Convict Tang compatibility and stocking list.

[Michael White]

Working on a Tang stocking list for my 210gal reef tank that is currently cycling. All fish will be Quarantined for 1 month in a 40 breeder, 2-4 fish at a time depending on size. Quarantine tank has eggcrate dividers. Must have Tangs are: a Convict Tang and Kole Tang. Would like to also have a Blue Regal Tang, Yellow Tang and Powder Brown. My main concern is will the Powder Brown be a problem with the convict tang? Any recommended changes are welcome. The plan is to slowly stock the Tank over the next 6 months to a year. I also plan to keep the following:
Lightening Maroon Clown
Foxface
Fairy Wrasse( undecided type)
Six line wrasse or mystery Wrasse
Group of chromis
- and/or Group of anthias
Long nose hawkfish

 

[OnPointCorals]

I have a similar combo of tangs in a 225. I QT'd also and did it in phases as follows.

Phase 1
Blue Regal
Yellow

Phase 2 (a month later)
Convict
Blonde Naso

Phase 3 (2 months later)
Powder Blue

This worked well for me. Hope that helps.

 

[Michael White]

How’s the Naso working out? My wife really likes them but I’m concerned they’ll outgrow my tank. I have pretty minimal rockwork but do plan to grow out some sps colonies.

 

[OnPointCorals]

How’s the Naso working out? My wife really likes them but I’m concerned they’ll outgrow my tank. I have pretty minimal rockwork but do plan to grow out some sps colonies.

The Naso is fine I got him small. My tank is 2 years old and he has plenty of room. The Blue regal is the one I am concerned about as he is almost 4 and getting quite large.

 

[Michael White]

I have a similar combo of tangs in a 225. I QT'd also and did it in phases as follows.

Phase 1
Blue Regal
Yellow

Phase 2 (a month later)
Convict
Blonde Naso

Phase 3 (2 months later)
Powder Blue

This worked well for me. Hope that helps.

How did the Convict and Powder Blue work out?

 

[OnPointCorals]

How did the Convict and Powder Blue work out?

Well, no aggression. I think its key to add that Powder Blue / Brown last.

 

[Squidward]

My only concern with the Convict Tang is that most have a low success rate. I do TTM as my qurantine routine. I've had 4 that didn't make it in qurantine. Then my 5th try I finally got one that made it and is now a pig in my main display. Normally peaceful tang but mines was an extreme bully to my copperband butterfly. I believe it was the stripes that got his attention and the nonstop bullying began. Sadly on the day I was going to sell the copperband, it was dead. ;Dead Most convicts I've seen tend to be on the skinnier side. Mines has become pretty thick and plump. Good luck and I hope you have success with your first go at one!

 

[Michael White]

My only concern with the Convict Tang is that most have a low success rate. I do TTM as my qurantine routine. I've had 4 that didn't make it in qurantine. Then my 5th try I finally got one that made it and is now a pig in my main display. Normally peaceful tang but mines was an extreme bully to my copperband butterfly. I believe it was the stripes that got his attention and the nonstop bullying began. Sadly on the day I was going to sell the copperband, it was dead. ;Dead Most convicts I've seen tend to be on the skinnier side. Mines has become pretty thick and plump. Good luck and I hope you have success with your first go at one!

Convict or an Achilles are must have fish for me. I upgraded My tank specifically to have one or the other. So whichever I would have better chances of success with in my 6’ 210 gallon tank. I know either one can be challenging. My understanding is that, once established in the tank, a Convict Tang would be easier. Opinions?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Convicts are good natured and require lots of greens/vegetation in their diet.
The glowing white with stripes pop out just like the yellow of a yellow tang making the fish eye catching.

 

[ReefHog]

My guy was tiny when I got him at about two inches. That was four months ago. He made it through 14 days with chloroquine phosphate two prazipro treatments and a month in observation just fine. I was worried about adding him to my 220 DT with the sailfin and flame angel, but the sailfin only pestered him for 24 hours to let him know whos boss. Now he gets along with everyone and has almost doubled in size. He is constantly on the move picking at the rocks and glass.

 

[Michael White]

My guy was tiny when I got him at about two inches. That was four months ago. He made it through 14 days with chloroquine phosphate two prazipro treatments and a month in observation just fine. I was worried about adding him to my 220 DT with the sailfin and flame angel, but the sailfin only pestered him for 24 hours to let him know whos boss. Now he gets along with everyone and has almost doubled in size. He is constantly on the move picking at the rocks and glass.

Great looking fish! I read on another post someone mentioned NOT using copper on Convicts, and some people prefer not to use copper on tangs at all. What’s your take on that?

 

[ReefHog]

Great looking fish! I read on another post someone mentioned NOT using copper on Convicts, and some people prefer not to use copper on tangs at all. What’s your take on that?

I don't use copper on any fish. While I know most fish tolerate it just fine, at the end of the day it is a poison that the fish can tolerate better and longer than the parasites.

