Adding Tangs

[Mark Bianco]

I have two well established reef tanks that have been going for over 2 years. I have recently set up a 210gl with 150lbs dry rock and 20 live rock between the tank and a 100gl sump. This setup has been going for a little over a month ghost feeding and outside of a little green algae on the tops of the tank rock. The cycle has completed. I am currently working on the algae with GFO.

What my plans are to take my favorite fish and corals out of both tanks, then sell off the other two tanks. Now my problem. In one tank I have one Read Sea purple tang about 4" and a yellow tang about the same length. In the other tank I have two blonde naso tangs one 4" long and the other 9" long.

Being as tangs are territorial some say its best to add them all at once, but being as this a new tank or any tank for that matter is it wise to add that many fish at once, not giving the tank time to build up the added bacteria it needs to accommodate the extra bio load?

Thanks in advance
Mark

 

[Rain999]

I would add them at the same time. If you have enough hiding places you should be fine. If they start fighting, I'd rearrange the rocks and turn the lights off for a few hours. If your tank is fully cycled you should be fine!

 

[geaux xman]

I would just add them altogether. But even at separate times, I dont foresee much of a problem. Naso's are hardly known to be aggressive. Purple and Yellow's are so so. Any aggression will probably subside over a few days or a week.

If the tank is cycled, thats hardly that much bioload for 3 4" fish and a big one.

 

[DustyReefer]

If you were to add some first and the rest later due to worries about your bio-load with the new tank I would add the nasos first since they are much less aggressive than most tangs. Even though it is a 210 with a 100 gallon sump a 9" naso is a big fish with a lot of poop. Im sure your tank would be fine adding all at once, but if you wanted to be on the safer side then thats what I would do.

 

[Charlene]

What do you do when a fish has to be replaced later? Say one dies and you want to add another. Can you still add more tangs later?

 

[nikon187]

What do you do when a fish has to be replaced later? Say one dies and you want to add another. Can you still add more tangs later?

You def can but sometimes need to rearange the rockwork so the exisiting tangs territory is broken up and allows the newcomer to establish itself. Lights off also helps with the aggression. Some tangs though can become very aggressive no matter what you do.

 

[Dmorty217]

Add them all at once, the real question is what kind of skimmer is on your system?