Tang Aggression - Understanding and Combating

[vetteguy53081]

I was hoping for some input please!

I am upgrading from my 300xl g2 to a waterbox 6 foot x 29.5 x 23.6 inches ta

current stock to be transferred is

2 clowns
Midas blenny
Fox face
scarlet hawkfish
1 blue chromie
Royal gramma
Yellow wrasse
Fairy wrasse
Tomini tang

I am wanting to add 3 x zebrasome tangs, a regal and a powered blue.

my plan was to get the 3 zebrasomes in once the tank is established and add them all at the same time as juveniles, sized as closely as possible. Is this the best way to go about this?

once these are established and well introduce the regal and the powder blue, though not sure if they should go in together or the regal first.

anyone with experience on trying this?

thanks!

While it can work, I would limit to 3 tang additions based on growth and potential aggression

 

[mdrobc13]

Thank you, your input is much appreciated!

I will be running a oversized skimmer, reefmat and fuge, so the nutrients shouldn’t be a issues but will keep a eye on it before adding the powder blue.

Similar to what was said...best to add mild temperament tangs first and in a group or batch and then move up the aggression scale. Agree PBT should be last added. I have done so prior and did my 210 gal in 2017 like this.

Hippo tang Small x2
Yellow tang Small x2 + Sailfin tang Small x1
Purple tang Med x1
Flame Fin/Tonami tang Med x1
Naso Tang XL x1 (XL was removed too big for tank to be happy with other tangs)
Vlamingi Tang Small x1
Clown Tang Med x1
Powder Brown Tang x1 (killed by Clown tang within 24hrs)
Powder Blue Tang x1 (stressed by closen tang; died due to ich outbreak likely due to stress)
Powder Blue Tang x1 (larger than clown tang/killed clown tang I think after about 2 wks)

As you can see it is a bit of luck but also pending on size of fish and aggression and your tank size as well as rockscape also. Those are harder to predict.

Current tank is Red Sea 265g and so far have done similar additions:
Hippo Tang Small x2
Flame Fin/Tonami Tang Small x1
Yellow Tang (biota) small x2
Purple Tang Med x1
Sailfin Tang Small/Med x1 (died of other causes/did not eat)
Lieutenant Tang Med x1 (still in QT)
Powder Blue Tang Small/Med x1 (still in QT)

These two will go in last Lieutenant tang + Powder Blue at the same time to minimize aggression. Have also added new rock scape to diffuse pending tension. Should go in taknin about a week. Wishing myself luck! :)

Have done similar with two dwarf angels (Elbi + Orange hybrid lemon peel dwarf angel...added both same time and only 24-36 hrs of chasing then agreement to get along and no issues over 2 weeks.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Way less than they used to be :)

Guessing more fish coming out of Mauritius? Or finding in Madagascar?

Also Gems are way down.

$289 at NY Aquatics

 

[nuxx Verified Sponsor]

$289 at NY Aquatics

Wow, my wholesale price back in like 2015 was A LOT more :/

 

[vetteguy53081]

Wow, my wholesale price back in like 2015 was A LOT more :/

And I see they are now $249 at NY Aquatics.
My Wholesale was a little over $300 in 2005

 

[nuxx Verified Sponsor]

And I see they are now $249 at NY Aquatics.
My Wholesale was a little over $300 in 2005

Want to say I paid around $500 had to pick up at the airport etc...

I guess they're getting pretty commonplace now lol

 

[MarineandReef Jaron]

Enjoying this thread. I have had 3 yellow tangs, a chevron, a powder blue, clown, regal, and purple tang together for over 4 years now and just last week 2 of the yellows decided to mercilessly beat the daylight out of the third. I don't know what triggered this but I moved the picked-on tang into an acclimation box and then reintroduced it after a week to no avail. Now I moved the 2 aggressors to my secondary tank and plan on adding them back in a month or so.

Just when you think things are smooth sailing your babies try to kill each other.

 

[Borat]

How many tangs per gallon of water would you recommend?

