surgeonfish Question...

[kaimarkhirst]

Alot of the time I see peeps avatars and tanks with multiple surgoens and tangs in their setups. For instance at my local dealers, theyve got a chevron, yellow and a brown scopas tank in the same tank. Granted it is 95g and a full reef setup, but this leads me to the question...

How is this done?

Tangs and surgeons are reputedely one of the most territorial of fish out there and have only been able to co-habit in the most large of tanks. (135g +)

Now the reason I ask is that I would like to look at the possability of putting a yellow tang with my achilles safely in my 125g reef, but am a bit nervous about doing this as if it doesnt go to plan, I dont want to stress out my Moorish or the achilles. It is only a question at this stage and will hve to take some strong evidence or details for me to consider it strongly.......

opinions and suggestions please?

 

[TampaReefer79]

If you already have an established and healthy moorish idol AND achilles tang, I'd leave well enough alone.

The 95 gallon at your dealers store will probably run into problems in the long run if one of the 3 tangs isn't removed...and it will end up being between the yellow and scopas. Also, 135 gallons + isn't in the category of 'the most large of tanks'.

A lot of times you'll see pictures of 'new' tanks with multiple tangs in it...but you never see the same tank with the same lineup months down the road. They just die and get replaced.

 

[kaimarkhirst]

this is what my thoughts are. How can you have a yellow and a scopas in the same tank??? By rights they should rip eachother apart!!!! Granted they arent fully grown so theres time yet for this aggression to happen, so well see on that one...

Honestly i handt planned on going down this route as ive really had a challenge acclimatising and settling the moorish idol in, but wanted a yellow fish.... Looks like ill be going with a yellow assessor!!!

 

[duastina]

I have 4 tangs in my 210gal and they do great together and have been together for 3 yrs now. I have a Blue hippo, purple, yellow, and sailfin.

 

[anbosu]

this is what my thoughts are. How can you have a yellow and a scopas in the same tank??? By rights they should rip eachother apart!!!! Granted they arent fully grown so theres time yet for this aggression to happen, so well see on that one...

Honestly i handt planned on going down this route as ive really had a challenge acclimatising and settling the moorish idol in, but wanted a yellow fish.... Looks like ill be going with a yellow assessor!!!

I think the yellow and scopas CAN be aggressive, but are among the milder tangs in my experience. Zebrasoma, as juveniles, seem to tolerate each other. Long term I doubt most of those situations work out.

 

[Eric the half-bee]

I've got a pair of yellows and scopas + 15 other tangs and my most aggressive, not surprisingly, is my sohal. After him, my yellows are next in line.

 

[kirkaz]

I will just tell you this much...In my 9 years of keeping fish, I've only had one fish that outright tortured another fish to death...That was an established Achilles Tang when I tried to add a Yellow Tang in a 135 gallon tank. A 125 is rather small by Achilles standards...small tank = highly aggressive Achilles toward other Tangs....I wouldn't do it.

 

[kaimarkhirst]

A 125 is rather small by Achilles standards...small tank = highly aggressive Achilles toward other Tangs....I wouldn't do it.

This was and will remain my policy. I had a steadfast agreement with myself through experience and common sense that one per family, with a possible exception of a bluelined angel and my multicoloured, but again, that decision is going to be down to good solid research...