I need your opinion about Tangs

My personal opinion on Tangs is that they are beautiful active fish but except for my Tomini they have all ended up diseased and dying. I want to try a Naso but dont want to risk losing another fish
 
dppitone said:
I hear ya. Unfortunately, there is no "answer" to this question. Most folks will have the opinion that you shouldn't add more tangs. Folks like me, who've kept tangs in many different groupings and in many different tank sizes over the years may have a different opinion. But in the end it's a judgment.

If you love a shoal of tangs, whether conspecific or whatever, go for it. If it starts to cause a problem, then reason thru it and break it down if necessary. As hard as we try, we can't know what a fish is thinking and can't predict personality or behavior. What works for Paul may not work for Peter. That's the "art" part of the hobby.

If I wanted to add more, and in my judgment it'd be workable, then I'd have no problem going forward. That's just IMO.
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Finally, someone who wants to talk about the dilemma. Thanks so much for your opinion. I have certainly ran into both opinions on this subject. Many are scared to death to try and mix tangs, others not so much, then there are those that I see Video of there tanks here at RC, with multitudes of different kinds of Tangs swimming freely with big smiles on their faces, obviously these people were not afraid to try to stretch the "current wisdom". I too would like to go there, I just want all the knowledge possible as to give it the best possible chance of success. So I guess I will work on the "art" part of getting this done.

I hear what you said, Thanks....................Budster:bum:
 
degibson84 said:
My personal opinion on Tangs is that they are beautiful active fish but except for my Tomini they have all ended up diseased and dying. I want to try a Naso but dont want to risk losing another fish
Click to expand...

I have a Naso, magnificent fish, steals the show in my tank. Purchase wisely, quarantine, feed properly and take care of your tank and there is no reason in the world a Naso will not do well. One word of caution, Naso's grow big, quickly, you need at least 180g in six feet of tank now and 8-10 feet of tank eventually, they will out grow a 6 foot tank quickly. If you have the system for it then do it, that's why we do this!

Budster:bum:
 
I have a 220 now and have been geting bashed by others for wanting one in my 6 ft tank. they said I needed one of at least 8 ft. so now I am debating on just getting a few pairs of anthias
 
degibson84 said:
I have a 220 now and have been geting bashed by others for wanting one in my 6 ft tank. they said I needed one of at least 8 ft. so now I am debating on just getting a few pairs of anthias
Click to expand...

One of the problems with spending a lot of time on these forums is you get so many opinions, not that opinions are bad, just that you don't know if there is any real knowledge behind those opinions. Many say you need an 8' tank, many more say you can use a 6' tank. The one thing for sure is that they grow quickly and will eventually need more than 6', in month or two?, probably not, probably not even in a year or two, but eventually. Take what you hear from the bashers with a grain of salt, usually those that scream the loudest are those that know the least. Good luck................Budster:bum:
 
It's really funny that you raised the general concept of "right" and "wrong" in this hobby. I swear to Gosh, just today a member PM'd me out of the blue to say that he disagreed with my approach on the discussion threads and that my perspective mostly "irks" him.

It's funny that someone would feel so strongly to send a message. I've had all different tanks from 5 to 300 gallons over the years, and as much as 2,000 system gallons. And all different fish combinations that people would call "crazy" based on what they've read. But I'm different b/c I have experience. I just had a 180g with a 12" titan trigger, 6" inch queen trigger, two large blue jaw triggers and three male green bird wrasses. Someone saw a pic of the grouping and called me out for being "nuts." Well, they all got along great, and the titan and queen even slept side by side. The three male wrasses never fought a lick.

I don't keep the same fish for more than a few years, usually trading them out with other reefers. But I've had all combos of tangs together and never had a loss of one fish. And I recently re-homed the 12" titan to another reefer who put him in a 400 or 500g tank (can't remember). That always needs to be an option.

IMO you would need a tank the size of at least a ranch house to permit "proper" space for these creatures. Even a tank as big as a bedroom would have a confining quality IMO. I've never heard a fish, that's being kept in a 6 foot tank say, "you know if this tank was just two feet longer I'd be truly happy."

