mixing mimic w/ yellow or sailfin tangs

[taflaw]

I have a mimic tang in one reef system and I was thinking about adding either a yellow or sailfin tang in another reef with the short-term goal of mixing both together in a 180g system which I have not purchased yet.

My main concern is compatibility. Since both the mimic and yellow tangs are the same color (not shape or family) they may fight. Adding a sailfin may not create the same problem, but I am concerned with how big they really get in a captive reef.

I would appreciate any advice from people who mixed mimic (or comparable) tangs with either yellow or sailfin tangs.

 

[taflaw]

I have seen wild convict tangs (acanthurus triostegus) grazing in close proximity to yellow tangs (zebrasoma flavescens) in Hawaii . Convict tangs are similar in shape and size to mimic tangs (acanthurus pyroferus). But in captivity, I read something about how yellow tangs can become quite territorial and aggressive towards other tangs???

Does anyone know whether yellow tangs are compatible with acanthurus tangs? I have a mimic tang as well and would love to mix them in the same reef if possible.

 

[twinturbos52]

My experience with yellow tangs are they will do most of the hazing to new fishes and will try its best to kill any fish that has the same shape regardless of color, but it did not mess with any of the fishes that were already there before it. If you could, try to get a yellow tang thats smaller than the mimic or better yet, smaller than most of the fishes there. As for size they grow at a pretty decent rate, the yellow and sailfin tang used to be around 2-2 and half inch bout 6-8 months later they grew a full inch, you would really enjoy watching them grow.

 

[Amphiprion]

It is good that you already have the mimic tang. Being yellow also, there may be some aggression from the yellow tang, but it should be minimal, especially if your mimic is well established. It would help, as twinturbos52 said, to purchase a smaller individual.

 

[thriceanangel]

Do you have a picture of your mimic? I am considering one, but I'd like to see more adults. Most everything that I have seen is juvenile.