Sohal Tang in a 180? Yea or nay?

Sohal Tang in a 180? Yea or nay?


  • Total voters
    87
My experience (with multiple sohals) has been more along the lines of Steve's. There are some that do fine, but most that I've dealt with have gotten worse as times gone on unless they're in huge tanks (much bigger than 180g).

I have had two, each in a 350 g tank. Both became progressively more aggressive, one would kill almost any fish, even existing tank mates. Certainly adding ANY additional fish was out of the question. The only one I know that is doing well is in a 1000 g tank (ironically with a clown tang), but it has not been long enough to say what the prognosis is.
 
Steve,

Well, like I said, there is at least ONE other one doing very well in a large group of mixed fish for 12 years (grin).

It is probably an issue of stocking density, as I said, this one is in a tank with a lot of other fish. There IS that displaced aggression, but it isn't focused on any one fish....same with the other Sohals I've worked with (probably 6 or 10 over the years). What I have NOT done is put a Sohal in a tank with just three or four similar sized fish - perhaps that is what is causing this difference in aggression levels being seen?

I just experienced a classic case of stocking density mitigating tankmate agression: a person had 40+ large fish in a 300 gallon FW tank, including 20 Distichodus of 3 species. I have never in my life seen a single tank (not connected to a larger water system) as crowded as that tank was. He was doing 3 - 50% water changes a week. The fish all looked great though. I took 14 of the Distichodus and put them in a 500 gallon tank. With roughly twice as much room, the fish all began fighting and shredding their fins. After sticking tons of branches and plants in the tank, the fighting subsided, (without any losses) but it was dicey for a week or so - all due to giving the fish fewer targets for their aggression!


Jay
 
Well, the poll is running almost 50/50 but it sounds like anecdotal evidence is against putting one in a 180. I'm disappointed because they're such striking fish but I made myself promise a long time ago that I wouldn't put something in my tank if it wouldn't be happy there.

Thanks all,
Mike
 
I believe you're reaching the correct verdict, Mike.

It's an open poll so we can see which way people voted. Some of the poll results struck me as being very odd seeing as how those people commented in their post in the thread.

For the life of me I can't fathom placing the Sohals I know of/deal with (in 560 gallon and 300 gallon aquariums) in a 180!

We need to get Attila's owner in here. (Attila is the Sohal seen at the top left corner of the Reef Central banner.) Stay tuned.
 
I maintained a Sohal Tang for nearly 10 years in a 500g. I acquired it as a 4" juvie and when it finally passed, it was just a hair over 14" long. For a Sohal, Attilla (his name), was relatively docile; only during feeding times did he tend to show his ornery side. He had to eat first, you see, then second, then third. But other than that, he was cool. He was gorgeous too and gave my family many hours of viewing pleasure. But you know what we gave him in return? An absolutely miserable life. Especially the last half of it. You see, a 500g 96x36x36" tank is far too small for a Sohal, imo. It was certainly too small for Attilla, who gradually went from swimming calmly with his tankmates to pacing somewhat restlessly to sometimes even dashing about in seeming fits of panic. He had literally outgrown all of his hiding places and had nowhere to go, nowhere to feel safe. He looked kind of silly in there too, kind of like a Mastiff in a dog run full of Beagles. For the final couple years of his life, I was semi-actively looking for a place to send him but who's gonna take a fish that's over a foot long, weighs a couple pounds, and packs a scalpel 24/7.

I'm begging you not to confine this proud and beautiful fish to a 180. Not even if he was the only fish in it. It will outgrow the tank in just a few years then possibly become aggressive, possibly become sick, and perhaps even succumb. Of course, it's pain will then be over. But speaking as someone who lived with this mistake for a decade, if you're a true fan of this fish, yours will last a heck of a lot longer.
 
exceptions but they still fight. My sohal is good for ripping one of the pyramids once a month but they heal up. Oddly enough my zebrasomas don't take anything from the sohal.

My sohal was about 3" last year when I got it....check him out now. He's WIDE too and eats everything and is a good grazer for such a big fish. He eats more undesireable alge than the spotted rabbit!

xu3vd.jpg

Beautiful tank and excellent pick of Livestock. What lights are you running and how long has it been up. Any other problems with sohal or any other of your livestock.
 
Thanks...3 250w de phoenix in hamilton reefstars on their m80 ballasts with 4 65w coarlife actinics. Nah, it's sporadic, they all know he's the king:rollface:

Tank will be 2 years old in October.
 
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