Need Help Selecting Tangs in a Small 175 Gallon....

[Biglurr54]

I need help with some Tang Selections. My tank is 36x36x32 175g. I have a minimalist aquascape. The tank is a little over a year old and was an upgrade from a 60gallon so its well established. Current inhabitants are a few clowns, a few wrasses, a few chromis, a millet seed butterfly, a copperband butterfly, regal angel, and a large blue hippo.

My Hippos is ready for a new home as he need some room to swim. He does not appear stressed and he’s fat and happy, but its time for him to find a bigger home. With his departure to a new home, I am ready for some new tangs.

I want to add some tangs and I know I have size constrictions. I am adding a Whitetail bristletooth tang and I would like to add a few others. My wife loves the hippo tang so I will most likely get a small baby and rehome when it outgrows my system. I would also like to get a purple tang and powder blue. I know I am reaching the capacity of my tank with this tang load and I worry about aggression. I figured I would decide on my tang collection and get them all at once to avoid territory aggression. Help me decide whats best.

Aggression wise how do purple and powder blue tangs compare? I know all fish are different and its a roll of the dice, but I like to get an idea of their personalities so I can stack the odds in my favor.

My tank is ich ad velvet free. Everything is QTed and prophylactically treated before going into the tank. (Copper, prazi, and metro)

 

[AbnormalReefer]

I'd be concerned with the lack of horizontal swimming space for those four tangs. I hear they do much better in a rectangular tank versus a cubic tank. However, I've never owned a cube tank, especially one of that size...

Purple tangs and powder blues are both colossal jerks! I currently have a purple tang and anything the Acanthuridae (tang) family and even the Siganus (foxface) family are bullied when added into the tank. I haven't kept a powder blue, but I assume it'd be similar...

 

[Pbh-reef]

Unfortunately I think you’re asking for trouble with a powder blue or purple in a tank like that, both are very aggressive. I would stay away from all Acanthurus tangs in a tank like that I think they need more horizontal swimming room.

 

[Biglurr54]

That's what I was afraid of. The hippo is perfectly happy and doesn't seemed stressed but I feel bad for him so hes going to go. I know a bristletooth will be good for the long haul.

I worry about the aggression of the purple and powder blue. I was hoping that they would be ok as they would all get qted and added together. Then no other fish would be added.

 

[Xanthurum]

Depending on your aquascape I would say you are good to go. With tangs it is all about swim space and with your tank dimensions you should have plenty. Sure you are only 36x36 but diagonally you are over 4 feet and let’s face it even at full grown ocean length a PB will not be cramped when trying to turn around in a 36 inch tank.

As long as ther is depth of your rockwork you can actually provide a better environment. It always boils down to square footage and if a standard 125 is considered enough space for a PB then why wouldn’t a 36x36 cube? After all if given that they are they same height they both provide the same square footage and that’s just math.

As for PB and Purple being compatible they most certainly can get along just fine. I have on several occasions kept both in the same tank. Of course all fish are individuals and nothin is certain but seeing how they are different Genus the possibility for success is higher.

 

[Ike]

I'm in the avoid Acanthurus camp. Once you see how they swim in larger/longer aquariums it's pretty tough to feel good about having them in a tank. It's also stressful watching them pace IMO. However, I think it's such a toss-up that it could go either way.

FWIW, I've never found purple tangs to be total jerks unless it's a fish similar in size and/or shape. Otherwise, I just find them to be "bold". I also think Zebrasoma are generally the most adaptable tangs to more cramped quarters, followed by Ctenochaetus (sp?)