Multiple tangs

[Elricsfate]

I have been looking at various tangs in preparation for stocking my new tank. I keep reading that (it seems) the vast majority of tangs do not like other tangs. But then I watch videos of various reefers on Youtube, and they have all manner of tangs in the same tank. So I'm confused.

For those of you who have more than one tang (same or different species), can you offer some examples of multiple tangs that will coexist peacefully in a 180 (6x2x2)?

Thanks

 

[BlackTip]

I have a 5" Naso, a 3" Blue, and 3 4" Yellow Tangs in 325g DT. The Yellows quarrel among themselves all the time. They were quarantined together for 7 weeks, and they never stopped fighting. The Naso doesn't bother anyone. She squared off with the Yellows when I introduced them, but that was it. The Blue is happy go lucky and doesn't bother no one as of now. He is growing fast though.

 

[OrionN]

Strange as it may sound, 180 gal is not a very large tank. I would keep 3, maybe 4 smaller, less aggressive tang species. Avoid Clown, Sohal, Achilles and any tang that give adult size of larger than 10-12 inches.
Docile and smaller tangs need to go in first and larger or more aggressive tangs need to go in later. If you do these, they will be fine.
Adding tangs, especially when there are tangs in the tank, the new fish need to be healthy, and acclimated to captive live. I have a huge refugium. I always keep new fish, tangs included, in there, get them used to eating well and fat before release them into the main tank. This will really improve on the stress thus mortality of new fish

 

[scooter31707]

IMO, here are some that will be good in that size tank.

Chevron, Kole, Tomini, Yellow, Purple, Scopas, Mimic, Orange Shoulder, Tennanent , Lavender, just to name a few. I think you could get away with 3 if they reach mature size of 8 inches or smaller.

 

[kennytze]

I have a Black Longnose and a Sailfin in my 180gal. I definitely would not add anymore Tangs. These two do get along with the Sailfin being the more dominant.

 

[OrionN]

I would recommend against the Sailfin. They get too large. I don't have any experience with Black tang. I think they look too ugly and too high of a price. Yellow and Purple tangs are much more beautiful, much smaller and would do fine in a 180.
For a 180 I would recommended:
either Purple or Yellow tang (may be both but leave another gazer out)
Kole or Flame fin (Tomini) tang
Powder Blue tang (last to add)
and a smaller Fox face species (most of these get large).
Four grazers from four Genus. All stay relatively small as far as tang go. They will eat different type of algae and keep your tank clean.

 

[White-Queen]

What I was told is getting tangs from different genus will help minimize aggression between them.


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[ca1ore]

There are things you can control, like tank size and species choice; and then things you cannot control like individual temperament. It's the latter that dictate why some folks arrive at a sucessful mix and others do not. I think good rules to follow are tank size suggestions and only a single individual from the various genus. Though 180 may seem like a big tank, it quickly becomes problematic with fish like tangs if you don't pick judiciously. I don't care what anybody says, tangs are never 'friends'. More like reluctant tolerance.

Though I now run a 265, I did have a 180 for many years and was able to sucessfully keep a Kole, yellow and convict together for much of that time.

 

[trifonr]

I have a sail fin, yellow and a blue hippo tang, at first there was aggression for the first two days but it stopped once i keept them well fed now they *** get along.

 

[kmbyrnes]

I would recommend against the Sailfin. They get too large. I don't have any experience with Black tang. I think they look too ugly and too high of a price. Yellow and Purple tangs are much more beautiful, much smaller and would do fine in a 180.
For a 180 I would recommended:
either Purple or Yellow tang (may be both but leave another gazer out)
Kole or Flame fin (Tomini) tang
Powder Blue tang (last to add)
and a smaller Fox face species (most of these get large).
Four grazers from four Genus. All stay relatively small as far as tang go. They will eat different type of algae and keep your tank clean.

This is well reasoned advice.
I have a number of tangs in my 350 and they all get along. But I had to remove the PBT to add in some Sailfins.
In a 180, you need to stick to one specimen per genus or you may have some aggression issues.

 

[Elricsfate]

I would recommend against the Sailfin. They get too large. I don't have any experience with Black tang. I think they look too ugly and too high of a price. Yellow and Purple tangs are much more beautiful, much smaller and would do fine in a 180.
For a 180 I would recommended:
either Purple or Yellow tang (may be both but leave another gazer out)
Kole or Flame fin (Tomini) tang
Powder Blue tang (last to add)
and a smaller Fox face species (most of these get large).
Four grazers from four Genus. All stay relatively small as far as tang go. They will eat different type of algae and keep your tank clean.

I currently have a very young Purple, and I was considering adding a very young yellow. A Magnificent Foxface is on my list of fish I really want. And going by your list, I would love to have a powder blue as well. That would pretty much complete my list of big fish I want, and if need be I could skip the Powder Blue, though I do think they are gorgeous fish and I'd love to have one.

