mixing tangs and angels - share your lessons learned

[matt]

SO ...my 90g has 2 herbivore fish and I'm considering adding.

 

I grabbed a hippo tang and sailfin tang from BRK when they had a sale recently. I already knew I wanted at least one and the fish were gorgeous and I got great help that day. John and company gave some pragmatic advice on how long I could expect them to stay sized for my current tank and even put them in the same tank at the store so I could judge how they might interact before committing. Thanks again BRK!

 

But now I'm thinking of getting an angel. I've had potters before and didnt have issues with my corals. Think I'll try something different this time though.

 

My wife loves the look of flame angels. Kids thought a bellus was pretty. I almost grabbed one of each, recently, but that wasn't meant to be...maybe for the best as I hadn't truly thought it through. I've also considered a grey belly regal as they are very pretty and easier on the wallet than red sea.

 

What do folks think I should consider? My rockwork is somewhat light, and swimming space is almost equal front and back. I need to factor in sleeping spots. How do folks size next additions in this scenario....range of both are 3-4" right now. How would you manage the tank introduction to minimize aggression or am I over thinking it.

 

So again, 90g. Two gangs. Also have 2 golden cleaner gobies, 2 ocellaris, 1 friedmani dottyback, and 1 male lyretail anthias. The tangs seem to get along, but I'm pretty sure the hippo is in charge of the tank.

 

Your insights and experiences are appreciated! 

[greengalaxy]

I saw a setup where someone had a purple tang and a pygmy angel? only thing was that the clowns were chasing it

[matt]

Ha, one of my clowns now likes to chase my hand away. 

 

I had a yellow tang and a potters in my 46...but knew that couldn't last forever. Lost them both when I moved though. I didn't have much issue mixing them together, but that yellow tang was a rather wimpy fella. Never had a tank big enough previously to consider 3 herbivores

 

I dig purple tangs too, but as I already have a zebrasoma I probably shouldn't go there. Atlantic pygmies are kinda pretty...but I hear can actually get meaner than many other dwarfs

[greengalaxy]

I see...

[matt]

Anybody have thoughts on what I may expect adding a regal angel to this setup? Pros or cons as you see it from similar experience? Thanks 

[sethsolomon]

to me you are maxed on large fish like tangs. 2 tangs imo is more tang than you should have.

[Der ABT]

Ive got a blueface and a large purple tang together.....first few days were some jostling for superiority. .....now they are getting along much better.

This is in my 80g...4x2

With bigger fish in think it's best to introduce them at the same time so there is less fighting over "my space"

 

I also have 2 islands and each have chose a spot in the opposite island for sleeping.

 

 

In my 156 in had purple blue and a melanosplesis angel.....purple was king...melanosplesis was 2nd but always first for food and it got Fat...started with 2 but had a jumper after a year or so.

 

Rock work helps keep the peace for sleeping spots....

My blue tang had an sps colony he called home and did not like it touched by anyone including a mandarin

[YHSublime]

to me you are maxed on large fish like tangs. 2 tangs imo is more tang than you should have.

I agree.

[Apcoleman]

Anybody have thoughts on what I may expect adding a regal angel to this setup? Pros or cons as you see it from similar experience? Thanks

If you wanted a regal that should have gone in before the tangs. I would agree with Isaac and Seth, you are maxed out for big fish in that tank.

 

The regal is tricky at best to get eating and with two pretty aggressive tangs in a relatively small tank (for multiple tangs) I imagine he would get bullied easily.

[zygote2k]

I have 7) tangs in an 8' long 300g tank - Purple, yellow x2, hippo, scopas, pair of Desjardinis, and a swallowtail angel- all get along fine because there's plenty of room.

I also have a mated pair of Bellus Angels, 4x Yellow Tangs, Purple Tang, Black Tang, Hippo Tang, Atlantic Blue Tang, Magnificient Foxface in a 9' long 400g tank, and so far no fights.

[SunWyrm]

I've always kept coral beauties with my tangs, and they've never so much as looked at each other. 

But zygote2k's right; with enough space, you can do anything. In a 90... I still wouldn't think there'd be much of an issue lasting more than a day or so of tail slapping/chasing the new addition. 

