Tang advise

[Mike Mann]

I want to know what everyone thinks. This is what wamas is all about, getting help from others members experiences. Im ready to start adding new fish finally!

Edited June 21, 2012 by Mike Mann

[epleeds]

depends on the size. if you get them small and let them grow you should be fine. Again it all depends on rock work and what tangs you want to get. Do you know which ones you want?

[smallreef]

I think even if they are small, if you get 2 or 3 of the same genus and/or species your going to have conflict...

 

Best to stick with 3 maybe 4 (ugh) and all different genus' and body shapes (and LOTS of rock for their territories)

[Mike Mann]

ALL will be small because i love to watch my fish grow! Im thinking 1 sailfin, 2yellow, 1 hippo and 1 yellow eye kole and last i havent decided between a purple or achilles

 

 

[smallreef]

2 yellow, even small, may fight,, and will probably pick on the kole since it is the same shape...

though if you put them in last it may not be a huge issue...

 

id say put in the more timid first and the yellow and achilles (if you end up with him) last...

[Mike Mann]

ok i thought that yellow tangs would school?

[surf&turf]

Yellow's will school, but you need more than 2. 3,5,7 any odd number would be better.

[Chad]

ALL will be small because i love to watch my fish grow! Im thinking 1 sailfin, 2yellow, 1 hippo and 1 yellow eye kole and last i havent decided between a purple or achilles

 

I think it's fine. I'd go purple over achilles, though. Achilles are special needs fish.

[treesprite]

Purples and yellows are both zebramposa so they may fight.

[davelin315]

Everything depends on the individual fish you have. Rule of thumb is that you've got too many, but again, it all depends on the temperament of your fish. I've ended up with 2 yellow tangs in almost every one of my tanks and had purple tangs mixed in periodically, too. I'd also avoid the Achilles as they are very tough to acclimate.

[Incredible Corals]

My tank is 50x32x32 and I have the following with no issues. However, my tank has a very open aquascape.

 

1 Yellow

1 Yellow Kole Eye

1 Vlamingi

1 Orange Shoulder

2 Hippo Tangs

 

Make sure you have plenty of algae for them to eat. Mine go through 2 full sheets of nori each day and lots of NLS pellets. They are big eaters! Also, don't add them all at once in a new tank. Since they eat so much they make a lot of waste. In a new tank I would add 1 every 2 months to allow the tank to keep up with the bio load.

 

 

[Mike Mann]

Its not a new tank its been running for over a year now! just got wiped from ich. my 12 weeks was up two weeks ago

[Mike Mann]

love that orange shoulder ! ive never seen one in person tho

Edited June 22, 2012 by Mike Mann

[Incredible Corals]

I have always wanted to do a school of 5 hippos and get them really tiny 1". It looks amazing to watch them swim together.

[davelin315]

I have always wanted to do a school of 5 hippos and get them really tiny 1". It looks amazing to watch them swim together.

I tried that but I had 3 jump and 1 eventually died. I would have thought it would have worked better but it only worked for a couple of weeks before I lost my first one.

[Swimboy123]

Yellow's will school, but you need more than 2. 3,5,7 any odd number would be better.

 

 

Definitely go with an odd number. That way it is harder for one single one to establish dominance

[Coral Hind]

How does having an odd number prevent dominance?

[smallreef]

In theory it gives more than 1 to pick on, therefore keeping a fish from singling out and killing just one

[smallreef]

(spreading the tension, lol)

[Chad]

I have heard the odd number advice for as long as I can remember in the hobby (I think if I were to pinpoint the first time I heard it, I was probably at the same LFS in the 80s that gave me this wonderful advice: since yellow tangs have a small mouth, they eat brine shrimp, and since lionfish have a big mouth, they eat goldfish... but I digress).

 

I recognize the merit of starting with at least three individuals, but for more than that doesn't the same idea hold true (i.e., spreading the aggression) with the even numbers too?

 

 

[Incredible Corals]

I know we have had several service tanks where customers have tried multiple yellow tangs and hasn't worked out yet. One always becomes aggressive and starts going after the others. Maybe they need huge groups like in nature where they are in the 100's. The world may never know

[surf&turf]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2144452&highlight=yellow+tangs+in+groups

 

Here's a thread with a few together.

[trockafella]

What else do you plan to keep in the tank.? There other tankmates can play a key role as well..

[roni]

Pretty cool link. I've always been a big fan of yellows. Maybe I'll try a group of 5

 

I think your original list can work but fish are variable. I actually had a bunch of tangs getting along before a "crash". I put my yellow, purple, black and regal tang in qt for 8 weeks of hypo and they all got along. When I put them back into the tank, the yellow and purple ganged up on the black tang. They had previously gotten along in both the 270 and the 90 gallon QT. Even the same fish can show different behavior in a different setting.

 

In general, if you stick to different genuses, you should be fine. If I were adapting your original list, I'd go sailfin, yellow, kole, purple, and maybe something like a powder brown.

Edited June 22, 2012 by roni

[Mike Mann]

i will have a pair of black and white clowns and a ornate wrasse and maybe a blenny and goby and a blue jaw trigger. that will be all.