Need Tang Opinion

[vetteguy53081]

These fish can coexist . I have 17 tangs including these three you mention and no issues. My purple starts his garbage occasionally but only occasionally. Pull the most aggressive into the acclimation box for at least two weeks and furnish nori as needed to keep them busy.

 

[i cant think]

These fish can coexist . I have 17 tangs including these three you mention and no issues. My purple starts his garbage occasionally but only occasionally. Pull the most aggressive into the acclimation box for at least two weeks and furnish nori as needed to keep them busy.

How big is your tank?

 

[BroccoliFarmer]

Thank you for all the information and I currently have a 90. Also I can’t change the rock work as they are cemented to each other. Lastly I currently have a mirror up and am trying this method now. The sailfish is in a box now while he gets reacclimated and giving the PBT time to be mean while there is plastic between them.

WHOA...TANG POLICE!!

 

[ApoIsland]

So I am just going to get this thread going again. I am working to find somewhere for the sailfin and the PBT to go per the advice above. If tangs aren’t a good idea for my tank then what other options are out there for the larger colorful look? I have a few corals so small angels make me nervous and not a huge fan of the fox face.

If you are looking for color you can ignore her bristletooth tangs as they are fairly drab and plain. Great utilitarian fish though for scraping those rocks.

a yellow tang would be great for that 4 foot 90. Can easily keep that fish under 6 inches.

copper banded butterfly has nice color and would do well in that tank. I’ve also had one for a couple years.

marine Beta if you don’t mind the black and white look is a stunning fish in my opinion and is super easy to care for. Would be great in a 90. Very hardy with a slow metabolism that requires almost zero food. Mine maybe takes 4 or 5 bites of Mysis per day and it’s easily 6 inches long.

 

[i cant think]

If you are looking for color you can ignore her bristletooth tangs as they are fairly drab and plain. Great utilitarian fish though for scraping those rocks.

a yellow tang would be great for that 4 foot 90. Can easily keep that fish under 6 inches.

copper banded butterfly has nice color and would do well in that tank. I’ve also had one for a couple years.

I don’t agree with you actually, my bristletooth is the most energetic fish in my tank and I prefer that over the CBB. In all honesty, I would get rid of my CBB if I could because of how picky she is. Yes she’ll eat most things (Mysis & Brine along with aptaisia ect..). I’ve had her for 2 years but I still prefer the tang who I’ve had the same amount of time. The CBB is just there swimming up front and minding her business in the caves but the tang is always diving in and out of the rocks and being a joy to watch.

 

[i cant think]

Here’s the tangs I recommend (I’ll attack photos of the book I’m getting the names from):
- Ctenochaetus tominiensis
- Ctenochaetus cf striatus
- Ctenochatus cf strigosus
- Ctenochaetus strigosus
- Ctenochaetus binotatus
- Ctenochaetus flavicauda
- Ctenochaetus sp 1

So, in reality these tangs aren’t dull. The species you see in the LFS will often be dull because they aren’t in a proper environment and have most likely only recently come in. When they’re settled into their new environment, these fish are the most curious and beautiful fish I’ve ever seen!! I personally find the tangs are boring but the Ctenochaetus genus is the opposite, they’re so fun to watch and don’t JUST swim.

 

[vetteguy53081]

How big is your tank?

These guys are in my Oceanic 135g since August as I am now making plans to relocate to Florida in 6-7 months

 

[vetteguy53081]

With good coverage/hiding, water quality and diet - Anything is possible. Tank management is the most important element

 

[i cant think]

If I’m correct, an oceanic 135 is a standard 5’ tank. IMHO and I don’t mean to sound like the tang police however, 17 tangs in that size tank is just stupid. I get if you keep everything stable, then anything is possible but 17 tangs in 5 foot of tank… The only tank I could trust to sustainably hold 17 tangs is an 8-10 foot tank. My four foot tank will have 13 fish eventually but that to me even seems to be too many fish. All Ctenochaetus tangs will get to Atleast 4” but all Zebrasomas will get to 6”+ depending on spp. Acanthurus tangs will always get to Atleast 8” if not bigger.

 

[Squidward]

If I’m correct, an oceanic 135 is a standard 5’ tank. IMHO and I don’t mean to sound like the tang police however, 17 tangs in that size tank is just stupid. I get if you keep everything stable, then anything is possible but 17 tangs in 5 foot of tank… The only tank I could trust to sustainably hold 17 tangs is an 8-10 foot tank. My four foot tank will have 13 fish eventually but that to me even seems to be too many fish. All Ctenochaetus tangs will get to Atleast 4” but all Zebrasomas will get to 6”+ depending on spp. Acanthurus tangs will always get to Atleast 8” if not bigger.

His original tank is a 600+ gallon tank. I'm sure he's getting it ready for the move and his fish are only temperarily in the 135.

 

[i cant think]

His original tank is a 600+ gallon tank. I'm sure he's getting it ready for the move and his fish are only temperarily in the 135.

That sounds more realistic, I know I kind of had a fit but it’s just crazy having 17 tangs in a small tank long term. IMO it’s a time bomb having so many tangs in a small tank (The only tank suitable to mix them in are 6’ depending on the species) long term. That time bomb isn’t only for ich but also aggression, I have found most groups of the same species fail in the long run.

