Help with tang/tank stocking

[Chris Kunz]

Current tank size 71" L x 30" W x 22" H ~200 gallons

So I have been trying to save adding tangs for last per every recommendation I have gotten! My current tank inhabitants are listed below:

2 Chocolate Clowns
1 Mimic Tang
1 Foxface
1 Purple Firefish
1 Fairy Wrasse
1 Lawnmower Blenny
4 Banggai Cardinals
7 Trochus Snails
4 Nassarius Snails
2 Fire Shrimp

The only fish I plan on adding besides tangs are a diamond goby and melanarus wrasse (assuming it gets along with the fairy wrasse, and no one else has something I should consider adding).


The tangs I really like: Gem tang, white tail bristletooth, purple tang, sailfin tang


So my questions are:

Which ones do you think would go well together, and what order should they be added? I know three of the four are from the same genus which is not idea.

Should I do my best to add all of them at once? Or is that to many fish at once, besides being hard to all find at the same time?

I know these types of questions seem to get asked a lot, but any help/guidance is greatly appreciated since I don’t want to make any obvious mistakes with more expensive fish.

 

[MnFish1]

You can add them all at once.
Sailfin tangs become quite large some would not recommend them
Purple tangs can be bullies (I have a large one - he is fine)
I do not know anything about the bristle tooth - but don't know why there would be any difference.

I would strongly recommend that you have plenty of hiding places. Obtain HEALTHY fish, that have been Quarantined properly - or have a good QT system yourself. Have you quarantined the rest of your fish, tank? Though I'm not a huge believer in the 'tangs are disease magnets' - If you have CI etc in your tank - its even more important to make sure the fish you get are ultra healthy.

I'm sure you'll get 1000 opinions some saying 'you shouldn't get any of those tangs in that size tank. These are my ideas - hopefully you have good luck with the fish!

 

[arking_mark]

My favorite tang is the White Bristletooth Tang.

 

[MnFish1]

Current tank size 71" L x 30" W x 22" H ~200 gallons

So I have been trying to save adding tangs for last per every recommendation I have gotten! My current tank inhabitants are listed below:

2 Chocolate Clowns
1 Mimic Tang
1 Foxface
1 Purple Firefish
1 Fairy Wrasse
1 Lawnmower Blenny
4 Banggai Cardinals
7 Trochus Snails
4 Nassarius Snails
2 Fire Shrimp

The only fish I plan on adding besides tangs are a diamond goby and melanarus wrasse (assuming it gets along with the fairy wrasse, and no one else has something I should consider adding).


The tangs I really like: Gem tang, white tail bristletooth, purple tang, sailfin tang


So my questions are:

Which ones do you think would go well together, and what order should they be added? I know three of the four are from the same genus which is not idea.

Should I do my best to add all of them at once? Or is that to many fish at once, besides being hard to all find at the same time?

I know these types of questions seem to get asked a lot, but any help/guidance is greatly appreciated since I don’t want to make any obvious mistakes with more expensive fish.

PS - part of it depends on how well established your bio filter is - but - since you are adding more bio load, you cold also add some 'turbo start' or seachem stability

 

[arking_mark]

My favorite tang is the White Bristletooth Tang.

Some info on my Bristletooth Tang...whom we call "Kissy"
- Very peaceful swimmer (doesn't dart around like most tangs)
- Constantly kissing all surfaces (best cleaner in my tank)
- Beautiful coloration w/ yellow rimmed eyes

 

[arking_mark]

Some info on my Bristletooth Tang...whom we call "Kissy"
- Very peaceful swimmer (doesn't dart around like most tangs)
- Constantly kissing all surfaces (best cleaner in my tank)
- Beautiful coloration w/ yellow rimmed eyes

I guess the only downside is that they have become very expensive.

 

[Chris Kunz]

If I added them all at once I was going to use some Dr. Tims to be safe, but I have never had any ammonia since my first cycle, and nitrates have never gotten over 2 ppm. I believe I have a pretty good bio filter established.

I also don't have a way to quarantine that many larger fish at the same time, so I was going to order them from marine collectors or TSM. TSM never seems to have the white tail and marine collectors does, so my current plan is to try and get all of them from marine collectors at the same time.

I also worried about the sailfin getting to large someday. My other thoughts were two bristletooth or two purple tangs instead, but I've heard two of the same is a bad idea, that you need to do odd numbers. I also debated a powder brown or blue instead of the sailfin, but have heard they are quite aggressive.

 

[MnFish1]

If I added them all at once I was going to use some Dr. Tims to be safe, but I have never had any ammonia since my first cycle, and nitrates have never gotten over 2 ppm. I believe I have a pretty good bio filter established.

I also don't have a way to quarantine that many larger fish at the same time, so I was going to order them from marine collectors or TSM. TSM never seems to have the white tail and marine collectors does, so my current plan is to try and get all of them from marine collectors at the same time.

I also worried about the sailfin getting to large someday. My other thoughts were two bristletooth or two purple tangs instead, but I've heard two of the same is a bad idea, that you need to do odd numbers. I also debated a powder brown or blue instead of the sailfin, but have heard they are quite aggressive.

IME - its difficult to say 'x' fish is aggressive. I think it depends on how they were raised (i.e. - if they are raised and tolerate the other fish, they are ok). If you add other fish to an established dynamic, there is often a 'war', even then, its usually 'short term'. But I think this is the rationale for adding tangs 'last' - and at the same time. I have a feeling that if I tried to add another tang to my tank, the purple tang would go nuts.