Adding a yellow tang in with blue tang

[Selyk]

Hello all

Just wanted to get some opinions on should i add a yellow tang in with my blue tang? if i do add one what should i do to avoid stress and fighting?

My tank is 125 g with lots of hiding places

 

[AfaceInTheCrowd]

By blue tang do you mean regal tang/hippo or Caribbean blue? Or maybe powder blue? If it’s the former I doubt you have much issue, if it’s the latter two then you may have some aggression, particularly the Caribbean as they are a similar shape..
Introduction at night is best, but turning lights off can help stop aggressive behaviour a blanket covering tank of it continues in ambient lighting..also a mirror stuck to the tank or even a colour printout of the aggressor stuck to tank will make it argue with itself... feed the tank half hour or so prior to introduction... or use an acclimation box if you have one big enough

 

[Memisis]

From what I hear its all about body shape. If the shape is different you are ok. You also want to take steps to introduce correctly. I think we got lucky with our purple tang and he is rather docile with new tank mates. I've heard that moving the scape around and putting in mirrors to keep the tangs busy with images of themselves is a good strategy.

We have a powder brown in QT and will be introducing him in an acclimation box and with mirror on side of tank.

But it all depends on the temperament of your tang. If he's all tail flicky to you and other fish you may have an aggressive one. Mine is only Loosely committed to flicking me, tools and other fish.

 

[Rickybobby]

What I find funny and I’m just asking. A lot of people have mentioned similar body shapes to how they react to others. How do they know what they look like? Or are they like deb and flow in finding nemo and talk to there reflections on the glass?? Lol

 

[Qasimja]

you shouldn't have any problems with those 2 tangs together

 

[Maritimer]

What I find funny and I’m just asking. A lot of people have mentioned similar body shapes to how they react to others. How do they know what they look like? Or are they like deb and flow in finding nemo and talk to there reflections on the glass?? Lol

They know what species they are, just as any other creature. They're genetically programmed to school and mate with other individuals of their own species (though schooling tangs are a challenge in aquaria, they do it a lot in the wild), and to defend territory against species which would compete for the same resources - including their own, and members of their own genus. That's why you're more likely to see aggression between two tangs of the Ctenochaetus genus than between a Ctenochaetus (bristletooth) and a Zebrasoma (yellow/gem/black/sailfin/scopas, etc...).

~B.

 

[jtf74]

Hello all

Just wanted to get some opinions on should i add a yellow tang in with my blue tang? if i do add one what should i do to avoid stress and fighting?

My tank is 125 g with lots of hiding places

There's no way of knowing. I certainly wouldn't tell you they should be fine. Yellows can be nasty. Mine wouldn't tolerate any tangs or even a copperband butterfly in a 280 gallon. Two tangs of any species no matter the shape can be trouble. Better to go with at least 3.