Yellow and Purple Tang in a 120?

[aws2266]

I'm going to be setting up a 120g soon and am looking for a couple center-piece fish. If I introduce them at the same time would or could it work out?

 

[JGT]

Yep, would be fine.

 

[i cant think]

I'm going to be setting up a 120g soon and am looking for a couple center-piece fish. If I introduce them at the same time would or could it work out?

It could but if I’m correct, it’s only a 4’ tank? So I would go for something more on the lines of wrasses (Active & colourful if you find the right ones). I say avoid it because purples ideally need 6’ of room, 5’ minimum. A yellow could work but I also would say the same as a purple tang. Ctenochaetus tangs (Not striated or chevrons) will most likely fit, a Foxface does the same job as a Zebrasoma tang and isn’t as active but they are puppy dogs just have to be careful of their dorsal and anal spines.
Also, IMHO the common Zebrasoma (Excluding the two sailfins) and Acanthurus tangs aren’t as great as they get made out to be, plus everyone has one which I think takes away from the nice display fish where as things like wrasses and gobies, there’s 100s of species of them so not everyone will have one. I find Foxfaces to just lounge about in the tank whereas the larger tangs are all over the place.

 

[ScottB]

I had those two juveniles in a 5" and things were fine for 3-4 years . Then the purple went a bit rogue and had to be trapped. I guess I would say I won't do it again, but it can be done.

 

[Vyper]

yellow and purple are from same family. When dealing with tangs it is better to have them from different families to have less aggression towards each other especially in smaller tanks. That’s just my personal experience though.

bristle tooth tang would be a great option since most don’t get as big and I personally think they are better at taking care of algae.

 

[aws2266]

I had those two juveniles in a 5" and things were fine for 3-4 years . Then the purple went a bit rogue and had to be trapped. I guess I would say I won't do it again, but it can be done.

Thanks. That's the kind of feedback I'm looking for. I was already leaning against it but I just needed that reinforced.

 

[bnord]

IMO, 2 zebras in a not huge tank at same size and enter time are still a gamble, and one of them being purple skews it unfavorably
I have a purple and a mimic in the same tank, and still get the grazing, the color, and they ignore each other (a 180, FYI)

 

[ScottB]

Thanks. That's the kind of feedback I'm looking for. I was already leaning against it but I just needed that reinforced.

They don't have quite the visual bang, but I definitely get more cleaning power and civility from a foxface and Yellow Eye Kole tang combo. Then throw in a powder blue ich magnet for the eye candy.

So many combos to consider.

 

[aws2266]

For the Foxface people, I was under the impression they weren't a good fish for mixed reef?

 

[aws2266]

get more cleaning power and civility from a foxface and Yellow Eye Kole tang combo. Then throw in a powder blue ich magne

Wow, that's a pretty cool combo right there.

 

[ScottB]

For the Foxface people, I was under the impression they weren't a good fish for mixed reef?

I have a display and three frag tanks. I keep a foxface in each one. Mostly acropora and zoa but some misc LPS. They have all been model citizens for me. Very hard workers.

What are they accused of (besides getting fat)?

 

[i cant think]

yellow and purple are from same family. When dealing with tangs it is better to have them from different families to have less aggression towards each other especially in smaller tanks. That’s just my personal experience though.

bristle tooth tang would be a great option since most don’t get as big and I personally think they are better at taking care of algae.

Genus and family are two separate things but yes, they are from the same genus and family. A yellow tang and a Ctenochaetus tang could get along in that tank since they have similar bodies however I recommend against it - This was just an example of two fish that can get along because they’re in the same family (Acanthuridae) and a separate genus (Ctenochaetus and Zebrasoma).

 

[i cant think]

For the Foxface people, I was under the impression they weren't a good fish for mixed reef?

They’re only bad because of zoa and play eating from the rest of the family, the ones labelled “Foxface” and not just “Rabbitfish” tend to be better with eating zoanthids and palythoas.

 

[i cant think]

They don't have quite the visual bang, but I definitely get more cleaning power and civility from a foxface and Yellow Eye Kole tang combo. Then throw in a powder blue ich magnet for the eye candy.

So many combos to consider.

This is the same over here except without the PBT haha, I have an S. magnificus and C. Binotatus and they just ignore and graze. Foxs basically perch around as I said earlier and mine just loves to stay front and center 85% of the time, the rest of the time he is grazing or sleeping.

 

[Ribo15]

I have a yellow and purple in my 8’ 240. The yellow about 5” and the purple about 4”. They scrap constantly and I honestly regret adding the purple. Save yourself the huge gamble of a headache and don’t do them in a 120. It’s asking for trouble imho.

 

[i cant think]

Another thing when mixing tangs of the same genus don’t have 2 and go for an odd number over an even number. Say you had 2 yellow tangs, that’s a 1v1 fight but if you had 2 yellows and 1 purple that’s a 3v3 fight and aggression is dispersed much easier. 2 yellows and 2 purples is 1v1v1v1 and just ends with death but an odd number or a large number will minus that aggression but let’s face it who has the money for 10 yellows and 10 purples? Go easy and get a big enough tank for 2 purples and 1 yellow or 2 yellows and 1 purple.

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

For the Foxface people, I was under the impression they weren't a good fish for mixed reef?

I have two rabbitfish in my 4x2x2 120, one Gold Spot and a Foxface Lo. They are lazy and fat! I have mainly zoa's, some candy canes, a torch and 2 anemones. They don't touch anything, total model citizens.

 

[SDK]

I also have a Foxface and a Yellow Eye Kole in a 4' 90 gallon tank. They get along fine, keep the tank clean and my Foxface does not bother any corals. I do keep everything well fed though....

 

[Kiwi reefer]

I’d they’re both small juvenile fish personally I think you’d be fine for at least a few years but as they grow you may want to upgrade your tank or move them to someone else and get another two

 

[|Tom the Bomb|]

yellow and purple are from same family. When dealing with tangs it is better to have them from different families to have less aggression towards each other especially in smaller tanks. That’s just my personal experience though.

bristle tooth tang would be a great option since most don’t get as big and I personally think they are better at taking care of algae.

you mean genus?

But yea I would go for different body shape/genera, purples also get a bit big for a 4' and with a yellow its not ideal, purples are also known to be a bit mean, so the yellow may or may not get bullied.

I would get a ctenochaetus tang along with a yellow, should work out great if you add them together