kole and a powder tang?

[Mappelbaum37]

I have a thread on this topic going right now but I have branched off into a whole new question. I was looking into getting a kole tang and naturally I go into the fish store the next day and the kole tang is sold. They had this really beautiful powder brown tang there that I put a deposit on. I didn't buy the powder brown bec. I need to make sure I'm making the right choices. I have a couple questions.

- If I bought the powder brown tang, can I later on when the store gets in the kole tang add one to the tank? (75g)

-Should I add one fish first, before the other?

These are the fish currently in the tank:
-2 occelaris clowns
- bangaii cardinal
- flame hawkfish
- coral beauty
-yellow tang
- 6 line wrasse

*The only fish that exceed 3" are the yellow tang and coral beauty.

thank you

 

[paulallen]

No, 75 gal. is much too small for 2 tangs. Some would say it's too small for one.

 

[Mappelbaum37]

I know plenty of people with 2 tangs in a 75. So I won't get the kole AND the powder brown, I'll just get one of em. If it is my last fish, I honestly don't think there will be any problems with the kole.

 

[monti1]

you will be fine with a kole tang in a 75. They are great fish. I would deff. only put one tang in the 75.

 

[monti1]

you will be fine with a kole tang in a 75. They are great fish. I would deff. only put one tang in the 75.

 

[Mappelbaum37]

I was thinking about this but for some reason I'm probably wrong, like always, but I just want to hear opinions.

Prepare for a very boring speech:

- I should be receiving my new protein skimmer (HOB octopus BH300F) in a few days. It is an upgrade from a currently running HOB prism protein skimmer. I figure that should def. help with bio-load.

I excpect the powder brown to create a large amount of waste, like most tangs. If I got the kole later on, all I hear about this fish is that he keeps tanks clean of nuisance algae. I've personally seen this fish in a tank and he grazes like no fish I've seen before. So, I'm basically thinking waste, and algae would sort of cancel out. (I'm probably wrong about that too)

My only concern is territory and aggression. That is what I was thinking as the worst outcome. There's only so much room in a 75g tank. I plan on adding a couple shrimp to the tank and I have a hawkfish that is probably going to kill the shrimp. I personally want to get rid of the hawk before I add the shrimp bec. it's an almost garunteed kill, but everyone I speak to at stores says to try it first. Once the hawk kills the shrimp (99% chance), I would remove the hawk which long story short (too late) would decrease bio-load and less territory concerns.

Sorry for that, but I just want to share what I'm thinking and hear some opinions...

Thank you

 

[SeaMac2]

You are already maxed out from a bioload standpoint for a 75g tank. I know you don't want to hear it, but its true. The fact that the only fish larger than 3" are the yellow tang and the coral beauty isn't very reassuring either, because some of those fish (already in the tank and the ones you are thinking about adding) will grow quickly if fed appropriately.

Please don't get the powder brown...they get much too large for a 75g tank. Adding a kole to your current inhabitants is also too much IMHO.

Also, if you think there is a 99% chance that your hawkfish will take out the shrimp you plan to add (I do agree with you on that point), exactly why are you still planning to add them? That doesn't make sense to me.

Please don't confuse me with the tang police...I just care about the animals we all love keeping, and your plan just makes me nervous.

 

[monti1]

I would stay away from the powder brown too. I did not realize that you already had a yellow in the tank. I would leave the yellow in the tank and wouldn't add another tang.

 

[Mappelbaum37]

You guys are killing me here. . I guess I won't get the powder brown.

I plan on getting 2 cleaner shrimp for the tank, and 1 blood red fire shrimp. I was going to put one shrimp in the tank and see what happened, but thats only bec. everyone I speak to about it says to give it a shot before I give away the hawk. I guess I can just give back the hawk before. I personally see the hawk eating the shrimp the minute I add him. I used to have a shrimp and I loved him until I saw the antenna in the hawk's mouth. The shrimp didn't look too good his last few days either. My nitrates were high and he prob. couldn't tolerate the nitrates as well.

You don't think I can even get the kole tang, without the powder brown?

SeaMac- You are right about the size of my tank and the size of the powder brown. But if you think about it, right now it's sitting in a 30 gallon tank cut off into one of the 5 gallons sects with an angel.

What do you think about aggression and territory though. Even though I wont end up getting the powder brown. If I get the kole will there be aggression/territory problems between the yellow and the kole?

 

[Mappelbaum37]

I just cant seem to get this topic out of my head. How come I am already maxed out? If I didn't have corals in the tank, would it be any different, or no? Also, wouldnt the size of the fish effect the amount of the waste?

 

[Packersfan21]

i wouldn't say your're completely maxed out but adding another tang would put you beyond maxed out. You could probably get away with one are two smaller fish. And yes the size of the fish generally effects the amount of waste. I fyou really had your heart set on getting a kole tang or a powder brown tang you would probably have to either move the yellow tang to a different tank or sell him.