But again, this is just my opinion. (1) if it really interests you give it a shot, (2) yet have a backup plan in case it doesn't work out, and (3) be prepared to breakdown a system if necessary to correct the problem. Fortunately I can't ever recall having to resort to (2) or (3), but I'm always ready to do so.
 
I had a 280 which was 72x30x30 and had 7 tangs. Achilles ,PBT,chocolate mimic, Naso, Blue eyed, Scopas and a Purple. Made the mistske of not QTing a firefish and lost 4 or 5 of them. I have tried to forget this disaster. Later replaced with a Vlamingi, Black, another Mimic and Scopas which brought me back to 6. No reason you cant add more now.
 
budster.stig1 said:
Many are scared to death to try and mix tangs, others not so much, then there are those that I see Video of there tanks here at RC, with multitudes of different kinds of Tangs swimming freely with big smiles on their faces, obviously these people were not afraid to try to stretch the "current wisdom". I too would like to go there, I just want all the knowledge possible as to give it the best possible chance of success. So I guess I will work on the "art" part of getting this done.
Click to expand...

If this is your question, yes, you can add more tangs. The above posters were merely trying to help you because it seemed like you asked if you should add more tangs. If you do, I'd take it slow to verify that it is safe to do so.

So, what tangs are you looking at adding? Are you wanting to replace the same species that died? I have experience keeping several tangs in a 210 as a big happy family, and the keys for me were

1. Quarantine and prophylactic treatment
2. Heavy Feeding to eliminate any sense of food competition
3. Order of introduction/knowing your hierarchy
4. Very open rockwork/high water flow

Fish can be unpredictable, and sometimes removing or adding one can throw a wrench is something that is currently working and chaos will ensue. For example, I kept 5 yellow tangs and 1 purple tang in my 210 for over a year. I removed the purple, and suddenly the happy group of yellow tangs turned on each other trying to determine who would be the new dominant zebrasoma. You will always need a plan B for if something doesn't work out, and if catching a fish isn't an option I wouldn't recommend getting more tangs. I use an acclimation box for introduction, and an aquamedic trap for removal - it's great with a little patience. Keep in mind that timeouts work too. GL
 
Adult Vlamingi's are one of my favs. I just re-homed an 8 incher with a great nose bump this past summer to get him into a bigger system. He/she was a beauty.
 
dppitone said:
It's really funny that you raised the general concept of "right" and "wrong" in this hobby. I swear to Gosh, just today a member PM'd me out of the blue to say that he disagreed with my approach on the discussion threads and that my perspective mostly "irks" him.

It's funny that someone would feel so strongly to send a message. I've had all different tanks from 5 to 300 gallons over the years, and as much as 2,000 system gallons. And all different fish combinations that people would call "crazy" based on what they've read. But I'm different b/c I have experience. I just had a 180g with a 12" titan trigger, 6" inch queen trigger, two large blue jaw triggers and three male green bird wrasses. Someone saw a pic of the grouping and called me out for being "nuts." Well, they all got along great, and the titan and queen even slept side by side. The three male wrasses never fought a lick.

I don't keep the same fish for more than a few years, usually trading them out with other reefers. But I've had all combos of tangs together and never had a loss of one fish. And I recently re-homed the 12" titan to another reefer who put him in a 400 or 500g tank (can't remember). That always needs to be an option.

IMO you would need a tank the size of at least a ranch house to permit "proper" space for these creatures. Even a tank as big as a bedroom would have a confining quality IMO. I've never heard a fish, that's being kept in a 6 foot tank say, "you know if this tank was just two feet longer I'd be truly happy."

But again, this is just my opinion. (1) if it really interests you give it a shot, (2) yet have a backup plan in case it doesn't work out, and (3) be prepared to breakdown a system if necessary to correct the problem. Fortunately I can't ever recall having to resort to (2) or (3), but I'm always ready to do so.
Click to expand...

Thanks again for the advise. It makes good sense in any thing one does that is important to have a plan B) and probably a plan C) too! As far as tank size goes I never really looked at it that way before, but I certainly agree that a fish probably can not read a tape measure. I think if the tank is clean, the water pristine, the food plentiful and high quality, and the tank mates friendly, why wouldn't a fish be happy, after all those are our priority's too, 1) comfortable clean house 2) safe secure environment 3) Good food and plenty of it 4) and a loving companion and good friends. Maybe the Reef is not as different from our world as many think.

