Tangs for a beginner.

Z

Zionas

Member
Hi all, I've got a 5-2-2 tank (in feet) and I am looking to include a Tang. Which Tang / s are the hardiest, most disease resistant, and can be kept by a beginner? I'd appreciate suggestions.

I briefly toyed with getting a Heniochus but don't think I'll do it after all and just give up on BFs altogether. In place I'll get a Tang instead.
 
Yellow Tangs get to 8”, wouldn’t they be too big for a 5-foot tank? That is my main concern.

What about Yellow Eye Kole compared to a Yellow Tang in hardiness and disease resistance and feeding?
 
Last edited:
my preference would be as large a tank as possible for the yellow, but a 5x2x2 would probably be just fine, as long as it hard appropriate swimming space.

i hated my yellow tang. he was a huge bully. my bristletooth (yellow eye kole) was way more awesome, but sadly the YT killed him.

i don't know how they compare as far as hardiness, but if i were doing tangs again, i would skip the YT and go for a more chill species.
 
A Kole Tang would be a good choice. They're great at keeping algae mowed down.
 
My yellow tant has maybe grown half inch since I got him 3 years ago. Hes like 4 inches

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
 
I'm thinking of getting 4more yellows to have a total of 5 yellows and 1 purple.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
 
I heard it is hard for Kole Tangs (Bristletooths) to accept captive fare and thug fare poorly during acclimation and in general. Have you found that to be true?
 
Not the 2 I've had over the years. Both ate frozen food and nori when offered. It's worth researching though. Maybe I just got lucky.
 
My personal favorite is the kole. They always have an amusingly startled look, and they are a browser and picker, less needy of room to dart.
 
@ SK8r Currently debating between a Yellow, Kole, Tomini, or Squaretail Bristletooth. Scopas get to a foot (but some have told me it's okay?) and Purple get to 10" (and expensive where I am). My tank's 5 foot long. The 2 other large fish will be a One Spot Foxface and Marine Betta. The rest will be small fish 5" and below.


Have you noticed a gap in the overall hardiness between the Zebrasoma tangs and the Bristletooth tangs?

Asian aquarists don't seem to have all that much trouble getting the Bristletooths to eat.


Thanks guys.


1. Yellow Tang (8") *somewhat expensive but I can understand as they're from Hawaii so that's cool

2. Yellow Eye Kole Tang (7") *somewhat expensive, another Hawaiian import, but that's cool

3. Tomini Tang (6") *cheaper

4. Square Tail Bristletooth (6.5") *cheaper

5. Two-Spot Bristletooth (8") *cheaper

6. White Tail Bristletooth (6.5") *more expensive and rare


The rest of my fish that I plan to get:

1. One-Spot Foxface (8") Peaceful

2. Marine Betta (8") Peaceful

3. Pacific Peppermint Hogfish (5") Semi-Aggressive

4. x2 Ocellaris Clowns- Black and White variety (3") Peaceful

5. x3 (or 6-6 if 6' tank) PJ Cardinals (3.5") Peaceful

6. x2 Flame Hawkfish (4") Semi-Aggressive, peaceful side for Hawkfish


Do you see any compatibility issues with either Bristletooth or the Yellow?

Are all the Tangs a long lived fish? Is there a difference in average lifespan between the genuses?
 
Last edited:
I have a chevron tang and had no problems with getting him to eat. He was eating a couple hours after placing him in quarantine and did just fine after moving him into the main display, even with him being bullied by a power brown tang.
A little over a year later and now he's the boss.:)

My choice would be the yellow eyed kole tang, you will love the way they swim around the tank constantly grazing on the live rock.
 
Glad to hear that your Bristletooth tangs are eating well. Here the Bristletooth tangs sell at somewhat lower prices than the Yellow Tang. They cost about the same as a Scopas Tang, less than a Yellow and a lot less than a Black Sailfin or Purple Tang or Gem Tang.

Do you find the Bristletooths more peaceful than the Zebrasoma tangs?
 
Hello again Zionas, the options you present as surgeons are tempting, but I would only put one in your tank, even if I had a bigger tank, but that's just my opinion. An option that I would add to your pre-purchase list of tangs, is Zebrasoma veliferum, they are generous fish, and Z. desjardinii may be more attractive.
 
To clarify, yes I am only putting one in my tank. Wouldn’t veliferum and the Desjardini be too large for my tank though?
 
Fiish said:
Hello again Zionas, the options you present as surgeons are tempting, but I would only put one in your tank, even if I had a bigger tank, but that's just my opinion. An option that I would add to your pre-purchase list of tangs, is Zebrasoma veliferum, they are generous fish, and Z. desjardinii may be more attractive.
Click to expand...


Do you find Tangs more or less sensitive to water quality compared to angels?

Angels and a Tang will be my last batch of fish.
 
Tangs need more room to swim and therefore generally larger tanks.
In a smaller tank with less swim space tangs get easily stressed and that is far more detrimental to their health than water quality.
In my experience, you can keep most fish in pretty filthy water as long as they are not otherwise stressed.
 
Wouldn’t veliferum and the Desjardini be too large for my tank though?

Click to expand...
Speaking for the sailfin, yes, they will get WAY too big for just about any tank. I've snorkeled with them on the reef and seen plenty of them bigger than my head. However, I've successfully kept a juvie in a 2' cube for about 2 years, then moved him back to the LFS where I bought him. They had a 300+ g tank to absorb him.
The biggest ones on the Guam reef looked every bit of 1' tall, bottom to top fin. They have the potential to get really big.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

9
Help with Biota Yellow Tangs' eroding fins
Replies
15
Views
412
92reefer
9
S
Tangs Thread
2
Replies
32
Views
2K
Dr. Reef
Dr. Reef
T
75g 4’ stocking
Replies
6
Views
332
Toolfan333
T
T
Complete beginner here! Just wanted to say hi.
Replies
11
Views
538
five.five-six
five.five-six
S
Tomini Tang…not eating..help!
Replies
13
Views
816
Paul B
Paul B
Back
Top