 

[SeaMac2]

Corals don't affect bioload, so it wouldn't change without corals.

I have a flame hawkfish that I absolutely love, and originally had him in the tank with a huge (4.5") cleaner shrimp...that lasted for almost a year until one fateful day, and...CHOMP! No more cleaner shrimp. Anecdotal, yes...but do a search...this topic comes up with some regularity.

You're right, the size of the fish does affect the amount of food it will eat and the amount of waste it produces (more or less)...I too have a 75g and currently have a flame hawk, a skunk clown, and a tomini tang. I may add one small fish (wrasse or something similar) down the road but I just don't think more than that would make for a low stress environment. Again, just my opinion. I also feel like you need to plan ahead and take (relatively rapid) fish growth into account.

You are smart to think about the aggression and territoriality issues...there is no way to predict how it will work out with 100% certainty, but you already have 3 pretty active swimmers...tang, angel, wrasse. You also have 3 other fish that can be mildly aggressive or at least throw down to protect their own space...hawkfish, 2 clowns. Adding more to this mix seems risky at best.

YMMV.

 

[racksteris]

I would listen to everyone here about the tangs, Your just going to be wasting your money and killing your live stock.

But hey most of us find out the hard way........... Good Luck

 

[Mappelbaum37]

Thanks for the responses- The personalties of my fish are as follows.

-Bangaii cardinal, 2" who is oblivious to the tank and fish around him. Doesn't create any problems and minds his own business.
-2 occelaris clowns, 1 is 3" one is 2", both play tag and chase each other, mind their own business.
-6 line wrasse, a good 1/2" to 1". He's a baby, and was harassed by the hawk in the beg. Now the hawk doesn't really mind him.
-flame hawk- 3" ate my shrimp, slowly murdered my midas blenny and is a curious one. the new wrasse was chased and bitten by him and he has recently started perching on my yellow leather which is doing brilliant.
-coral beauty 4", not really a problem piggy eater
-yellow tang 5-6" didn't like the 6 line wrasse either when he was added, bit him but now is fine. He is minds his own business.


Basically what I'm getting at is that I like an active fish tank. I do all this work, spend all this money, why not have it my way? Like I said earlier, I only hear of success stories with a kole and algae. if I chose between the powder brown and kole, it would be the kole bec. even though the powder brown is nice big and beautiful, the kole is more productive, in terms of naturally helping algae problems. I think 7 is a good number of fish. I feel anything less it's just too empty. I understand theres a limit, I just feel adding one more fish (kole) couldn't harm the tank too much.

But if everyone feels strongly about this and me not getting another fish, I guess I will have to re-consider..

Thank you for your advice..Keep it coming. Its really helped me understand a lot so far.

 

[Mappelbaum37]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12421020#post12421020 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by racksteris
I would listen to everyone here about the tangs, Your just going to be wasting your money and killing your live stock.

But hey most of us find out the hard way........... Good Luck

Now, what you just said I find hard to believe. I am listening to what everyone said about the tangs. If I wasn't listening, I wouldn't even bother with what everyone is saying, or furthermore I wouldn't have started this thread. Secondly, why in the world would I be wasting my money. Lastly, how do you figure that I will be killing all of my livestock? Please, explain to me...

 

[Mappelbaum37]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12421242#post12421242 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mappelbaum37
Now, what you just said I find hard to believe. I am listening to what everyone said about the tangs. If I wasn't listening, I wouldn't even bother with what everyone is saying, or furthermore I wouldn't have started this thread. These questions are coming out of curiosity, not to argue that I should have a certain number of fish. Secondly, why in the world would I be wasting my money. Lastly, how do you figure that I will be killing all of my livestock? Please, explain to me...

 

[stuccodude]

you can choose to overload your tank as i did but i have to do alot of water changes and ive tried to add a another tank mate and they die, im convinced im at my limit. everyone has a sleeping spot and everyones happy but im done adding.
4 tangs
1anthias
2 clown fish
1 royal gramma
1 fire angel
1 blue damsel

 

[Mappelbaum37]

and your tank is the 135? If it is, I dont know what I was thinking trying to add 2 more tangs to have a total of 3 tangs to my 75g reef. sheesh. But that does sound like a nice mixture/ number of fish. what does a new tankmate dying have to do with the amount of fish you can have in a tank?

 

[Patrick12]

The size of the tank will limit growth. That extra stress will shorten the lifespan of the tang.....if other problems like aggression from the yellow tang don't do the trick sooner. If you really want to add these fish, bump up to a 125 gallon. The extra 2 feet of swimming room..lengthwise really will make a big difference.

 

[Mappelbaum37]

No money, and no room to bump up to another tank... no one thinks I can just add one kole tang and be fine?