How many Tangs???

[tracyclifton]

I am in the planning stages of stocking my 180 gallon. I want to have a blue tang, a yellow tang and a powder blue or orange shoulder tang. I keep reading that you can only keep one tang in a tank because they are aggressive toward other tangs. How accurate is this? If I follow the guidelines listed on most of the fish supplier's sites, I will end up with 2 green chromis, 2 clowns, a yellow tang, and a lawnmower blenny in a 180 tank. Is anyone keeping more than 1 tang in a similar tank?

 

[shifty51008]

lots of people keep tangs together with no problems.

 

[sjwitt]

I have 2 tangs in a 185g. A Clown Tang and Kole. You won't want more than that and they even 'scrap' every once in a while.

 

[FTDelta]

Taking in consideration of how large certain tangs get when fully matured:

Blue Tangs - 12 inches
Yellow TAng - 8 inches
Blue Powder - 9 inches
Orange Shoulder Tang - 14 inches

 

[Dr. Reef]

i have 3 in 250gal. blue hippo yellow and Achilles

 

[MrTuskfish]

Tang comparability always comes down tho the individual fish, IMO & IME. I'm sure size and timing of introducing them may affect the outcome; but there isn't any magic formula. The only sure things I know for sure are: the bigger the tank the better the odds and a good QT regimen is essential. The QT is vital, not just to prevent parasites, but to get the new tang settled and eating without any bullies or competition. The same does for large angels, IMO & IME. If this thread was active long enough, you'd get every conceivable response. I've kept 10+ tangs for years and have seen about every combination work and many fail.

 

[tracyclifton]

Tang comparability always comes down tho the individual fish, IMO & IME. I'm sure size and timing of introducing them may affect the outcome; but there isn't any magic formula. The only sure things I know for sure are: the bigger the tank the better the odds and a good QT regimen is essential. The QT is vital, not just to prevent parasites, but to get the new tang settled and eating without any bullies or competition. The same does for large angels, IMO & IME. If this thread was active long enough, you'd get every conceivable response. I've kept 10+ tangs for years and have seen about every combination work and many fail.

So based on your experience, and knowing there is no magic formula, what would you recommend for my situation? I am dead set on the clowns and the yellow tang. Buy the blue first, then add the yellow, then the powder or other later? When should I add the ocellaris clowns? I have had terrific luck so far and I don't want to make my first big error. Thanks in advance.

 

[albano]

Taking in consideration of how large certain tangs get when fully matured:

Blue Tangs - 12 inches
Yellow Tang - 8 inches
Blue Powder - 9 inches
Orange Shoulder Tang - 14 inches

IMO...99% of tangs NEVER reach their 'ocean' size in home reefs.

I have 10 tangs in my 450g DT. , 4 of them are over 6"...over 2 yrs, no problems, (I have a video of them all swimming together)...
also, I was just given a black tang that hopefully, will be added to DT by the end of the year.

 

[symon_say]

I have 6 in my 125g 66" long tank, smaller one is about 5" i dont have any problem:

blue tang
whitecheek tang
yellow tang
desjardini tang
kole tang
chevron tang

 

[TimmyD16]

Six tangs in one tank?!?!? I'd have to see that one, bet its amazing! Any pics?

 

[symon_say]

I have a friend how had about 20 tangs in a 300g tank, but lost most of then in a power outage during a storm a few months ago.

I'll post pics tomorrow.

 

[atkinsg]

I thought that keeping more than one of the same genus was supposed to be iffy. But since I have never tried it, this is only lore.

 

[lwillis22]

I have a 125 gallon with a blue hippo, yellow tang, sailfin tang and naso tang. They all get along just fine.

 

[MrTuskfish]

I have a 125 gallon with a blue hippo, yellow tang, sailfin tang and naso tang. They all get along just fine.

As these fish grow, I think you'll have aggression problems or start having fish health problems. IMO, a 125 is too small for any of these fish except the yellow. You're cramming some potentially very large fish into a space that is way too small. Cramped fish=aggressive fish.

 

[hllywd]

Yellow, purple, scopas, and a hippo in my 210. The yellow and purple are each about 8 years old and still spar occasionally, nothing serious. Those two were together for ~4 years in my old 120 with no problems. I wouldn't have added more to that mix.
If I ever find a healthy and affordable achilles, and/or powder blue I'll add a couple more to my 210.

 

[squaretankguy08]

Aggression in tangs all has to do with similar body shapes, the ones you listed are all different so I would say they would be fine. A purple and yellow tend to fight because of their shape as an example

 

[hllywd]

I think there are a lot of variables. The scopas is 2/3 the size of the purple, and yellow. I got it along with the hippo from a local reefer who was getting out last winter. My 8+ year old tomato clown pair was worse on the scopas than the similar tangs... The hippo is slightly larger, and it was accepted immediately by everything in the tank.

 

[tracyclifton]

This is very good info. I am going out of town next weekend but I am thinking of getting the 2 oc clowns the next weekend. My tank has been cycled for about 2 months and I am ready to add a real fish. Right now my stock is the 2 green chromis I started with, a blue seastar(doing great), a cleaner shrimp, an emerald crab, a blue spotted seahare, a sailfin blenny, a blue/pink nudibranch, 6 turbo snails, and about a dozen hermit crabs. I have been drip acclimating everything and use the advice not to acclimate over 30 minutes. Well, except the blue seastar, I went about 50 minutes on it. I have added everything at intervals. The cleanup crew at about 3 weeks, the seastar and cleaner shrimp two weeks later, the blenny 1 week later, and the nudi and seahare 1 week after that. I am not experiencing any problems that don't seem to be normal form what I have learned on this forum. I had a gha outbreak. The blenny has helped with that. Everything is eating well. The seahare is eating algae wafers so I don't think he will starve. I am trying to get the blenny to munch some seaweed so he will be ok if the green hair runs out. The cheato in my fuge has more than doubled in size. I just want to say that a lot of stuff you read on the forum is dealing with problems people are having. But I am taking my time, asking questions, and having a great time. Even my dog likes watching the fish. Thank you to everyone who offers their experience and advice.

 

[robs.mark]

I have a hybrid yellow scopas a blue and a powder brown tang in my 187 along with a 7" foxface and have no problems. The tangs are all medium size and the longest has been other me about 3 years. I honestly don't think you'll have a problem with that combo, bu I would add the powderblue I place of the orange shoulder.

 

[regent2010]

i also have a 180g tank same sizes as ur's with Sohal (6"), Kole (4"), Purple (4").at the moment. just remember the aggressive tang gotto b the last in the Tank. i can't add anything now because the Sohal killed them all.