Best Surgeonfish to form shoal in aquarium

[Ricardo Pinto]

Hello,

I have a 215cm (85") x 60cm (23.6") x 60cm (23.6") reef aquarium, aprox. 800L (~200 gallon) and I would like to form a shoal of one species of surgeonfish.

Over the last 10 years I had many species of surgeonfish but I never had more than one element per species at the same time.

I was thinking on buying 3 or 4 Acanthurus leucosternon but I know for my personal experience that it will be difficult to keep this sensitive species.
I am trying to avoid Flavescens or other yellowish surgeon species because I will have a couple of pyramid butterflyfish and a Lo Vulpinus.

Attached to the system, I have a 240L Quarantine Tank which I can use to adapt, treat or isolate any fish.

Which surgeon species do you think will be the best for keeping a shoal? It should have low intra-species aggressiveness because it is a small aquarium.


Cheers,
Ricardo

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

I don't think that tank is big enough for a shoal of surgeons/tangs.

 

[snorvich]

I don't think that tank is big enough for a shoal of surgeons/tangs.

Agreed.

 

[SDguy]

Even in large public aquariums I don't ever recall seeing any tangs actually "shoaling" in any way, even when there are multiples.

 

[Ricardo Pinto]

Ok, maybe not shoaling because it will be very low numbers. But do you think I should not place 3-4 individuals from the same specie or 3-4 Tangs in general on this aquarium?
Because on the last 3 years I had a Naso vlamingi, a Z. flavescens, a C. strigosus without any problems.

 

[snorvich]

A full grown Naso Vlamingi will make your tank look small. I would not, but my personal style is to have a larger number of small fish.

 

[Reefing Newbie]

IMO, 3-4 larger sized fish (tangs, butterflies, angels, triggers, etc.) is as many large fish as I would put in your tank. Also, they won't group like you want them to do. I, like Steve, prefer lots of small fish in a tank as opposed to larger fish.

 

[Wolverine]

A full grown Naso Vlamingi will make your tank look small. I would not, but my personal style is to have a larger number of small fish.

I agree.

 

[Ricardo Pinto]

A full grown Naso Vlamingi will make your tank look small.

I had the N. vlamingi for 3 years. I bought it with 7-8cm and trade it after 3 years with 12-13cm. I honestly believe that it will take more than 5 years to have a "full grown" Naso. But I don't have the Naso anymore and I don't intend to buy a Naso again.

Also, I have read a few papers which lack of numbers to be considered absolutely true, that if you buy a fish (juvenile or small sized) for aquarium he will never be as large as in nature.

 

[Ricardo Pinto]

A full grown Naso Vlamingi will make your tank look small.

I had the N. vlamingi for 3 years. I bought it with 7-8cm and trade it after 3 years with 12-13cm. I honestly believe that it will take more than 5 years to have a "full grown" Naso. But I don't have the Naso anymore and I don't intend to buy a Naso again.

Also, I have read a few papers which lack of numbers to be considered absolutely true, that if you buy a fish (juvenile or small sized) for aquarium he will never be as large as in nature.

So, you think I can place 3-4 large fish of the same specie or it is better to place different species?

 

[SDguy]

While I am in the camp of "fish don't get their MAX size in captivity"... most get somewhat close. And somewhat close for a vlamingi is still HUGE!!!

I wouldn't get more than a couple tangs. Have you looked into other large-ish fish, like Genicanthus angels, or Hemitaurichthys butterflies?

 

[Announce]

The others are correct in that long term success is not likely, however from my experience you will likely have the most luck with more docile tangs, powder blues tend to be very aggressive to one another. Regal Blue's and Convicts often are a bit less aggressive as juveniles (mind you adult regals will destroy one another). Naso's as well, but as it has been stated before they get very large very quickly. The tank would also be alright for a couple Kole tangs as they do not get too large, but they tend to be incredibly territorial given their grazing nature.

hth

 

[dzfish17]

Maybe the convict tang. According to LA you can keep multiple fish. This is not my opinion as Ive never kept them. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=..._IjcBw&usg=AFQjCNGjtoD-NS3f3AxjaGEqZRpPokzO_w

 

[snorvich]

The others are correct in that long term success is not likely, however from my experience you will likely have the most luck with more docile tangs, powder blues tend to be very aggressive to one another. Regal Blue's and Convicts often are a bit less aggressive as juveniles (mind you adult regals will destroy one another). Naso's as well, but as it has been stated before they get very large very quickly. The tank would also be alright for a couple Kole tangs as they do not get too large, but they tend to be incredibly territorial given their grazing nature.

hth

I agree. If properly fed most fish will approach the size found in the wild. Most people tend not to feed as much as the fish normally would eat.

 

[SDguy]

I agree. If properly fed most fish will approach the size found in the wild. Most people tend not to feed as much as the fish normally would eat.

I personally would venture into the arena of size vs feeding. If it were true, my powder blue would be a foot long at this point.

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

But do you think I should not place 3-4 individuals from the same specie or 3-4 Tangs in general on this aquarium?

Depending on the species, I think 3-4 of the same species in that tank will be a bloodbath.

If you definitely want to do this, realize that they probably won't school, shoal, or otherwise swim together most of the time. Also look into the natural behavior of the specific species you are interested, not all are naturally shoaling.

All that said, I think your best bet would be convicts, but I still wouldnt do it. The dynamic in a tank is just different than in the wild. Essentially infinite space and hundreds of individuals, vs a few feet and a few individuals (and probably more limited food resources)... this brings out interspecific aggression even in fish that naturally live in groups.

 

[Hormigaquatica]

If you are set on keeping multiple tangs, I would suggest doing different species rather than a group of the same kind. Species that shoal in the wild generally don't in an aquarium, and more often than not wind up fighting with one another. You should avoid species that are super aggressive as well (like Sohal, Clown, or Powder Blue). As others have mentioned the tank probably isn't large enough to maintain multiple tangs long term, so you should at least select smaller species. Reasonable choices would be: just about any Ctenochaetus species (Kole, Tomini, Lined, Two Spot Bristletooth, etc), Scopas, Gold Rim, Convict, Lavender, & Chocolate/Mimic.

 

[albano]

I have 10 tangs (9 diff. types & various sizes) in my 450g DT (96"x40"x27"h)...that often ALL swim together...
I'll have to get video of them...

 

[joejoe1055]

+1 on conict tang

 

[Reefing Newbie]

I still wouldn't suggest getting multiples of the same species for your tank, but my local aquarium has a group of 15-25 yellow tangs in the shark tunnel tank that stay together as a group. Although this is in a tank with sand tigers, rays, large groupers, black tip reef sharks, hammerheads, and obviously a VERY large tank.