I have heard different things about the types of tangs you can keep together. What I have heard the most is that you can't mix body types (purples with yellows, powder blue with naso). What has your experience been with this. I have a 125g tank, and I really want to get a powdwer blue and a purple tang, but I don't want constant fighting. Will it change anything if I get them both at the same time? Let me know what you think.
Mixing Tangs
- Thread starter Reefer Dude1
- Start date
I previously had a 115 gallon system. I added two yellow tangs and a purple to that system simultaneously. A few scuffles but nothing serious. I recently moved everyone into new "digs" in a 180 gal system and added a Kole. The yellows and purple tore him up pretty bad the first night and I was afraid I was going to have to pull him out, but things have settled down now and they all seem to live in perfect harmony! They actually were more aggressive and physical with the new addition of the Kole than they ever were to each other.
Your best bet is to add them simultaneously, because once real estate is spoken for and all divided up, it's pretty difficult to add someone new who will be needing some of that real estate for his new home.
Your best bet is to add them simultaneously, because once real estate is spoken for and all divided up, it's pretty difficult to add someone new who will be needing some of that real estate for his new home.
I have seen two diffeent tanks one tank has a yellow tang and a hippo tang together no problems another tank naso, hippo ,yellow ,powder all are fine and added at different times big tank. I really believe it depends on the size of the tank and if you place them in at the same time
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote
In your case, both powder blue and purple tangs do not get too big as adults, it probly OK. However, both are very aggressive tangs. You should add both at the same time for best sucess. Both should be about the same size also( and no more tang for you
)
Good luck.
I got a yellow, a purple and a sailfin in a 100 g tank without problem for 2 years. They were fine without problem, but I would not keep this many tang in a 100 g tank again. It is just too crowned for them especially the sailfin. I should only keep one tang ina 100g tank.
In your case, both powder blue and purple tangs do not get too big as adults, it probly OK. However, both are very aggressive tangs. You should add both at the same time for best sucess. Both should be about the same size also( and no more tang for you
Good luck.
Ok, ReeferDude, maybe I won't get flamed for this reply cuz it's too long .There are many variables to consider when mixing tangs, including type, timing, sizes, and age. I think the most important one is the selection of the individual specimens, and their age,(juveniles work out best) but you'll want to increase your odds in every way you can before giving it a try. And you need a back up plan if it doesn't work out because there is a better than even chance that it won't. It's not likely, but if they start tearing each other apart instead of just posturing, then it is not going to work out. They will need to be seperated immediately and you will have to know in advance which one stays, and where the other one is going. If you only observe fanning and posturing, without injury, there is a good chance that one fish will accept #2 status, and #1 will let him. Your tank is big enough but I wouldn't introduce them there. It will be too difficult to seperate them if neccessary. All fish should be quarantined but especially these two. I would assume ich will show up in the beginning, even if they get along ok. I have had success acclimating and observing fish in seperate tanks, and weeks later adding the more aggressive one to the less aggressive one's tank when I thought the time was right. I wouldn't put these two fish in your tank until they had been peacefully coexisting, and disease free for at least a month. They are each the most aggressive species in their respective genus' and are fairly aggressive overall toward other community fish, so establish those others you wish to keep, long before adding these two. Of the two I would say the powder blue is generally more aggressive but most purples have a mean streak too, especially toward any new fish added after it is established. Individuals will surprise you though. I am amazed by how much my sohal defers to the considerably smaller and shier naso. They are usually swimming together in formation like best friends. When the sohal occasionally nips at other fish, the naso will get between them and break it up. This is unnatural behavior but captivity brings that out. I observed the relative passivity of the sohal in the dealer's tank over several weeks. I decided to take a chance, knowing that I had another tank for him if it didn't work out. I have been transferring fish, corals and rock between four tanks, over the past year, in anticipation of tearing them all down and stocking a new 180g over several days next fall. I have been very patient and it has paid off. Best luck, HTH.
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Marty M:
<STRONG>.....I wouldn't put these two fish in your tank until they had been peacefully coexisting, and disease free for at least a month....</STRONG><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I disagree with Marty here. Unless your quarantine tank is 125 g, you best added them together in your tank. If your tank is healthy and the fish are healthy, you will not have major outbreak of disease. If you quarantine these two together in a 30 g tank, you will end up with one or even two dead fishes.
Marty may have the tank and the space to quarantine his fishes in huge tank. This is not so with the rest of us. We either have a small hospital/quarantine tank or none at all.
I think your chance of success is much more than even, and it is best enhance by adding two small tangs, about the same size at the same time to your tank. You can quarantine them separately to ensure that they feeding well and healthy. I would not introduce these two fish to each other in anything less than in a 100 g tank with plenty of live rock for hiding space.
If you do as above, IMO, you will almost certainly suceed. There IS a small chances that you may need to take the live rock out of your tank to remove one of the fish.
[ July 21, 2001: Message edited by: Minh Nguyen ]
<STRONG>.....I wouldn't put these two fish in your tank until they had been peacefully coexisting, and disease free for at least a month....</STRONG><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I disagree with Marty here. Unless your quarantine tank is 125 g, you best added them together in your tank. If your tank is healthy and the fish are healthy, you will not have major outbreak of disease. If you quarantine these two together in a 30 g tank, you will end up with one or even two dead fishes.
Marty may have the tank and the space to quarantine his fishes in huge tank. This is not so with the rest of us. We either have a small hospital/quarantine tank or none at all.
I think your chance of success is much more than even, and it is best enhance by adding two small tangs, about the same size at the same time to your tank. You can quarantine them separately to ensure that they feeding well and healthy. I would not introduce these two fish to each other in anything less than in a 100 g tank with plenty of live rock for hiding space.
