Powder Blue Tang vs. Powder Brown Tang

[AdamHorton]

I'll try the dry brine shrimp eggs that I have.

I went by the LFS that had the powder blue yesterday and even though the tang looked pretty good, they were having some other issues in their tanks and some of the other fish didn't look very good. I doubt I'll be picking that one up, I was sort of leaning toward the brown anyways. I'll likely be getting it tomorrow.

Here's the stocking plan: everything I have in the tank right now is in my first post in this thread. I wanted to get two tangs, and I already have 5 damsels in a QT that can go in at any time, but I was thinking to add them last since they would be even worse than the tangs. Particularly one.

The plan is to put the two tangs in the 20G QT that the damsels are in and put the damsels into two 10G QTs. The largest, most aggressive damsel will get his own 10G and the other 4 would share the other 10G. Maybe I should add the damsels and the tangs to the DT at the same time?

 

[ryshark]

I would reconsider adding the damsels to your display tank, especially the really mean one. You may regret putting them in and they are hard to catch. I think there are better small fish options out there. For small fish I have:
O. Clowns and Green Chromis (both can be considered "damsels" but these are typically not mean)
Bartletts Anthias
Lyretail Anthias
Royal Gramma
Coris Wrasse

 

[AdamHorton]

Yeah, I get a lot of that around here. I don't think a single person around here likes damsels. While I respect that, and will probably not get any more after these guys, there's no way I could get rid of them. I originally started this tank back in June '09 and after a pretty large and unknown disaster, everybody died except for these five damsels. I considered giving them back to the LFS for a while, but I just can't do it. I'd rather have just them in the whole 150G tank than all of the other fish. Sorry to disappoint :-(

BTW, my GF has been sick recently and a lot of plans changed. We got the tangs tonight. They are drip acclimating right now. Pictures later tonight or tomorrow morning at the latest. Ended up going with the yellow tang I'd had my eye on and a powder blue tang from the same store (not the same powder blue I was looking at before).

 

[AdamHorton]

Pictures!

A couple of the damsels in their new setup. Everyone except Sarge seems happy...

Now the tangs...

 

[Innovator]

I absolutely love damsels, but I'd trade the velvet in for another type. I have several posts of reasonably nice damsels available if you 'Search.' I'd definitely keep the Sarge and Yellow Nive PBT

 

[ryshark]

I really like the powder blue. In my opinion they look even nicer than the powder brown. What sucks about the Sgt. Mjr. Damsels is that they get huge for damsels.

 

[AdamHorton]

It's been kind of interesting to watch the damsels as they're separated. I put Sarge in his own 10G and the other four in a different 10G. I thought the next biggest would become the bully, but he just hides all the time (he can be a big wuss) and the other three don't really show any aggression at all.

Both tangs are eating very well: they both eat the algae, they both ate some frozen brine shrimp I put in there, and they both actually ate the pellets I feed the rest of the fish. They aren't really giving each other that much of a hard time either, they haven't worked everything out yet but I'm very happy with the way they're getting along so far.

This LFS has always had really good livestock, it's a little bit of a drive but it's worth it.

 

[AdamHorton]

A couple more pictures of the tangs after a week. They are both doing well, though neither one has emerged as the boss.

 

[austinsdad]

Very nice. Love that PBT!!