 

[TWYOUNG]

That could work, it’s a lot of tangs but I can hardly say anything as I do that. I wouldn’t buy them too small as they’re not as hardy. I’d say 2.5-3.5 inch zebrasoma is ideal. To be honest though if added together the size may not be that important. Definitely add the PBT last. Hippo can be small - 2-3 inches or so if hardy and be OK. The tomini may not appreciate another tang addition but on the other hand it may not care much especially if added to a new tank almost immediately. Smaller hippo can hide and wait it out pretty well unlike other tangs which gives them so leeway.

What are the odds of successfully adding a Tang to my tank which currently has a 6" Foxface, 5" WT Bristletooth and 4" Yellow? I have 7" PBT who currently is the only fish in a 55 gal. and I'd like to give him more room. My other option is a baby tank raised Hippo tang. In the prior case I fear for the current tank inhabitants and in the latter I wonder if the baby would be small and timid enough to be ignored?

 

[Borat]

is 2 tangs per us&a gallon ok?

 

[TWYOUNG]

is 2 tangs per us&a gallon ok?

I'm guessing that's supposed to be some kind of joke? Unfortunately neither helpful nor amusing.

 

[i cant think]

How many tangs per gallon of water would you recommend?

Honestly, that’s not a good idea to go off of.
Tangs per gallon doesn’t give the room they need to swim. That’s like saying ‘25G per one tang’ that would make someone assume in a 25G tank they could have 1 tang. When it comes to the Acanthurids and any fish at that matter, you don’t go for the Fish per Gallon unlike freshwater and instead you go for how much length and territory you can give each fish.

 

[Borat]

Honestly, that’s not a good idea to go off of.
Tangs per gallon doesn’t give the room they need to swim. That’s like saying ‘25G per one tang’ that would make someone assume in a 25G tank they could have 1 tang. When it comes to the Acanthurids and any fish at that matter, you don’t go for the Fish per Gallon unlike freshwater and instead you go for how much length and territory you can give each fish.

That's kind of a deep idea to think about embeddedin a joke...

 

[i cant think]

That's kind of a deep idea to think about embeddedin a joke...

I’ve come from Fresh Water (my last FW tank was broken down 3 years ago now, my first saltwater tank was done 10-12 years ago). My biggest issue in the transition was noticing how aggressive saltwater fish tend to be compared to FW fish.

 

[Borat]

i have 2 small tangs in 100 gal - tomini and convict.. they coexist piecefully. i would not add another fish to my 7 fish that live in the tank (that would be too many) - and i would definitely not add another tang!

 

[Borat]

most agression problems imo is due to having too many fish for the tank size..

 

[blebs]

Upgrading to a bigger tank soon and of course we need to add more tangs! Planning on either an 8 or 10 foot long tank.

Currently have a 10" desjardini sailfin who is the kind of a jerk, and 7" blonde naso. The sailfin is definitely the king of the tank, and intimidates the naso into a corner. Did have some swipes at the naso earlier, but after some separation, and placing of mirrors, the active aggression stopped, just intimidation now. Interestingly the swipes began after I started leaving nori on clips, then I think that really triggered his territorial aggression.

I want to add a gem tang, an achilles tang and lavender tang, and possibly some yellow/purple tangs. Maybe a sohal/clown.

Most of the fish I see available are around 4-5". I imagine the sailfin will still be a jerk. I think i'll put the naso in first, and let him get settled. Should I do all the rest at once? leave the sailfin for last?

 

[JonoH]

I inherited 2 Blue Hippo Tangs in my current tank. They get along fine and swim/hang together most of the time.

Is this going to be an issue long term though - i have been told that you cant keep 2 of the same type together?

 

[4FordFamily]

It depends - hippo can often get along fine. I wouldn’t worry about these two. :)

 

[vetteguy53081]

I inherited 2 Blue Hippo Tangs in my current tank. They get along fine and swim/hang together most of the time.

Is this going to be an issue long term though - i have been told that you cant keep 2 of the same type together?

It may not turn out well. As you can see in pics, I had two sailfin tangs and for 4 months thought- Lucky me and then the war began.
Tangs and SOME tangs best grouped in odd numbers. . 1-3-5 and so forth
I have 6 yellows for 5 + years and simply got lucky