YMMV

[matt]

All great input...taking it all in. Thanks!

[matt]

I have 7) tangs in an 8' long 300g tank - Purple, yellow x2, hippo, scopas, pair of Desjardinis, and a swallowtail angel- all get along fine because there's plenty of room.

I also have a mated pair of Bellus Angels, 4x Yellow Tangs, Purple Tang, Black Tang, Hippo Tang, Atlantic Blue Tang, Magnificient Foxface in a 9' long 400g tank, and so far no fights.

 

Rob, so do you think I'm maxed out already?

 

[Der ABT]

Not alot of sleeping spots there IMO 

 

Length is important to tangs...especially when they get big

[matt]

Yeah, I'm hoping to fill space with coral growth and let that add some additonal nooks, crannies, and overhangs...but have also toyed with adding shelf rock strategically on top of the big island and down low near the rock against the overflow. The hippo sleeps in part of the big island as does the pseudo. And there is a actually a large cavern under and behind the rock against the overflow.

 

I have plenty of dry rock, but no shelf rock on hand. If you have suggestions please let me know.

[sethsolomon]

If you want to add more fish, I recommend sand sleeping wrasses.  

 

All of the following genuses sleep in the sand:

• Pseudocheilinus
• Halichoeres
• Coris
• Macropharyngodon

 

Or maybe add some anthias if you have an auto feeder?

[Reefer_Madness]

Nice looking tank!!

[matt]

If you want to add more fish, I recommend sand sleeping wrasses.  

 

All of the following genuses sleep in the sand:

• Pseudocheilinus
• Halichoeres
• Coris
• Macropharyngodon

 

Or maybe add some anthias if you have an auto feeder?

 

Thanks, I've toyed with that. I really like leopards and have never had one. Potters Wrasse is a real contender for me, but I wonder if I shouldn't have added one before some of the other more sturdy/aggressive fish...thoughts? And my small-life diversity is probably at a low right now...tank was started with dry rock and recent peroxide dosing for dinos likely hasn't help me on that front. Anyways, the sand bed is pretty shallow...barely covering the glass in some spots to about an inch or so other places. Guess I could build a wrasse bed though...would you recommend any specific fish or approach if I went that route?

 

I bought 3 lyretail anthias off DD sometime before I got the tangs. Only the male is now alive. I cut back feeding a fair bit when I was figuring out and then battling dinos. I lost the two females to what I now assume is inadequate food supply combined with toxicity from the dinos. The dinos were really bad. When I lost those 2 fish I finally figured it out and went full bore with peroxide etc. I do have an auto-feeder that I don't have installed, but the anthias I had/have never showed interest in pellets, showed marginal interest in flake, and only really competed for food when I dropped in mysis. I just like having most of my bioload in open water swimmers vs hiders...so I'm a bit disappointed the anthias haven't worked out better for me (and them). I'm still considering whether I should even keep the one male lyretail as he is all by himself...and I'd consider parting with him if that made adding a small angel a slightly smarter decision. 

 

Nice looking tank!!

 

Thanks! It feels so empty to me with so little coral, but that will change over time. The 46 SPS tank felt like a real tank, but once I lost pretty much everything it didn't have that feeling anymore...so it goes. I'll get this 90 stocked up...just a matter of time....I seem to stock in spurts, when I find time to actually go buy things and also find those things at reasonable prices...seems this is often around our WAMAS meetings

[YHSublime]

I really like the Melanurus (Hoevens) Wrasse. I've not had much luck with Anthias as well.

[davelin315]

I think you're maxed out as it's only 90 gallons and you have very little rock work.  I had multiple tangs and angels in my 300 and I also had tons of rock in there.  The regals might not adjust with that little rock work as they will spend an awful lot of time picking at the rock and trying to find food until you get them eating.  They are not really open water fish so you're asking for stress induced illness by not having a lot of rock.  I am about as far from the minimalist approach as you could be and this surfaced in both my stocking plans and the rockwork I had in my tank.  I think that this contributes to allowing more fish in the system as well.  In your case, I would say don't add anything unless you are adding more tank and rock.