Help me pick a tang

[smcdonn]

Alright I would like to add a tang as the last fish in my tank. It's a 75 gallon with about 120lbs of live rock. Here is the current stock list.

2 occelaris clowns
2 fire fish gobies
2 clown gobies
1 royal gramma
1 Black blenny
2 cleaner shrimp
2 peppermint shrimp


I would like to add one of the following tangs as my last fish. Let me know the pros and cons of what you have experienced with these tangs and if you think they would be compatible with everything I have in the tank.

Atlantic Blue
Blue Hippo
Powder Brown
Powder Blue

Thanks for all your help

 

[coralnut99]

Atlantic blues are tough to find for some reason, and from what I've read can get aggressive at larger sizes. Smaller ones tend to be a little delicate (but that would seem to apply to all). I lost two a few years back. I've always shied away from Hippos because of their rep. as an ich magnet. The stock I see in stores lately seems much better though. But they do get pretty big, and not the best of the lot if your looking for an algae grazer. Most of the powder browns/blues I've seen that are healthy are already over 5 inches long, or very small and sickly looking. Fwiw, I have two Hawaiian sailfins, a purple, and a yellow, all in different systems. My sailfins are hands-down favorites. They are like having swimming puppies in your tank. So personable once acclimated, and really love the higher flows of sps tanks. The greatest rock scrubbers I've seen. Every so often, I'll have macros get anchored to a frag in my prop system, and I just put the piece in one of their tanks to get "scrubbed". The frag is clean within an hour.

 

[smcdonn]

so the sailfins are pretty good at picking down algae ehh? That is the main reason I want one, and the fact that most tangs are gorgeous. My LFS has a really nice powder brown that is about 3" for $45. I am really considering it although I will look inthe the sailfins. Anybody else?

 

[Monkeyfish]

None of the tangs you listed are appropriate for a tank that size as they will all eventually need more room to swim. For a 75 I suggest getting a scopas, yellow or kole tang.

 

[Loralie]

The kole tang would be a much better choice for a tank the size of yours

 

[thor32766]

yeah koles are a great fish! cant miss!

 

[yoboyjdizz]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7632924#post7632924 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Monkeyfish
None of the tangs you listed are appropriate for a tank that size as they will all eventually need more room to swim. For a 75 I suggest getting a scopas, yellow or kole tang.

Agree...soon you will get the upgrade itch and will hopefully get tank suitable for those tangs listed above. Thats what i finally did.

 

[smcdonn]

Will a yellow tang be agressive to any of the fish I currently have in the tank. I know this is not a set in stone answer but what have you guys experienced with the yellow tangs. Thanks

 

[gia3161]

i think a sailfin will get way to big for your tank as they can get to a foot long. i would go for a smaller tang like a yellow, kole of even a tomini. plus the kole and tomini are awsome alge cleaners too!!

 

[Monkeyfish]

I'd be worried about the firefish.

 

[techigirl78]

I added a small yellow tang to my 125 with a number of gobies, a firefish, and a canary fang blenny and everything has been fine to date. The blenny and tang usually are swimming together and all of the other fish have maintained their behavior. I only saw a little agression [ on the part of the firefish chasing the tang ] for the first hour or so after the tang was introduced. Its been about 4-5 months.

 

[coralnut99]

I have a purple tang in a 125 with 3 anthias. He basically keeps the smallest of them close to the rocks, and will give him a chase now and then, but after a year together there isn't even a torn fin on the anthias. They've just developed their own pecking order, and nobody gets hurt. The sailfin I have in a different 125, has shared a 75, then a 120, and its' current digs with a variety of fish, and couldn't be bothered with the his tankmates. I have a yellow in a hopelessly over-crowded office lobby tank I got stuck caring for at work, and all he cares about is chow-time too. In short all of mine have been model citizens, thankfully. No experience here, with more than one, or mixing species in a tank though, but I've seen it work just fine in bigger tanks.

 

[cateyes]

what about a tomini tang?? about the same size as a kole but a little more colorful IMO...

 

[waterfaller1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7637543#post7637543 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cateyes
what about a tomini tang?? about the same size as a kole but a little more colorful IMO...

This is what I keep in my 75..awesome fish. Better personality too..sometimes Kole's don't tolerate blennies.

 

[Fade]

I vote for the tomini I have one and it is great.