Which Tang Last

sbash · Oct 6, 2017

Hi Everybody!

I have a juvenile Powder Blue and a mature Yellow tang coming out of QT around the same time (two different systems).

Which one should I put in my 220G last?

Maritimer · Oct 6, 2017

Best bet might be to add simultaneously - it's nobody's territory, each one experiences that discomfort at the same time ... and by the time the tangs are comfortable enough to claim the tank, they've already grown accustomed to the other residents.

~Bruce, assuming that the powderblue's more aggressive nature and the yellow's greater size would sort of cancel each other out . . .

sbash · Oct 7, 2017

Maritimer said:
Best bet might be to add simultaneously - it's nobody's territory, each one experiences that discomfort at the same time ... and by the time the tangs are comfortable enough to claim the tank, they've already grown accustomed to the other residents.

~Bruce, assuming that the powderblue's more aggressive nature and the yellow's greater size would sort of cancel each other out . . .

Cool! That is easy enough, thanks!

Now, there are no other tangs in my 220, by introducing these two, am I limiting my future options for more tangs? My wife wants a hippo, and I really enjoyed my kole...

Maritimer · Oct 8, 2017

Possibly.

You'll certainly want to use some kind of social acclimation protocol - either one of the clear acrylic boxes, a partition across the tank (eggcrate divider?) or even a large "Kritter Keeper" with some ventilation holes in it. (Make the holes with a soldering iron - drills leave a rough edge.) You can also try "the mirror trick" when it's time to introduce the new guy, and at that, introducing the hippo and kole at the same time would help disperse aggression.

You have the fact that they're in different genera from the existing tangs in your favor, but the fact that yellows _can_ be pretty rugged and powderblues can be powderkegs working against you.

You might want to check this article by 4FordFamily, if you haven't already: https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/tang-aggression-understanding-and-combating.76/

~Bruce