with the proper care in terms of what they need and what can cause aggression to decrease to a minimum , I don’t think that’s it’s the tank size that matters the most ( but obviously matters ) ... say for example that a yellow tang should be in at least a 90 gallon or 125 gallon .. then adding let’s say a purple tang with the right set up and care can also work in the same 90 gallon instead of adding another 50 gallons or 2 feet to an aquarium to make up for the other tang .. it’s a very hard topic to try and figure out Fish behavior especially when it comes to tangs so I hear what ur saying

 

[Doclight]

I have a 180g tank. Hope to make it a Tang tank. However with anything, depends on the animals.. I've asked a few questions along this line. Some say no problem, some say don't do it. You'll never get a 1 answer fits all, so just keep giving advice and ignore the people who don't listen.

 

[Faisal27]

I have a 180g tank. Hope to make it a Tang tank. However with anything, depends on the animals.. I've asked a few questions along this line. Some say no problem, some say don't do it. You'll never get a 1 answer fits all, so just keep giving advice and ignore the people who don't listen.

Good luck on ur tank .. tangs to me are on different level when it comes to the joy they bring you .. I had arownans and stingrays and never thought anything can top until I flipped to the tank to a mix reef with tangs .. let us know if you need any advise and what tangs you want to get .. any tang topic I’m here to share my experience

 

[Faisal27]

Oh man, this is my favorite word of the week. That's great!

Same .. I’m still laughing

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

One thing to keep in mind is the personality of each individual animal. Some tangs will do better with tang tankmates than others, and I don't think it has much to do with the specific species. I think the personality of each tang varies a bit, and this will definitely impact your success rate.

I'm sure some reefers have tried keeping multiple tangs in a tank that should have been adequate and failed. I'm sure some reefers have kept multiple tangs in a tank that was way too small and succeeded. I'm sure some reefers have kept multiple tangs in a tank that was borderline with mixed results. Whether it's aquascaping, swimming room, food availability or just individual personality, there's a wide range of success when keeping multiple tangs together. I don't think it's quite as easy as saying "have a tank of at least X gallons" or "introduce tangs all at once."

Some people have done it and succeeded. These people tell you it's okay as long as you do X, Y and Z. Some people have done it and failed, and these people likely wouldn't recommend it. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle. It's not impossible, but success is not guaranteed. The best you can do is hope to mirror someone else's setup who was successful. Still, I don't think keeping multiple tangs is a sure thing.

 

[Faisal27]

One thing to keep in mind is the personality of each individual animal. Some tangs will do better with tang tankmates than others, and I don't think it has much to do with the specific species. I think the personality of each tang varies a bit, and this will definitely impact your success rate.

I'm sure some reefers have tried keeping multiple tangs in a tank that should have been adequate and failed. I'm sure some reefers have kept multiple tangs in a tank that was way too small and succeeded. I'm sure some reefers have kept multiple tangs in a tank that was borderline with mixed results. Whether it's aquascaping, swimming room, food availability or just individual personality, there's a wide range of success when keeping multiple tangs together. I don't think it's quite as easy as saying "have a tank of at least X gallons" or "introduce tangs all at once."

Some people have done it and succeeded. These people tell you it's okay as long as you do X, Y and Z. Some people have done it and failed, and these people likely wouldn't recommend it. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle. It's not impossible, but success is not guaranteed. The best you can do is hope to mirror someone else's setup who was successful. Still, I don't think keeping multiple tangs is a sure thing.

Thanks for the response .. I’m just trying to find people who have done it and they way they have done it so we can advise other people in the forum on what way will increase their chances .. Mine worked with a cave for each tang and unlimited nori .. I’m just trying to find a different angle on speaking on this subject cause I hate being labeled “ tang police “ honestly hehe .. finding a different way of talking about it and successful stories maybe better in addition to the stories on how and why a certain set up didn’t work .. but i think we’re scared in a way of saying successful stories we know of or have done so we don’t attempt to put 8 tangs in a 55 gallon and discourage people who have a 125 or 150 for example ..

