Adding tangs to new tank

Letterkenny · May 22, 2020

I will be starting a new tank soon and plan to add 2-3 tangs to it but wanted to see what is the best approach when doing this to avoid aggression with the other tangs and tank mates. Likely want to get a Blue tang, purple tang (wish I had the cash for a gem tang), and wife wants a yellow tang (I rather have a yellowed eye kole). Is the key to success adding them all at once? Main issue with that is the current stocking we have due to the pandemic and not knowing how long it would be to source a purple. If you do go that route, should I have multiple QTs set up for each tang or would a single 36” 45 gallon work for the QT given that it will be 4-8 weeks in there?

dwair · May 22, 2020

How big is your tank sir? Before the tang police get here

HB AL · May 22, 2020

I'd drop all 3 in at the same time or within a couple days of each other. I have the exact 3 tangs, yellow and blue went in 1st then purple was about a year later. As expected the yellow really went after the purple for about a week. I had to squirt food to the purple where he was allowed to hang out during that time. Fast forward 4 years and they both get along but the yellow on occasion still flexes his muscles. As far as the quarantine goes I've always just dropped and plopped so I cant help ya there.

X-37B · May 22, 2020

dwair said:
How big is your tank sir? Before the tang police get here

They are already here lol.

dwair · May 22, 2020

90's reefer said:
They are already here lol.

Noooooo Lol. I'm not the tang police, I'm trying to stay under the radar, cause I'm about to add a yellow tang/Kole tang to my 75g lol. Granted I have plans to rehome when the time comes.

X-37B · May 22, 2020

dwair said:
Noooooo Lol. I'm not the tang police, I'm trying to stay under the radar, cause I'm about to add a yellow tang/Kole tang to my 75g lol. Granted I have plans to rehome when the time comes.

I meant they are here even when they are not. They are everywhere lol.

X-37B · May 22, 2020

dwair said:
Noooooo Lol. I'm not the tang police, I'm trying to stay under the radar, cause I'm about to add a yellow tang/Kole tang to my 75g lol. Granted I have plans to rehome when the time comes.

Many tangs need alot of room.
A tomini is very peaceful in my tank lol.
I just bought a trap to remove the convict tang.
The swimmimg patterns indicate it needs a bigger tank imo.
Looking for someone to rehome it to that has a 240 at least.
Mine is fat and doing well as many said it will die because it was so thin and convicts dont do well to begin with.

dwair · May 22, 2020

Gorgeous!

Letterkenny · May 22, 2020

dwair said:
How big is your tank sir? Before the tang police get here

20 gallon cube

Bpfor3 · May 22, 2020

i can't tell if your tank is new or not, but here is my experience. Started my 150 Mixed reef. Cycled and added a sailfish, PB, chocolate and kole tang all at once. All good for about a month, then ich bomb dropped and killed them all. Went fallow for 80 days. Bought a PB, purple, kole and orange shoulder and put them all through QT together in a 40 gallon breeder. followed humblfish's recommendations with copper guard for 30 days. almost lost the PB, to a bacterial infection, but saved it. They are all currently in my display and doing great. They joust from time to time, but nothing of even minor significance. Now adding new fish. thats a whole other story. in fact, i am adding a pair of bellus angels today and im scared to death the tangs are going to beat the crap out fo them.

X-37B · May 22, 2020

Letterkenny said:
20 gallon cube

No way is a tang to be put in that tank! And thats before the tang police get here.

X-37B · May 22, 2020

Bpfor3 said:
i can't tell if your tank is new or not, but here is my experience. Started my 150 Mixed reef. Cycled and added a sailfish, PB, chocolate and kole tang all at once. All good for about a month, then ich bomb dropped and killed them all. Went fallow for 80 days. Bought a PB, purple, kole and orange shoulder and put them all through QT together in a 40 gallon breeder. followed humblfish's recommendations with copper guard for 30 days. almost lost the PB, to a bacterial infection, but saved it. They are all currently in my display and doing great. They joust from time to time, but nothing of even minor significance. Now adding new fish. thats a whole other story. in fact, i am adding a pair of bellus angels today and im scared to death the tangs are going to beat the crap out fo them.

Tangs should be last imo.
Good luck though.

X-37B · May 22, 2020

I went back and read your post again. You want 2-3 Tangs?
Now way is even 1 doable. You need to do more research for yours and the fishes health.

Letterkenny · May 22, 2020

90's reefer said:
I went back and read your post again. You want 2-3 Tangs?
Now way is even 1 doable. You need to do more research for yours and the fishes health.

It was a joke (aka the winky face). Thought that would be even more evident when I mention a 45 gallon QT for them. Im pretty sure the tang police sniper would have taken me out if I was serious!

Tamberav · May 22, 2020

Add them all at once and try to add them last...get your smaller/more peaceful fish in there first. Make sure to offer Nori.

lakai · May 22, 2020

You're gonna get aggression of some form no matter what and that is ok. What you don't want is so much aggression that they kill eachother.

Theres only one way to do it imo, You gotta add them based on their size and aggression. In your case I would put the kole tang and yellow tang first then hippo tang and purple last.

There are some that you have to put last no matter their size. PBT and Sohal Tang the two that you absolutely must put last because once they establish territory they will fight to the death to keep any new fish from from it.

Letterkenny · May 22, 2020

Thanks for the guidance. So what is the thought then on QT? I was planning on getting a 20 gallon 30” and medicating there. Could I put two in here during the QT period? I could get a 45 36” as well or two 20g but would rather have one just due to the cumulative cost.

jtf74 · May 22, 2020

I would plan to separate them in QT with two tanks or a grate. The grate would probably be better so they could get used to one another safely.

I had a yellow and powder brown in a 300 gallon with live rock, with the PBT going in first a couple weeks before, and it didn't work out as the yellow wouldn't cooperate. In a QT I would expect even more aggression.

And it can go from some aggression to death very quickly if those scalpels come out.