I grew up a black and white guy, but with 66 years of age I have realized that the shades of Grey are endless, few things are Black or White. So I will find a shade that I think will work and go for it with a plan including plans for a couple different shades too................Budster:bum:
 
xanthurum said:
I had a 280 which was 72x30x30 and had 7 tangs. Achilles ,PBT,chocolate mimic, Naso, Blue eyed, Scopas and a Purple. Made the mistske of not QTing a firefish and lost 4 or 5 of them. I have tried to forget this disaster. Later replaced with a Vlamingi, Black, another Mimic and Scopas which brought me back to 6. No reason you cant add more now.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your thoughts. I will plan carefully and have a back up in case of trouble. Did you re-introduce the second four tangs at the same time? Did you use a acclimation box?..............Budster:bum:
 
Rea17 said:
If this is your question, yes, you can add more tangs. The above posters were merely trying to help you because it seemed like you asked if you should add more tangs. If you do, I'd take it slow to verify that it is safe to do so.

So, what tangs are you looking at adding? Are you wanting to replace the same species that died? I have experience keeping several tangs in a 210 as a big happy family, and the keys for me were

1. Quarantine and prophylactic treatment
2. Heavy Feeding to eliminate any sense of food competition
3. Order of introduction/knowing your hierarchy
4. Very open rockwork/high water flow

Fish can be unpredictable, and sometimes removing or adding one can throw a wrench is something that is currently working and chaos will ensue. For example, I kept 5 yellow tangs and 1 purple tang in my 210 for over a year. I removed the purple, and suddenly the happy group of yellow tangs turned on each other trying to determine who would be the new dominant zebrasoma. You will always need a plan B for if something doesn't work out, and if catching a fish isn't an option I wouldn't recommend getting more tangs. I use an acclimation box for introduction, and an aquamedic trap for removal - it's great with a little patience. Keep in mind that timeouts work too. GL
Click to expand...

Thanks for the comments. I do want to try to re-introduce the same species that died. It has been six months ago so I have had time to !) investigate possible causes and eliminate any problems 2) Plan for possible re-introduction, gather ideas and knowledge as how to proceed with good success the result. Your information and techniques will help a lot as I move forward. I especially like the use of an inro. box for acclimation and a trap for possible removal, ideas I had not thought of, thanks.......Budster:bum:
 
dppitone said:
Adult Vlamingi's are one of my favs. I just re-homed an 8 incher with a great nose bump this past summer to get him into a bigger system. He/she was a beauty.
Click to expand...

It's a coincidence you should mention a Vlamingi Tang. My first tang was a juvenile Vlamingi, beautiful and smart fish, the only fish in the tank that was aware of life on the out-side. She would follow me around the tank never taking her eyes off of me, when I dropped a finger in the tank she would swim between my finger and tank glass and actually let me pet her, honest, that's the truth....................Budster:bum:
 
I am a tang fan and have kept many varieties in various size tanks very successfully as well so I am against most of the opinions on this thread.

6 months to me seems like plenty of time especially if your current stock is thriving. 3 would be good, I would probably steer clear from anything similar to your yellow like sailfins or purples. I think he will be your biggest challenge. Keeping seaweed in the tank should minimize some aggression.

My naso and regal are so passive to anything.
 
slgcmg said:
I am a tang fan and have kept many varieties in various size tanks very successfully as well so I am against most of the opinions on this thread.

6 months to me seems like plenty of time especially if your current stock is thriving. 3 would be good, I would probably steer clear from anything similar to your yellow like sailfins or purples. I think he will be your biggest challenge. Keeping seaweed in the tank should minimize some aggression.

My naso and regal are so passive to anything.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your comments. I agree that the genus to avoid will be the Zebrasoma Tangs, that leaves me a lot of fish to choose from. I offer seaweed on clips continually through out the day so they have it to graze on at will, that should help. Thanks again for your time and interest, it helps a lot to talk to another person who has been there and done that.......Budster:bum:
 
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