Who breaks the rules on keeping tangs together?

[jamal-188]

I currently have a white cheek tang and will be introducing a yellow tank when his quarantee period is over and he's back to 100%. I've heard these tangs will be okay together because they they have different shaped bodies and my tank is decently large(110g). Are there any other type tangs I could still keep or do they all tend to get upset when kept with others?

BTW, my g/f loves tangs and I'm thinking of just converting my 72g into a tang tank and just have 3-4 yellow tangs or 3-5 purple tangs. I"m assuming I can't keep yello and purple tangs together?

 

[sw-addict]

I have had lots of tangs of all sorts together they are among my favorites. Currently I have a yellow, brown scopas and a sailfin that have been best friends scince christmas. I had a powder blue, powder brown, yellow and a sailfin for 6 months before my tank crashed. At our lfs they have a yellow with a purple in a reef that they won't sell the purple from.

 

[jamal-188]

Wow, I always thought most tangs didn't tolerate other tangs that much. I love tangs as well, they are among my favorite fish.

 

[TheMadNucleus]

I have a Sailfin, Naso Tang, and Blue (along with many others) in a 125 - a bit of posturing at the begining for a week or two - after that - they're fine together.

Most tangs of different species will do ok (it's not only the shape but color, etc.).

 

[jamal-188]

My g/f want's a naso bad but I think I may be near the limits of my 110g until I upgrade this summer. I currently have:

White cheek tang
2 perc clowns
bi-color blenny
flameback angel
coral beauty
blue devil damsel
and a yellow tang when he's healthy again

 

[SquishyFish]

As already stated, shape and color have alot to do w/ it. But the number plays a big part of it to. 3-5 yellows will do fine in a tank large enough to house that many. But generally speaking, most of us do not have the room or the funds to run a tank that big. I have a 175 and I would never think of putting 5 yellow tangs in there. Well..maybe if thats all I had in there.

Currently I have a yellow tang and a Vlamingi Tang and they do very well together. There is actually more posturing from the Fox Face than there is from the tangs.

Squishy

 

[jamal-188]

As already stated, shape and color have alot to do w/ it. But the number plays a big part of it to. 3-5 yellows will do fine in a tank large enough to house that many. But generally speaking, most of us do not have the room or the funds to run a tank that big.

Squishy

So you think 3-4 yellow tangs in a 72g woudl be too much. I accidently typed 5, but I though at least 3 yellow tangs would be ok. BTW, I did mean just those fish, just a yellow or purple tang tank

 

[SquishyFish]

Well..IMO I would not put them in a 72 gallon. The general rule that is becoming more and more accepted it one tang will require no smaller than a 75gallon. For 3, I would say nothing under 120 gallons. And it will need to be a long tank...These fish are sprinters. You can put a cheetah in a dog run. And to be honest, I have never heard any reports on how well 3 tangs would do, alone in a tank w/ no LR to break up the tank. They are semi-aggressive towards their own kind..So honestly I can tell you how they will react to that environment, but my guess is that it would not be good.

Just an educated guess,
Squishy

 

[jamal-188]

There will be rock to break up the tank and create caves for hiding. I just thought I remember reading that keeping yello tangs in a small group was okay and they would get along. I do understand they are sprinters but didn't think the tank would really have to be that much larger in order to keep more than one. Oh well, back to the drawing board to figure what to do with this tank

 

[SquishyFish]

Ask around first. I am certainly no fish god. I have been wrong before!

 

[mrrrkva]

I would say that 1 would be pushing your limits on a 72 gallon, feel free to disagree. I think the lighter bioload you have in your tank the better. But tangs do need alot of swimming room. I would definately not go beyond 2. They could do fine in large numbers than suddenly your tank parameters get out of whack, they stress out and become ick hosts. Generally speaking when putting more than 1 tang in the tank, I would get differnt shape tangs

 

[pecan2phat]

Yellow Tangs are schooling fish which I heard that they need to be in odd numbers & that the tank should be at least 150g, no shorter than 6 feet in length. As a side note, I stopped by my LFS on Sunday & this was a site to see, estimated 250 yellow tangs in a 240g tank @ $14.99 a piece. It was mesmerizing, wall to wall YTs and not one casualty at the bottom of the tank.
As I poked around for an hour, store manager tells one of the employees to write up & pack 100 YTs for a customer. Can you imagine someone buying 100 YTs! I hope the guy does not think he can keep 100 YTs because he saw double that amount in the store tank.