Tangs

[NanCrab]

I have a love/hate relationship with them. I love the way they look but I really don’t care for their personalities. Maybe it’s just because my personal life is so stressful, idk. All I know is that every single tang I’ve had, with the exception of the awesome brunette naso tang we had that died during the Dino blackout.
They’re all bullies. I have a sailfin in a Fowler tank with a coral beauty and they’re fine. This yellow eye Kole is about to find himself in there too because they all chase my peaceful goby and blenny around. He won’t leave them alone, just like the tang Steve B just took from me. Maybe one day I’ll get a big, tang only aquarium and they can bully each other. I miss my blue tangs beauty but she was a terrible bully too. Maybe it’s the landscape of my tank but it’s 125 with only 9 small fish in it and lots of arches and hiding places for everyone. This stupid yellow eye Kole tang even pesters my reef lobster! Backs himself right up into the cave. Never used to even see the thing but now it has its claws out all the time trying to protect its lair!! Lol

 

[silentdeath5]

Yeah, I’ve tried my luck with the tang tank and I’ve been very happy with only having my blonde naso. I’ll probably add a blue hippo and purple tang eventually but won’t be going tang crazy anymore lol

 

[Shawn]

Maybe it's because I am constantly changing the frag tank but the six tangs I have in there get along fine. I added a black clown yesterday and the tangs ignored him and the orange occelaris I have took right to the black and they slept in the same spot last night. I don't know if I've just got model citizen tangs or what, but I don't have that issue at all I wish you weren't having that issue

 

[qasimja]

maybe it depends on the order in which you added them? because i have 6 tangs way too many for my tank honestly and none of them fight

 

[Adam]

With most fish you won't know their personality until they're in your tank. Also with juveniles you have to wait for them to mature. A fish could be a model citizen in one tank and a complete A-hole in another. Tang's as a whole need to be approached a little differently. This thread is every enlightening.

Tang Aggression - Understanding and Combating

Tang Aggression - Understanding and Combating So what's the deal with tangs? How do I keep them together? Why are they so aggressive and difficult to keep sometimes? It's a common discussion point. Some may dissent with what I have to share but I've never had less than three tanks running at a...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[mapleredta]

I've got a yellow and a hippo and both are great with zero behavioral issues, at least yet.

 

[SaltwaterGardening]

We’ve had good luck so far with two tangs purchased at the same time from the same store tank. I imagine this would be worse if they weren’t added at the same time. I run an 80 gallon, so these guys will probably be sold as a pair one day. Sailfin and yellow tang.

 

[Shawn]

I wonder if the reason I don’t have issues is because I keep them stocked with nori on three different feeders...

 

[Adam]

I wonder if the reason I don’t have issues is because I keep them stocked with nori on three different feeders...

That would be the the reason(s)!

 

[Adam]

Another thing about stopping aggression the the way the scape is laid out. I recently stumbled across this guy on YouTube. Very interesting take on "Breakaways". Love his enthusiasm and the accent.

 

[Fishtile Exotics]

I have owned tons of tangs over the years and never really had an issue with aggression. Granted, my tank is a 150 and I only have 3(blue, purple, and blue eyed kole) but there have never been issues. A big thing with tangs is frequent feeding, space, hiding, and sequence of addition. I have ample rockwork, feed heavily, have 6 feet of swimming room, and added the most aggressive tang, the purple, last. They all bicker with eachother but the aggression is spread out and not severe at all

 

[Dmitri]

I have put two bristletooth tangs together. Both same size, all aggressive went toward each other for about a week. It was brutal to watch but after that they are now swimming together and aggression is gone.

Another thing about stopping aggression the the way the scape is laid out. I recently stumbled across this guy on YouTube. Very interesting take on "Breakaways". Love his enthusiasm and the accent.

how many time does he say “breakaway “ in this video?

 

[Adam]

How many time does he say “breakaway “ in this video?

I'd hate to play a drinking to that vid! We'd all be passed out in less than a 20min.

 

[NanCrab]

Only once have I had two together and they got along great. After the naso died the blue regal got extremely aggressive towards all other fish. I tried every trick in the books and on the forums with no success. I think Shawn may be correct, I should have more than one and they can pick on each other instead of my docile fish. Problem is my tank is only a 125 and tangs need space. Maybe I’ll get a baby naso tang. I have a sailfin but it’s growing so fast it will be ready for Adam’s gigantic 500g in no time!!