OK to add Powder Blue Tang with Regal Blue+Yellow? Disease?

[Kevin207]

Here is a picture of the Regal Blue Tang already in my 120 gallon reef tank:
http://www.reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=91717

There is a smaller (3 inch) yellow tang in there too, and they both get along fine.

I would love to add a Powder Blue tang (there is a nice big one that would match the size of the regal blue one, but I am worried about it being the same shape and size as the Blue tang and only in a 120 gallon tank. They can circle the tank since the rock is away from the sides and back wall of the tank. There are lots of big hiding spaces.

DISEASE: Someone at the local fish store told me that Purple tangs from the wild can cause tank raised tangs to die. I had a purple tang for the past couple of years, but when I introduced a tank raised Powder Blue tang in the same week, it died about a week later. The purple tang lasted another year along with a blue tang (not tang raised) but unfortunately died due to a lightning strike (blew out a powerhead and killed two tangs, many snails, and 1 of 3 clowns, but the remaining clowns and chromis survived). So now that I am starting again, I am wondering if I HAVE to stick with the tank raised tangs I supposedly have, and if the Powder Blue tang will be compatible with the large Regal Blue and smaller Yellow tang that I already have.

I COULD wait until this winter when I have the previously mentioned 9 foot tank up and running, and then introduce the Powder Blue AND a Sailfin.
-Or I could get the Powder Blue tang from the wild immediately and put it in a 30 gallon tank with just a Banngai Cardinal fish for a few months.
-Or I could try and put the Powder Blue into the 120 gallon tank and if it doesn't work out temperament wise, put it into the 30 gallon again.

Thanks for any thoughts you all may have.

 

[gregb1]

First time I have heard of lightning hitting a tank. Shocking.

 

[AF Founder]

In any case, I would quarantee the PB in the 30, and if it's clean add it when you add all the tangs at one time to the new tank. Where in Maine are you?

 

[Meloco14]

If you are patient enough I would wait until you have your 9 foot tank up. Powder blues are aggressive and being in a 120 with 2 other tangs might result in fighting. Nothing is guaranteed with tangs, but your best chances of happy fish would be in your larger tank. And as Terry mentioned, be sure to quarantine your new tang before introducing it into the main aquarium.

 

[Kevin207]

NOT TANK RAISED: I have been told by others in the local fish store that the new Blue tang I have is most likely NOT tank raised (based on price). I don't want to question the owner, but I have been raising an eyebrow or two as I look in the rear view mirror at past comments. So it looks like I could probably put in any tang that is not tank raised at this point.

I CAN WAIT:
I am sure I will be able to find another nice Powder Blue tang in the next 3 months, so I will be patient. It IS getting kind of crowded in there.

MAINE:
I live about 3 hours north of Portland in a small town.

LIGHTNING:
We live at the top of a hill, and the lighting strike took out the hot water storage tank controls, a TiVo, the aforementioned fish and snails in the tank and the cable going into the tank attached to a powerhead, and the TV is acting strange lately (not turning on every now and then). It was a weak hit to something remotely connected to the house I think, but enough to do damage to electronics and to that powerhead.

Thanks for the input. The voice of reason is always good when one is getting impulsive.

 

[Anonymous]

I am not aware of any tank raised tangs being produced on a commercial scale.

 

[Anonymous]

IMO I would wait, I have heard of the "I'm going to get a bigger tank in the future" rational for buying a particular fish and I don't buy it most the time. 3 tangs in a 120g tank is quite a lot of tangs. Not to mention the PBT is known to be a bit of a bossy bastitch usually.

 

[Anonymous]

I definetly agree that you should wait on the PBT. They are one of the trickiest Tangs to keep, and definetly prefer a large tank. I'm just afraid he'd be too stressed in your 120, and probably not last long.



BTW: 3 hours north of Portland, what town is that?

 

[Mike612]

It's currently impossible to breed tangs in captivity. Tangs breed in large schools, in schools of hundreds or thousands of tangs actually. No tank can hold that many; therefore, they can't be bred in captivity. It has nothing to do with price. It also has to do with the fact that scientists can't tell which tangs are male and which are female because there is no way to distinguish them.

 

[Anonymous]

So where do all those hybrid tangs come from? Just random chance they caught sterile unique fish in the ocean?

 

[Anonymous]

It's currently impossible to breed tangs in captivity. Tangs breed in large schools, in schools of hundreds or thousands of tangs actually. No tank can hold that many; therefore, they can't be bred in captivity. It has nothing to do with price. It also has to do with the fact that scientists can't tell which tangs are male and which are female because there is no way to distinguish them.

There is a a company that has been able to breed flame angels and yellow tangs, but not in sufficient numbers to be produced commercially.

 

[Anonymous]

ORA used toget the larva na draise them, IIRC. They weren't tank bred, but raised.