The purple is currently in a 75, while I am putting the finishing touches on the 180. If will be running and read by February (I estimate), and he should be good until then. The fish is like 1 1/2" right now, maybe smaller.

 

[scooter31707]

I currently have a very young Purple, and I was considering adding a very young yellow. A Magnificent Foxface is on my list of fish I really want. And going by your list, I would love to have a powder blue as well. That would pretty much complete my list of big fish I want, and if need be I could skip the Powder Blue, though I do think they are gorgeous fish and I'd love to have one.

The purple is currently in a 75, while I am putting the finishing touches on the 180. If will be running and read by February (I estimate), and he should be good until then. The fish is like 1 1/2" right now, maybe smaller.

IMO, if you are doing 3 tangs in that tank, I would not add the Foxface. If you decide to do 2 tangs, then I would add the One-spot Foxface, not the Magnificent, as they can get really big.

 

[Elricsfate]

IMO, if you are doing 3 tangs in that tank, I would not add the Foxface. If you decide to do 2 tangs, then I would add the One-spot Foxface, not the Magnificent, as they can get really big.

I am willing to skip fish that won't do well in my tank. The well being of the animals is my first priority. But just for future reference, how big a tank would you recommend for the Magnificent? I really like that fish.

Is it a matter of the size of the fish in combination? In other words, would the Magnificent be okay with just the Purple tang?

The One Spot is pretty too, and I'd be cool with the Purple and a One Spot. If I were going to add an additional tang with the Purple would I be better off with the Yellow, or the Powder-blue? Of the two I prefer the PB, but the Yellow will do.

 

[scooter31707]

I am willing to skip fish that won't do well in my tank. The well being of the animals is my first priority. But just for future reference, how big a tank would you recommend for the Magnificent? I really like that fish.

Is it a matter of the size of the fish in combination? In other words, would the Magnificent be okay with just the Purple tang?

The One Spot is pretty too, and I'd be cool with the Purple and a One Spot. If I were going to add an additional tang with the Purple would I be better off with the Yellow, or the Powder-blue? Of the two I prefer the PB, but the Yellow will do.

180 would be bigger enough, but not with 2-3 tangs in there. Does that make sense? If you go with the purple and the one-spot, I would do the Powder Blue. I would recommend adding the two tangs in together, making sure they are your last fish to go in.

 

[MortalWombatX]

I highly recommend investing in an acclimation box. After quarantine, place the newbie in the acclimation box in the display tank and observe for any aggressive behavior. You can see which fish acts aggressively and they also would eventually get tired of trying to rough him up through the glass.

The great thing with these boxes are that they are also "social boxes" where the established fish can get to know their new tank mates before they are released into the display. It worked very well for me especially with the tangs. I added a smaller purple tang and small fowleri tang to a tank that included a large sailfin tang and a mature tomini tang. The acclimation box method worked like a charm as I saw almost no aggression even after I released them into the tank.

 

[OrionN]

IMO, three smaller tang species and a one spot Foxface would be fine in a 180. I would avoid highly aggressive tangs.

 

[Joe0813]

I have the same size tank as you do. Unfortunately in the saltwater world it is still a smaller tank. But after we move my tank to our new house I am buying a Purple, kole and a powder blue.

 

[Elricsfate]

Thank you all for the replies. I think if I can get away with the purple and the powder blue I'll be good. The purple is already in a 75 with two (tiny) clownfish. I'll have the 180 up and running in the next 60 days. I'll wait until then to get the other tang and put them both in the big tank at the same time.

 

[McSnackyz]

I have a 180 gallon tank with 4 tangs all about 4 to 5" and they do well together. Purple, Sailfin, Blonde Naso and Blue or Hippo. The Naso is the largest and is fairly peaceful, which works out well, the purple and blue bicker a lot but nothing serious. The sailfin is as peaceful as it gets however he does stick up for himself. I have had the Blue and Sailfin in the tank for about a year and recently added the Naso and Purple. When doing so I made sure the new inhabitants were a bit bigger and this seemed to help.

 

[scooter31707]

I have a 180 gallon tank with 4 tangs all about 4 to 5" and they do well together. Purple, Sailfin, Blonde Naso and Blue or Hippo. The Naso is the largest and is fairly peaceful, which works out well, the purple and blue bicker a lot but nothing serious. The sailfin is as peaceful as it gets however he does stick up for himself. I have had the Blue and Sailfin in the tank for about a year and recently added the Naso and Purple. When doing so I made sure the new inhabitants were a bit bigger and this seemed to help.

Do not take this advice. Those are the 3 biggest tangs out there and they require at least a 8ft tank.