purple and yellow tang

[melanotaenia1]

I have a medium yellow tang and saw some awesome purple tangs at my LFS, been watching them for three weeks, do you think my yellow tang will kick the crap out of him? The yellow tang has been in the reef a year with a sailfin and hippo tang with no problems.

THanks!

 

[hdtran]

Medium yellow, as in medium-sized yellow, or medium yellow as in medium yellow color? Not that it matters... The yellow and the sailfin are both Zebrasoma genus, as is the purple (flavescens, veliferum, and xanthurum respectively).

In theory, tangs of similar body shape or color can get, umm, feisty with one another. Therefore, in theory, your two Zebrasomas (yellow & sailfin) could potentially quarrel.

I asked a similar question regarding my 120g tank, and was advised to stick to just one tang (wound up with a Z. desjardinii, though some ichthyologists would surely say that he's a veliferum...).

How large is your tang tank?

 

[melanotaenia1]

HAHA ok well medium SIZED yellow tang, great color, fat and happy, never really is aggressive to anyone at all, not even the sailfin, that has coexisted with him for about a year now, but the purple tang has a more similar shape which is why I am a little concerned. Don't wanna buy a 80.00 meal for my yellow tang.

It is a 90 gallon reef tank, and by the way, there is an imperator in the tank as well. I had a kole tang too, but I learned the hard way to keep my tank completely covered in the back, I guess he though jumping meant freedom.

 

[hdtran]

Try reading this thread (don't know if the link will work...)

http://reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t ... sc&start=0

I can't speak from personal experience, but I'd recommend against.

 

[Unarce]

It's risky, but definitely possible. I had a buddy that kept and Yellow, Purple, and Sailfin together in a 125g with only moderate quarreling. You have the advantage of being able to add the Purple Tang last, since it would be the most aggressive one of the three. Size disparity is key for this combo.

Still, I wouldn't want to risk harm to any of the fish at all.

 

[Ralphyhp]

All my Tangs are a happy family. I dont know if this is ussual but the Purple Tang and the Yellow Tang are matting. They always are together.

 

[surfdawake]

did you say they are mating, that would be way cool if somebody could figureout how to raise the fry. that would be the coolest tang ever.

 

[Minh Nguyen]

The Purple tang will kick the crab out of the the Yellow tang, not the otherway around. Yellow tang are very mild manner in compare to Purple.