Three tangs in a 5’

[ItouchedThebutt]

Hey all, I plan to make an actual fish stocking list and get opinions but wanted to ask this one up front. My ideal is to have a tomini tang, bristle tooth (havnt decided on witch one exactly) and a purple tang. I know aggression is key so when the tank gets built first off it’ll be a 60x24” tank. Plan to design the scape with three main island. Two islands on the left and right of the tank going I’d say 2/3-3/4 of the way up with tons of arches and swim through. Middle island will be more of a small cove for a higher light clam and easy sps but should also give a nice swim lane from one island to the other. My goal was to add all three at the same time and hopefully roughly the same size. What are the chances of success here? I’ve my lfs have all three of these in a 4’ Red Sea with not noticeable issues.

 

[56longroof]

I have a purple and tomini in a 4' 150 gallon and they just tolerate each other. The purple is extremely defensive of the nori clip and will go after anything eating off it. If I had to do it over I'd pick a yellow over the purple.

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

So in an instance like that, out of curiosity have you tried putting a second clip maybe on the opposite side of the tank, see if that helps at all? Truthfully for me atleast if that’s a solution I think my as a reefer and day to day life could compromise filling two clips.

 

[spsick]

I have 2 bristletooth and a purple in my 60x24. Same situation, they just tolerate each other with regular little skirmishes. Purple was added after much larger Kole tang and things were fine until purple got bigger. Now he’s a jerk.

Lots of caves and holes to duck through help diffuse aggression. What helped more was adding small fish like a school of chromis to increase general community in the tank and distract.

 

[vandy]

As long as you curb aggression and have plenty of hideaways, it should be fine. I've found that consistent feedings with plenty of nori available keeps them from fighting. I have 4 in a 4' and they all get along happily together.

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

Would there be any issues throwing in a one spot fix face into that mix to?

 

[spsick]

Would there be any issues throwing in a one spot fix face into that mix to?

I would do a foxface over a purple tang myself. Better workers!

 

[56longroof]

So in an instance like that, out of curiosity have you tried putting a second clip maybe on the opposite side of the tank, see if that helps at all? Truthfully for me atleast if that’s a solution I think my as a reefer and day to day life could compromise filling two clips.

I haven't thought of that but I'm going to try it. My Ornate and Choati eat probably just as much nori as the 2 tangs so one clip gets alot of attention.

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

I haven't thought of that but I'm going to try it. My Ornate and Choati eat probably just as much nori as the 2 tangs so one clip gets alot of attention.

I don’t have much experience with herbivorous fish but if you look at it like say dogs getting fed out of one bowl and one is super aggressive, first fix would be get another bowl. So I would try that and I’m definetly curious if it would work.

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

I would do a foxface over a purple tang myself. Better workers!

I know… but I really love the look of the purple tang and was gonna use the fox face as my splash of yellow, plus they have some cool personalities. In my old 60 gallon I had one that would come up to surface and just blow bubbles.

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

I would do a foxface over a purple tang myself. Better workers!

I know… but I really love the look of the purple tang and was gonna use the fox face as my splash of yellow, plus they have some cool personalities. In my old 60 gallon I had one that would come up to surface and just blow bubbles.

 

[56longroof]

I don’t have much experience with herbivorous fish but if you look at it like say dogs getting fed out of one bowl and one is super aggressive, first fix would be get another bowl. So I would try that and I’m definetly curious if it would work.

I'll definitely keep you updated.

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

I do have a question for people with multiple tangs that do show aggression to. If it’s minor agresion or major please note, but what do y’all’s feeding regimens consist of?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I'd recommend only one of each kind of tang - tominis are a type of bristletooth tang. Why not a purple tang, a bristletooth, and a one spot foxface?

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

I mean I can, I already have a tomini in my 40 gallon growing out at the moment. My wife really like the blue eye or white tail. Plus I’ve seen multiple tanks at my lfs’s with both and no issues. Plus hear it sounds like the purple tang is the aggressor out of the two cases. But that’s why I’m asking what everyone’s feeding regimens look like, we know habitat is a big key factor but also are these guys getting fed once a day, twice a day, auto feeder going off with algea pellets and what aggression are you experiencing based off those.

I’m asking so I can figure out what I can do with best possible results. Ultimate fish personalities come into play to an extent to. But just trying to do my diligence in curbing the aggression. I’ve seen it done over and over to certain extents so I’m just curious what contributes to that success.

 

[littlefoxx]

I mean I can, I already have a tomini in my 40 gallon growing out at the moment. My wife really like the blue eye or white tail. Plus I’ve seen multiple tanks at my lfs’s with both and no issues. Plus hear it sounds like the purple tang is the aggressor out of the two cases. But that’s why I’m asking what everyone’s feeding regimens look like, we know habitat is a big key factor but also are these guys getting fed once a day, twice a day, auto feeder going off with algea pellets and what aggression are you experiencing based off those.

I’m asking so I can figure out what I can do with best possible results. Ultimate fish personalities come into play to an extent to. But just trying to do my diligence in curbing the aggression. I’ve seen it done over and over to certain extents so I’m just curious what contributes to that success.

I would not mix bridtletooths. They really dont like one another in small spaces. I had two in a six foot long and had to move one. I will never have more than one bristletooth again in a tank, they are too similar. Your best bet in this tank size is your tomini and purple if you have too. Personally a yellow tang is probably a better bet aggression wise and not as big as purples. My purple is mean and he is in a 300 gallon tank

 

[W31Olds]

I have a WT bristletooth in my 5' tank and he is a real jerk. He does not like any other grazers like my algae blenny and tolerates my hippo and foxface even though i have so much turf algae that I don't feed nori. I would have rehomed him but I must admit he is an algae eating machine.

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

I would not mix bridtletooths. They really dont like one another in small spaces. I had two in a six foot long and had to move one. I will never have more than one bristletooth again in a tank, they are too similar. Your best bet in this tank size is your tomini and purple if you have too. Personally a yellow tang is probably a better bet aggression wise and not as big as purples. My purple is mean and he is in a 300 gallon tank

So purples get larger than a yellow? Do you think to the point they would out grow a 5’?

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

I have a WT bristletooth in my 5' tank and he is a real jerk. He does not like any other grazers like my algae blenny and tolerates my hippo and foxface even though i have so much turf algae that I don't feed nori. I would have rehomed him but I must admit he is an algae eating machine.

By tolorates them what do you mean by that? Small spats here and there or does he segregate them to a part of the tank? I know you say you have enough turf algae for them to graze on but have you fed them on top of that and if so noticed a difference?

 

[littlefoxx]

So purples get larger than a yellow? Do you think to the point they would out grow a 5’?

Yes a purple would for sure. Mine is already around 4 inches, got him when he was about 2 inches a few months back