 

[aLu]

Thank you very much for all the information. I seem to have been doing very well with corals but my selection of fish not so much. I was wondering about the yellow tangs as I have read a lot about them in a 90 gallon. Also I have been reading about CBB but am nervous with all my corals and how hard I have read they are to get eating. I am looking into some of the smaller tangs as well and thank you very much for the book pictures. My aquascape does leave a bit of room for swimming but nothing like a 6ft + tank would give.

 

[KrisReef]

Yup, CBB and harleguin tusk are my favorites for color / size.

 

[aLu]

Can you mix Ctenochaetus together or chose one?

 

[i cant think]

Can you mix Ctenochaetus together or chose one?

In larger tanks you can, I personally have never tried to mix this genus of tang together. I think in the wild these tangs are only ever found in pairs or are solitary animals, I wouldn’t risk mixing them in 4 foot tank due to this.

 

[Lineatus]

Can you mix Ctenochaetus together or chose one?

I wouldn’t advice it in that size a tank but it’s certainly not impossible. I really wouldn’t recommend a yellow tang in a four foot aquarium, just seems unethical and in my opinion looks terrible and really ruins the scale.

 

[i cant think]

I wouldn’t advice it in that size a tank but it’s certainly not impossible. I really wouldn’t recommend a yellow tang in a four foot aquarium, just seems unethical and in my opinion looks terrible and really ruins the scale.

+1 to this, if you want natural then a long yellow in a 4 foot tank isn’t the way to go, I prefer elongated bodies but not too elongated like many of the Acanthurus and Nasos. This is where the Ctenochaetus fall, they have an elongated but also taller body (This is also why one of the two sailfins is my dream fish if I can get a 14 foot tank). Also with yellow tangs they go by a common name of Yellow Sailfin Tang over here, and for good reason. Although their fins aren’t as tall as Z. rostratum, Z. velifer or Z. desjardini they are still very tall. I personally don’t like the look of Yellows in 4 foot tanks because of how big it makes them look but also how unnatural it looks (I assume that’s the aim you’re going for).

 

[ApoIsland]

I don’t agree with you actually, my bristletooth is the most energetic fish in my tank and I prefer that over the CBB. In all honesty, I would get rid of my CBB if I could because of how picky she is. Yes she’ll eat most things (Mysis & Brine along with aptaisia ect..). I’ve had her for 2 years but I still prefer the tang who I’ve had the same amount of time. The CBB is just there swimming up front and minding her business in the caves but the tang is always diving in and out of the rocks and being a joy to watch.

You realize he asked for suggestions of fish that ad color to the tank correct?
Also, I’m not sure what’s wrong with your CBB, maybe the tank is not mature enough, but the ones I have seen in personal tanks and commercial aquariums spend their time cruising in and out of rock work eyeballing and picking at organisms. A far more entertaining fish with a much different behavior than most.

 

[i cant think]

You realize he asked for suggestions of fish that ad color to the tank correct?
Also, I’m not sure what’s wrong with your CBB, maybe the tank is not mature enough, but the ones I have seen in personal tanks and commercial aquariums spend their time cruising in and out of rock work eyeballing and picking at organisms. A far more entertaining fish with a much different behavior than most.

2 years old of a tank, also if you look closely at my species of tang then there is colour. He went in a few months after the tank established (6 months for the tang, 4 months for the CBB) and has been the best fish in there (my Tilefish and foxface have beaten him in personality however he beats the CBB). I personally don’t like how she’s in and out of the rocks just cruising and pecking, yes it’s different but it’s not what everyone says it is. I find it calming and all but whenever I’m near the tank she is front and Center, all along the front panel. My tang does the same but isn’t at the front panel every time I go next to the tank.
Also about the colour but, did you not see how much colour these fish truly have from just the book? C. Cf. striatus is beautiful, and so is C. flavicauda and C. binotatus. My C. binotatus is filled with colour, his pattern is dark blue on a deep red/brown body, yes as a juvenile he had some BEAUTIFUL cyan markings on his fins and still shows some of them. His tail is bright yellow and is so natural, it also shows how well they camoflauge in the wild, they’re usually dark in colour to look similar to the rocks they dive throughout. Also in that photo of mine, you can see the beautiful blue specks on his face and if you look close enough the blue lines are visible, it’s not my best photo but he isn’t a slow moving fish either. His eye is bright blue and the photo is just very blue as it is so in person yes my tang looks brighter and more colourful.

 

[i cant think]

Here’s the tangs I recommend (I’ll attack photos of the book I’m getting the names from):
- Ctenochaetus tominiensis
- Ctenochaetus cf striatus
- Ctenochatus cf strigosus
- Ctenochaetus strigosus
- Ctenochaetus binotatus
- Ctenochaetus flavicauda
- Ctenochaetus sp 1

So, in reality these tangs aren’t dull. The species you see in the LFS will often be dull because they aren’t in a proper environment and have most likely only recently come in. When they’re settled into their new environment, these fish are the most curious and beautiful fish I’ve ever seen!! I personally find the tangs are boring but the Ctenochaetus genus is the opposite, they’re so fun to watch and don’t JUST swim.

Here’s the photos of all the tangs I recommend. I have seen most of them in person so they are pretty accurate however they can be much brighter in person. My personal favourite is the White Tail Bristletooth because they get a nice deep red body with black stripes. They also have a Snow White tail, and a beautiful silver eye with a yellow ring around it. Their dorsal and anal fins can have highlights of cyan/blue but not always. My LFS has a nice 2 inch specimen and a 1 inch specimen and I’d love to keep one but unfortunately it would mean I have to re home my current tang and I just don’t have the heart to do that, I love him so much.