Are there any peaceful tangs??

[RJT]

I have had a lot of different tangs:
Powder Brown
Powder blue
Tennenti
Chevron
Mimic
Doctor
Regal

Only the regal seemed peaceful but there was a lyretail wrasse and flame angel the same size so it may have been a draw on who was the boss until he got bigger.

I like tangs but I don't like the anthias and wrasse in the tank getting chased every minute. I have a regular 6ft 150g tank with some around 8 anthias and wrasses. All of the tangs have been around 3in. Is this normal for all tangs?

 

[jaa1456]

The only tangs that seem to be peaceful are the Naso family, including the unicorn and vlamingi. Only problem is those tangs get fairly large even for a 150

 

[RJT]

thanks for the reply jaa1456. Naso are nice but wow do they get big. I prefer a fish that will probably be happy fully grown in my tank (I got the regal as a newbie). It is a pain to catch a fish in a reef tank.

 

[Dr Colliebreath]

It depends on the individual fish but it helps if you add the tang last so it is the newcomer and not just defending its established territory against newcomers. Also keep it well-fed with plenty of nori and spirulina algae.

 

[robs.mark]

Agreed, all dependent on the fish, however as we know, some tangs by species are more aggressive than others. I would consider bristletooth, scopas, chevron, mimic etc

 

[Wolverine]

Kole tangs have been good for me except for similarly shaped fishes.

 

[SDguy]

Depends on the individual fish, depends on the tank size/aquascaping, and depends on the tankmates, IME. For example, my powder blue has never bothered a single fish in my tank... go figure...

I think it's strange that all those tangs you've had have been aggressive to innocuous small planktivores like anthias and wrasses... are the fish getting fed enough?

 

[CenterConsole]

Convict tangs are generally peaceful. They have no scapal. Every fish is different though, you never know what your going to get.

 

[SDguy]

Convict tangs are generally peaceful. They have no scalpel.

I'm pretty sure all surgeon fish have the scalpel, retractable or otherwise.

 

[bullitr]

Powder blue and regal angel are probably the most aggressive tangs I even had
Almost as aggressive as passer angel.

If you want docile and smaller go with chevron or white tail kole tang

 

[RJT]

Thank you everyone for posting. I am not sure why the tangs I have had seem to be aggressive.

I do feed at least four times a day because of the anthias I chose to keep. My current tang, tennenti, seems to bother everyone but they seem to just move out the way and continue their journeys in life. I did increase the nori strip from 2 a day to four (each around 2-3in) today plus I removed his nemesis (joke) 2.5in exquisite wrasse that seemed to be terrified of the tang. It seems, like most bullies, he enjoyed that and went out of his way to torment the wrasse.

The wrasse seems happier in his new home and the tangs aggression seems to have lessened. He is only 3.5 in long but he eats a lot. Stomach seems always full from the first feeding until lights out.

The powder brown, in a prior tank, I had stressed out a larger swallowtail male so much he would not leave the corner of the tank. Chevron I had would fight my lawnmower blenny constantly and chase anyone away from his spot in the middle to the tank. The rest of the tangs were the more usual by attacking all new comers.

So far this tennenti has been pretty good in comparison. I have added anthias and wrasses and he treats them like everyone else-get out of my way and everything is okay.

 

[Reef264]

I have a Yellow Eye Spotted Kole Tang that deals well with my other Scopas Tang.They don't fight each other, in fact they hang out quite a bit.

-Ray

 

[led stony]

naso tangs but need 120 gallon tank min. feed a lot at first most are shipped starving.

 

[Monroereef]

Naso tang, fowleri tang, mustard tang are on the peaceful side.
I have them all in my 375G with hippo, purple and powder blue.

Sunny

 

[Ambition]

naso tangs but need 120 gallon tank min. feed a lot at first most are shipped starving.

They need much more than a 120 gallon tank. The smaller species need at least an 8' long 240 gallon tank, the rest needing at least a 10' long 350 gallon tank.

Naso tang, fowleri tang, mustard tang are on the peaceful side.
I have them all in my 375G with hippo, purple and powder blue.

Sunny

All but the mustard in this reply will be too big for a 150 gallon tank.


To me, your tennenti doesn't sound aggressive save the exquisite wrasse issue. That however is resolved. To me it just seems like the other fish recognize him as the boss of the tank, and simply get out of the way. This is just what I am getting from your posts, at the moment. No problems with it unless the tang is actually going out to pester/attack your other fish.

 

[twilmot]

I had a yellow tang that was great. He would try to fight with some new fish, but his issue? He was missing a fin (kinda like nemo but a yellow tang instead) and his left eye was messed up. I called him Nascar, because he could only turn left. So he couldn't put up much of a fight. I had him for four years, was that way from the day I got him.

 

[reeferstace]

I vote for Ctenochaetus tominiensis and Acanthurus nigrofuscus.

 

[CenterConsole]

I'm pretty sure all surgeon fish have the scalpel, retractable or otherwise.

Your right. They do have a scalpel but apparently it's smaller and less protruding from what I've read. They still have my vote as one of the most docile tang species.

 

[bidny]

Second convict tangs. Mine has been a model citizen, and from what I've heard and read, they do seem to be among the more peaceful tangs.

 

[AquaticFins]

The bigger the tank, the more peaceful the tang.

Especially as they get larger...most people do not realise just how much more aggressive most surgeonfish become as they grow, particularly if space and food are not abundant.

I would personally stick with the Ctenochaetus genus (with the exception of the Chevron...I've found them to get quite a bit larger and more aggressive than other members of the genus) if you would really like a tang.