If you do as above, IMO, you will almost certainly suceed. There IS a small chances that you may need to take the live rock out of your tank to remove one of the fish.
[ July 21, 2001: Message edited by: Minh Nguyen ]
I have to agree with Mihn on quarenteening the 2 tangs. Select junevile, healthy looking tangs and you should do well.
Ging - I have a hippo/regal tang for almost 10 years now. He started out small, 2.5 inches and is now about 5.5 inches. I added him when my FO saltwater tank was about 6 months old. He got ich only once when I did something very stupid, but he got better in a Q-tank. LeRoy is an eating machine and a pleasure to watch. E-mail me direct if you want more information.
HTH
Ging - I have a hippo/regal tang for almost 10 years now. He started out small, 2.5 inches and is now about 5.5 inches. I added him when my FO saltwater tank was about 6 months old. He got ich only once when I did something very stupid, but he got better in a Q-tank. LeRoy is an eating machine and a pleasure to watch. E-mail me direct if you want more information.
HTH
You all ought to be ashamed of yourselves. Many of you preach "newbies" of husbandry of tang keeping while almost all of you have multiple tangs!!! If I am a newcomers on the board and hadn't known you better, I would have started flaming you straight out! (OOOOPS..... Did we agreed not to flame anymore?).
Good!! Now I can speak freely without the feeling that I am the only guilty one.
I have these in 150G: Hippo, kole, purple, & sailfin. Purple happened to be my first tang in this tank. He had a yellow companion before in a smaller tank (I lost the yellow during a move). A small school of juvenile hippo (1")was added about 3 months later. Kole was added another 4 months later. The sailfin was the last to go in. Those of you that had the experiences of mixing tangs should be well familiar with this ordeal. Everytime I am trying to introduce a new tang specie into a purple-dominated tank is like getting myself preped for a brain surgery. I can only hope I won't see a bloddy scene. Surprisingly, The purple only got aggressive when I introduced the sailfin which their bodyshape, diet, and coloring closely matches. The purple simply ignores the hippos and kole when I introduced them. The battle with the sailfin lasted 2 days and are now OK. I am never gonnal do this again. Whew, its like having heartattacks every 10 minutes for 48 hours straight.
Reefer dude, if you really want to mix tangs, make sure their dietary requirement is completely different and the body shape/patterns is very different. Cross your fingers in one hand and get the nets ready in the other hand. Good Luck.
Good!! Now I can speak freely without the feeling that I am the only guilty one.
Reefer dude, if you really want to mix tangs, make sure their dietary requirement is completely different and the body shape/patterns is very different. Cross your fingers in one hand and get the nets ready in the other hand. Good Luck.
I would like to get a blue hippo tang and I am working on getting a 125 gal tank. Is that a big enough tank for a blue hippo, how many more could I expect to add with it, and would it be to soon to jump into a fish only tank with being in the hobby for 5 mths. Could you guys recommend some good books to read about them. ?? I love tangs and want a blue hippo soooo bad, but want to make sure I get the right home for it
ging
ging
Minh,
My main quarantine is 30g with a lot of pvc elbos and t's, and fake plants. It's totally unnatural to them but so is even the nicest reef tank. It is, however, much nicer than most of the dealer's tanks they have stayed in for the past few weeks. Juveniles are usually kept in similiar sized tanks with little or no cover, so they are easier to catch. They are in poor water quality, underfed, exposed to countless diseases, and repeatedly stressed by nets and people all day. The first night in my quarantine is like checking into the Four Seasons. They get as much food as they can eat. Most importantly, they are promptly treated for any sign of stressfull parasites. If they spent even one hour in a dealers tank, they surely picked up at least one parasite. When they are fat and happy I make the introduction. I think acclimation is too stressfull for adult tangs in any sized tank. Juveniles adapt well though. When they are finally released to the reef tank, it's like heaven. There is much less to fight about because everything is provided in abundance. As we have all read here many times, we are reluctant to tear apart our tanks to remove errant or sick fish until it's turned into a crisis. I've learned my lesson the hard way too.
My main quarantine is 30g with a lot of pvc elbos and t's, and fake plants. It's totally unnatural to them but so is even the nicest reef tank. It is, however, much nicer than most of the dealer's tanks they have stayed in for the past few weeks. Juveniles are usually kept in similiar sized tanks with little or no cover, so they are easier to catch. They are in poor water quality, underfed, exposed to countless diseases, and repeatedly stressed by nets and people all day. The first night in my quarantine is like checking into the Four Seasons. They get as much food as they can eat. Most importantly, they are promptly treated for any sign of stressfull parasites. If they spent even one hour in a dealers tank, they surely picked up at least one parasite. When they are fat and happy I make the introduction. I think acclimation is too stressfull for adult tangs in any sized tank. Juveniles adapt well though. When they are finally released to the reef tank, it's like heaven. There is much less to fight about because everything is provided in abundance. As we have all read here many times, we are reluctant to tear apart our tanks to remove errant or sick fish until it's turned into a crisis. I've learned my lesson the hard way too.
Marty, I just disagree with you in saying that Reefer Dude should quarantine the two tangs together. You wrote ". I wouldn't put these two fish in your tank until they had been peacefully coexisting..." If Reefer Dude put these two tangs together in a 30 g tank, chances are that they will fight and very stressed.
I don't disagree that you should quarantine them although I don't quarantine my fish. So far after many years I have no problem yet. I think in a healthy tank most fish will do OK.
I don't disagree that you should quarantine them although I don't quarantine my fish. So far after many years I have no problem yet. I think in a healthy tank most fish will do OK.
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