How many yellow tangs?

[dansemacabre]

I've got a 125gal, and I was talking with a cool lady at a new LFS. I was looking at the yellow tangs, as I picked out my Xenia and put my AWESOME long-tentacle heliofungia (plate) coral on hold 'til Sunday. She said they do best alone or in odd-pairs, and that if given the opportunity, they like to school. I trust the store, I really do, but I always double-check here. So my question is, how many yellows could I safely put in my tank? I want to make sure they're not cramped, they're not harmed by my other fish, and that they don't harm my other fish.

2 Ocellaris Clowns, 1 Neon Blue Goby, 7 Blue-Green Chromis, 1 Firefish, 1 Yellow-watchman goby.

1 Peral bubble coral, 2 pulsing xenia, 2 Ricordia Shrooms, 1 Mat of Green Star Polyps. Will have LTP (heliofungia) and Galaxia, Torch, Frogspawn in the relatively near future. Thanks!!

 

[Bearfan]

Stick with one. Otherwise you're supposed to do 6 in a group which will outgrow most aquariums short of 200G.

 

[saberry]

You'll need an even dozen if you want to hold the forum record. 8O

 

[Guest]

You'll need an even dozen if you want to hold the forum record.

I keep 10 yellows, so far so good. I WOULD NOT recommend it though by any means. Theres a serious bio load, and agression issue. So far im fine on both. If you really must, 3 worked well for me in the past (introduce them at the same time).

 

[fishfreek]

Whats your filtration. Having more than 1 tang IMO given yoru existing bioload will be a bit to much for the tank to comfortably support. There is a fine line between being at full comfortable fish capacity and being overcrowded. What I mean by comforable fish capacity is should your tank lose power for a few hours an overcrowded tank will have significant fish dieoff due to lack of oxygen. A comforatbly stocked tank will not have such issues.

 

[quarryshark]

I have one and she is a happy camper in my tank.

 

[dansemacabre]

LOL, not going for the record by any means. =]

fishfreek: 170+ lbs. LR in the tank, another 50ish lbs. in the 55gal sump. 4-6" DSB, Berlin Classic XL skimmer, powered by a mag 9. The skimmer doesn't even skim anything nasty yet....it skims small amounts of very white foam. I have adjusted it...any more and it just foams a ton of water over, and anything less and it doesn't foam at all. + like 120 Cerith snails, 2 peps, and a pistol all scavenge.

If 3 is not a good idea, I'm not going to do it. I just want them to be happy. If one is fine, I'll just get one, or perhaps a regal (pacific) blue instead.

If it matters, I'll probably get a mandarin in a few months. The pod level isn't to where I'm comfortable getting one yet. I need to nab some live sand from an LFS.

Thanks for the advice! Keep it coming

[PS - The Xenia looks wonderful today. Pulsing like a villain.]

 

[Guest]

I would do one tang. With corals your not going to want much nitrates, and the less fish the better.