Tangs

[jamos5790]

I have a few questions I want to throw at yall about this type of fish. First off I have never owned one cause I have always heard that they get sick easy and so on.

I have owned alot of different types of swf in my 10 yrs, most were agressive, lions, triggers, eels, puffers, sharks, but I have downsized ALOT and now I have a 24 gal and a 75gal. I have also fel lin love with corals in the past couple of years, they are so darn interesting.


My wife loves the Hippo tang and I think the purple tangs look kool, so if I could get any it would be these types. I was wondering first off would they be fine in a 75 gal? Also are they really sick prone? Do you add them 1st or last or does it matter, there is only an eel in there now.

 

[jamos5790]

Ok IDK if I will ever get one but just was wondering.

Also what would be a reefsafe very colorful fish that would be an ok size for the 75gal?

 

[wbrown]

royal gramma for purple, anthias for pink, Kole tang for personality.

 

[jamos5790]

What are the sizes of the royal gramma and anthias at adult cause if not too big the eel will eat them.

 

[wbrown]

RG is about 2 ish inches, anthias I've seen up to 5-6 inches. The RG will hide out in the rock, might be quick enough to avoid being dinner. Either way, it's not an expensive fish.

 

[rostato]

I don't feel Tangs are that difficult to keep. Just having good maintenance habits and feeding often will keep them healthy. Now, I must say I recently got a regal tang and it always has a little bit of ich. I recently got a UV to help combat it after it leaves the fishes body. But honestly, they just require garlic soaked food and clean water in my book....

I grow macros in my fuge to feed the tangs at least twice a week, and there is alway nori in the clip since they have completly rid my rocks of most algae. keep em fat.

 

[grouper therapy]

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There is a total of ten in here. some of these will be moving to a larger tank in the future. I find them easy to keep.

 

[rostato]

His tank loos MASSIVE, that is probably his remidy

 

[grouper therapy]

As of now I don't have aggression problems. Everyone gets along. So far as potential aggression issues I 'm not sure because it hasn't happened yet. These fish for the most part have been together for 18 months or more.
A few things I do are:
Feed extremely heavy .Fish like us( well me anyway) will fight for food
Good water quality
Two above requires larger than normal filtration
Provide lots of hiding places
Place fish in the system out of sight of other fish for month. I have a theory that fish can smell one another (like most creatures) and if allowed to become accustomed to that smell will not be as aggressive as otherwise.
There are 11 other fish in my tank with the tangs and they all are lined up to eat any time I pass by. If you were to see them in person you would notice how content they all seem.
Its a 156, 5 feet long with 150 sump . Oh yes Ares made a excellant point about uv 's I have a 57 watt at a trickle flow almost after the intro of another fish.

 

[rostato]

what size tank is it just for reference?

 

[grouper therapy]

Like I said earlier , some of these fish like the unicorn will have to go to larger tanks. I hope it will be mine but if not someone's.I refuse to house these wonderful creatures in such a confined space for my own selfish pleasure

 

[grouper therapy]

Tomini tang probably the smallest and to me one of the most beautiful of all tangs. All they want is something to graze on. My yellow tang is one of the meekest fish in my tank unlike others have said. If you have time to observe fish in a store before purchase do so for nothing else but behavior and health. those fish i isolate in the system before introduction are hand feed to get really fat. Other fish seem to be able to tell the difference between a healthy fish and a weaker fish. I think my growin up on a farm and learning the behavior of the livestock in captivity has helped me a little in understanding fish in captivity just a little though.

 

[grouper therapy]

I have a 40 gallon breeder plumbed into my basement sump. not everyone could do that but maybe a section of sump. One could use the refugium which is a great place to house a tang (all u can eat buffet) Keep in mind I like to keep them out of sight of the others until they become accustomed to the odor of the new fish. Feed feed feed feed! Of course watch you water qaulity.

 

[reeferj]

Tomini, as in Orange fin? I must agree is a very nice lookin fish. Ive had mine now for a week, Its just being a little picky on food. Any suggestions? Picked up the fish at Creations and they told me what they had been feeding just do not remember.

 

[jamos5790]

As far as when to add them would it be better to ad the m as 1st fish or last?
The CUC and eel are the only thing in there now.

 

[grouper therapy]

reeferJ;319369 wrote: Tomini, as in Orange fin? I must agree is a very nice lookin fish. Ive had mine now for a week, Its just being a little picky on food. Any suggestions? Picked up the fish at Creations and they told me what they had been feeding just do not remember.

I would try some nori with garlic or even some calurpea macro if you can find some. Maybe some mysis if he is not eating at all.You know it is hard to say because each fish within it's own kind are unique to what gets them going.

 

[grouper therapy]

Jamos5790;319418 wrote: As far as when to add them would it be better to ad the m as 1st fish or last?
The CUC and eel are the only thing in there now.

I would say that depends on what other fish you are planning on adding.

 

[mike17kb]

Could go with a purple tang in a 75 for a few years as they typically stay pretty small (relative for tangs). A hippo grows fast and in my experience has always been my first tang to get ick or hole in the head.

My purple tangs have always been harder, had one pre-tank crash (stupid mfing pump broke) and have one now. I personally think a purple tang is a beautiful tang, one of the best tangs besides my fav black tang (this is within price reason, if I was a millionare I would have gem tangs and others....)

Tangs are hardy, if you had them now, just be sure when you add other fish to change the aquascaping if at all possible as they become territorial and a purple tang can have an attitude.

Best of luck with them. I have 5 tangs in my tank, Orange Shoulder, Naso with Streamers, Red Sea Sailfin, Purple Tang, and a Yellow Tang

 

[jamos5790]

Well I guess I need to decide what other fish I want to add into the system, cause I havnt really looked at alot of reef fish always loved the aggressive ones but like I said earlier I got rid of my large tank.

So if anyone has any suggestions on nice reef safe fish let me know, cause the wife has to approve of them also, even though she just looks at the tanks.

 

[rostato]

I like Tangs, Wrasses, or Anthias in a reef, and of course clowns of some sort. I personally like the tangs more, but will eventually have to rehome them when they grow too big...