 

[DSC reef]

I figure people that ask the question fall broadly into two camps. Those who truly do not know and are asking for good advice, and those who likely know better and are just looking for someone to say it's a good idea. Then there are the - people who ask for an opinion then proceed to argue when your opinion differs from that they were looking for. A small minority fortunately.

I tend to think of these things in terms of the playing-in-traffic rule, just because somebody has been able to do it successfully doesn't make it a good idea.

Well said!

 

[ca1ore]

The reality is that there are many factors that dictate why one person can be successful doing something, yet another not. Tank size is only one of them. I've always thought it would be interesting to come up with some kind of success 'calculator' that would provide a % chance of success for a particular set of choices. Trouble is there are things that you just cannot know, like individual temperament or underlying health.

 

[saltyhog]

The recommendations that are made in regard to mixing tangs are based on what happens the majority of the time. Sure exceptions occur, but not always in a good direction. I know because I've been on the wrong end of adding species/mixes that should have succeeded but didn't.

 

[HB AL]

I wouldn't worry if people take your experienced opinion personally. I like to do it my way anyways and really wouldn't pose a question like that. I'm sure if I had I would have been told that having a yellow, purple, hippo, blonde naso in my tank would be wrong and in moral but they turned into a happy fat and sassy group of tangs. In the end all you can do is give them your firsthand experience if it relates to there question and that's about it.

 

[Daltrey]

My concern is if they have to ask then they haven’t done the research. If they had done the research then they wouldn’t have to ask.

 

[Water Dog]

In many of these types of threads, searching for a different way far too often generally equates to trying to rationalize a poor decision. Although exceptions can be found, they are few and far between.

 

[KJAG]

I figure people that ask the question fall broadly into two camps. Those who truly do not know and are asking for good advice, and those who likely know better and are just looking for someone to say it's a good idea. Then there are the - people who ask for an opinion then proceed to argue when your opinion differs from that they were looking for. A small minority fortunately.

I tend to think of these things in terms of the playing-in-traffic rule, just because somebody has been able to do it successfully doesn't make it a good idea.

This pretty much sums up the viable answer to this thread.

 

[mort]

Tangs have evolved to be aggressive in order to defend their territory and food source. This is why they don't always get on in a confined space, it's instinct. This makes mixing them the problem that it is. You either need to have enough space and food for them to be able to not see each other as major competition, or cram them in so aggression isn't restricted to one individual.
The trick to tangs is to create a hierarchy of dominance which is done by adding different sizes where their is less chance of the smaller fish challenging the alpha (at leat for temporary harmony). It works well with congeners but gets more tricky with the rest of the family.

I'm not a member of the tang police and tangs don't particularly interest me which makes it easy to say what I'm about to (if someone told me I could only have one wrasse though I'd be annoyed so do sympathise with people that love tangs), if you truly love tangs then why the fascination of adding so many. The best and seemingly happiest tangs I've seen have been in relatively lightly, large fish, stocked tanks. I've run tanks with a single specimen fish, normally a less common tang, and the fish have been super calm, bold and better coloured than those which were kept with multiple other species. For me I'd get more enjoyment out of a powder black tang in rude health than a pasty one bunged in with lots of other tangs.

 

[Quah]

I have 3 Tangs, a Purple Tang, Orange Shoulder Tang, and an Ebili's Mimic tang in my aquarium along with a Magnificent Foxface in a 240 gallon tank. They get along well but I cannot add anything else. I feed a lot but they still tail slap each other and my Rabbit turns into a spiky disk of death on occasion. I think if you have the room it can be done but there's definitely limits.

 

[Antics]

I think the way information is presented has a lot to do with how hostile people perceive feedback on forums. The term tang police didn't come about because concerned reefers were being polite and nonjudgemental. Dealing in absolute statements also turns people off because it sounds limiting. My tank is ridiculously over stocked in terms of tangs but I have no aggression issues. This isn't common or something I'd pitch as easy or even viable. But after having personal success going against what conventional wisdom suggests, I think it's self defeating to start advice or information by telling someone what they can't do and then list the reasons why like it's impossible for it to happen otherwise.

If people want to overstock their tanks you can't stop them... but you can offer information to offer better alternatives.