 

[Lostreefin]

Convict and Powder Brown, two biggest jerks I've owned. The Convict went carpet surfing with the top off one night I left the lid off on accident, and I'm still dealing with the PB, he's in the 100 gallon-5ft tank, and I admit it's too small, but he is wreaking havoc, and I can't catch him. I'm going to break much of it down and move corals and will get him then and put him in a nice 7ft raceway, he can do laps all day long.

 

[Nilo]

I have about the same types of fish like you are planning. Convict tang, White tail bristlemouth (similar to Kole), Regal tang, yellow tang, and an orange shoulder tang. Also have a magnificent foxface. They’ve been together for almost 2yrs give and take a few months. Started all of them between 2-3” and mostly introduced together. They were initially in a 4x2x2 tank until I upgraded to a 7’ tank this summer. I’ve been lucky and haven’t had any aggression at all. I did try to introduce a larger powder blue tang several months after thinking it would hold its own given its reputation of being mean but was chased nonstop by the convict which was at least 1-2” smaller. No damage was really done but after 2-3wks I got tired of the constant chasing as I want my fish to be serenely swimming lol. So I took out the PB tang and everything was peaceful again. I think starting them small together and having different genus and shapes helped temper the aggression between the tangs.

I haven’t really had any issues with the convict eating. I’ve read anecdotes about it withering away but so far mine is fat and growing. Here’s a couple of iphone pics I just took today. Hard to keep them in 1 place. You should count all of the tangs in the 2nd pic

 

[Michael White]

I have about the same types of fish like you are planning. Convict tang, White tail bristlemouth (similar to Kole), Regal tang, yellow tang, and an orange shoulder tang. Also have a magnificent foxface. They’ve been together for almost 2yrs give and take a few months. Started all of them between 2-3” and mostly introduced together. They were initially in a 4x2x2 tank until I upgraded to a 7’ tank this summer. I’ve been lucky and haven’t had any aggression at all. I did try to introduce a larger powder blue tang several months after thinking it would hold its own given its reputation of being mean but was chased nonstop by the convict which was at least 1-2” smaller. No damage was really done but after 2-3wks I got tired of the constant chasing as I want my fish to be serenely swimming lol. So I took out the PB tang and everything was peaceful again. I think starting them small together and having different genus and shapes helped temper the aggression between the tangs.

I haven’t really had any issues with the convict eating. I’ve read anecdotes about it withering away but so far mine is fat and growing. Here’s a couple of iphone pics I just took today. Hard to keep them in 1 place. You should count all of the tangs in the 2nd pic

That’s a nice group of Tangs!

 

[AcanthurusRex]

My convict is a wimp. The anthias chase him.
No issue in QT for me; standard @HotRocks protocol.

 

[Wolf89]

My guy was tiny when I got him at about two inches. That was four months ago. He made it through 14 days with chloroquine phosphate two prazipro treatments and a month in observation just fine. I was worried about adding him to my 220 DT with the sailfin and flame angel, but the sailfin only pestered him for 24 hours to let him know whos boss. Now he gets along with everyone and has almost doubled in size. He is constantly on the move picking at the rocks and glass.

Doubled in size in 4 months? Lucky! Mine was my first tang nearly a year ago and hasn't grown anything but fatter!

 

[ca1ore]

I’ve had a few convicts over the years .... and a zebra. Former tend to come in very thin, so getting weight back on is a priority. I don’t medicate prophylactically, but when symptoms do present chloroquine phosphate is my preferred approach. None of my convicts have been particularly aggressive, though under the right circumstances any fish can be dominant. I’d agree that the powder brown is likely to be more aggressive, so add later. Mixing acanthurus genus tangs can be tricky.

 

[Wolf89]

Not 100% sure how scientific this information is, but this is what I've read.
Convict tangs are different than most tangs in that they have very specific bacteria in their gut that they need to digest the algae. Copper will kill this bacteria, meaning the convict can't digest the food and will wither away. Since most wholesalers use copper, it is said that most convicts have their gut bacteria destroyed and are doomed. This is also why you should use chloroquine phosphate rather than copper on convict tangs.
Fun fact about this bacteria, it is one of the largest bacteria species in the world.

 

[ReefHog]

Doubled in size in 4 months? Lucky! Mine was my first tang nearly a year ago and hasn't grown anything but fatter!

He’s a fish I always wanted but timing never worked out. I finally got a medium sized one but he wasn’t eating and was skinny. I never could get him to eat and he died after a few days. No meds were even started. My lfs was keeping an eye out for a healthy one for me and after about two months, he got two little guys in and they were cruising all over the tank picking at the glass and rocks. Also we’re eating brine and mysis. He put one in his show tank and held the second one for me. So I guess I got lucky with a good one from the start. I never start meds before they are eating. And I always try blackworms and clam slices as first food for the gut bacteria.