To Sohal or Not to Sohal !

[fabutahoun]

Got this baby Sohal Tang from a friend 3 weeks ago, he is now in QT.

I am thinking to add at to my 180 gallons reef. This tank is fully stocked with angels and wrasses, with few tangs and other fish.
Will this Tang be a horror? Or is it ok to add it?

 

[fabutahoun]

Fish List

• Emperor Angelfish(Pomacanthus imperator) From Juvenile To Young Adult
• 2 X Coral Beauty Angelfish(Centropyge bispinosa)
• Rusty Angelfish(Centropyge ferrugata)
• Venusta Angelfish(Paracentropyge Venusta)
• Watanabei Angelfish(Genicanthus watanabei)
• Swallowtail Angelfish (Genicanthus melanospilos)
• Masked Swallowtail Angelfish(Genicanthus semifasciatus)
• 3 X Dispar Anthias (Pseudanthias dispar)
• 2 X Black Ice Ocellaris Clownfish, (Amphiprion ocellaris )
• Platinum Percula Clownfish, (Amphiprion percula)
• Diamond Watchman Goby (Valenciennea puellaris)
• Blue Tang (Paracanthurus hepatus)
• Purple Tang (Zebrasoma xanthurum)
• Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens)
• 2 X Melanurus Wrasse (Halichoeres melanurus)
• Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse(Paracheilinus carpenteri)
• Rose band Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus roseafascia)
• Pintail Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus lanceolatus)
• Crescent Tail Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus lunatus)
• Pylei fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus Pylei)
• Blue Flasher Wrasse(Paracheilinus cyaneus)
• Filamented Flasher Wrasse (Paracheilinus filamentosus)
• Green Mandarin(Synchiropus splendidus)
• Ornate leopard wrasse (Macropharyngodon ornate)
• Lubbock's Fairy Wrasse(Cirrhilabrus lubbocki)
• Ruby Head Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus cf cyanopleura)
• Pink Margin Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus rubrimarginatus)
• Blotched Anthias(Odontanthias borbonius)
• Six Line Wrasse (Pseudocheilinus hexataenia)
• Scarlet Pin Stripe Wrasse (Pseudocheilinus evanidus)

 

[mfinn]

A Sohal Tang was kind of a bucket list fish for me and when I finally got the opportunity I bought a small one for my 240.
They are awesome fish and I loved having it, for about 2 years.
Once it started growing it quickly became the dominant fish in the tank. So much so that my other tangs would hide most of the day.
If they dared come come out the Sohal would immediately chase them.
I know others that have Sohal Tangs, but they have them in much larger tanks.
I guess my 72" x 30" x 25" tank was too small.

 

[mfinn]

My Purple Tang was so traumatized ( constant beat down) he never really recovered, even after the Sohal was gone.

 

[DSC reef]

I love sohal tangs, we really miss ours. It played nice until it matured then it was a very assertive and aggressive fish. I believe in the 180 you would experience issues with your other fish. Plus, ours grew incredibly fast. While I absolutely love the sohal, with your fish list currently I honestly believe it would not be a good idea long term.

 

[Trev]

Incorporate the sohal in your display tank. There are very few tangs as majestic as the sohal.

 

[davocean]

Years ago when I had my last 180g I got the smallest sohal I could find, and I think w/in a week I could tell it was going crazy for lack of swim space, it never stopped like it was on a loop, even all night long.
I regretted it pretty much right away.
IMO it's one of those fish that should be given a very large tank, and no matter size you will always risk it to be pretty territorial and ticky w/ others.

 

[fabutahoun]

Thanks everybody for your inputs.
My Brain say no no to sohal, but my heart want to give it a chance. anyway I am not going to risk my angel collection.

I dive and snorkel regularly in the red sea, and I can see how big and aggressive these fish can be. even sometimes they start to chase me :confused:

 

[DSC reef]

The sohal tang is my all time favorite tang, keep us posted my friend and share plenty of pics.

 

[skidrow52]

Keep it I’ll take it from you , don’t waste time getting votes

 

[fabutahoun]

The sohal tang is my all time favorite tang, keep us posted my friend and share plenty of pics.

Still it need another week on QT, by that time the poll will be over. But from the early results, things don't look good for the Tang.
The Good news there is a local friend who is waiting eagerly to add it to his tank

Keep it I’ll take it from you , don’t waste time getting votes

oh here is the friend.

 

[fabutahoun]

@skidrow52 vote no to increase your chances :p

 

[Trev]

I've had 7 sohals in my 42 years of reefing. I can say that it really depends on the fish. I've had mellow ones and I've had two that were terrors. All in all, I love them all.

 

[User1]

I have a 210 and ruled it off my list due to size and possible hostility. Similar to ruling out the Atlantic blue which I wanted so badly. Why cause angst on you or the animal is what went through my mind (not judging, just a comment that I had going through mine while picking a tang).

Pretty fish though.

 

[eraser2001]

I have one sohal tang my 225g when I introduced my big blue powder, he started to bit it until the blue tang did not come to eat and hidden. So I put my sohal in my sump for 3 weeks. After that the blue tang is the king and sometime chances the sohal.
Now I can no put big fishes because the blue tang chances them.

 

[DCR]

I only had one, but he grew large and aggressive. I was unable to add any other tang or angel in a 7ft 200 gal once he reached about 6 inches. If you really like them and are OK with it being your last large fish, then go for it. I personally don't find a Sohal attractive enough to outweigh it's disposition.

 

[ca1ore]

You already have a lot of fish in that 180; I'd not risk adding something like a Sohal. They're generally Ok when small, but can get hyper aggressive once they get above 7-8 inches. At that point, a 6' tank is way too small.

 

[vetteguy53081]

They are beautiful but also nasty and aggressive eaters leaving food for no one. Because of mine, I go through 2-3 OZ of frozen food each day plus dry

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

I have one that is about 7". He was put in the tank around 5". It took about all of one day for him to out everyone on notice that he was the king of the tank.

my 8" desjardini hid most of the time, same for hippo. They are in QT right now as tank is fallow. I will have to wait and see what happens when I put them back in the tank. He is definately going in last!

 

[vetteguy53081]

I

I only had one, but he grew large and aggressive. I was unable to add any other tang or angel in a 7ft 200 gal once he reached about 6 inches. If you really like them and are OK with it being your last large fish, then go for it. I personally don't find a Sohal attractive enough to outweigh it's disposition.

I agree. Have someone with a 400 gal that is interested in mine and at the end of the month will likely be in that tank and will be replaced by a similar marked clown tang.