Convict Tang Owners?

polyppal · Mar 5, 2021

Who has a convict tang? Was thinking about picking one up for a new tank, but seems to be little reliable info on them.

If you have one, are they any harder to keep than regular tangs? (old posts seem to say they adapt poorly to tank life)

A friend told me his was very aggressive, what is your experience?

ReefHog · Mar 5, 2021

I’ve heard they’re sometimes hard to get eating. I made sure mine was eating before I bought him. He was a little guy about two inches. He eats everything and has tripled in size in the 10 months I’ve had him. He bothers nobody and nobody bothers him. He is the most active fish in my 220 reef.

albano · Mar 5, 2021

Got very aggressive with other tangs, some that were bigger and there longer than him... on my list of ‘never again’ fish!

X-37B · Mar 5, 2021

I have had one for about a year now in my 120.
Most of the time they come in very skinny. Make sure yours is eating at the lfs.
I have a tomini and a foxface.
I also have 6 blue green chromis that the convict keeps inline.
2 clowns, 2 anthias, and a pajama cardinal.
They all get along well.
The convict is a pig and eats out of my hand.

polyppal · Mar 5, 2021

ReefHog said:
I’ve heard they’re sometimes hard to get eating. I made sure mine was eating before I bought him. He was a little guy about two inches. He eats everything and has tripled in size in the 10 months I’ve had him. He bothers nobody and nobody bothers him. He is the most active fish in my 220 reef.

oh nice thanks!

polyppal · Mar 5, 2021

albano said:
Got very aggressive with other tangs, some that were bigger and there longer than him... on my list of ‘never again’ fish!

Yeah my friend said the same thing about his

Squidward · Mar 7, 2021

They are harder to keep. It took me about 5 tries to successfuly have one pass qurantine and into my display tank. He's a total PIG! He's so fat you'd be surprised how fat it is. It did harrass my copperband butterfly so bad that it ended up killing it the day before I was going to sell my copperband. I felt so bad. If you do plan to get one, make sure you don't have striped fish like a copperband, or it may attack it.

rocklobster · Mar 20, 2021

My LFS is selling them for $25 right now on a super special. After reading this.. I may just skip the super special.

ca1ore · Mar 20, 2021

Hmmn, not my personal experience. Have had six of them, plus the rare Mauritian convict (zebra). Have not had any aggression problems. Zebra came from DD at a good body weight, but all the others were very thin when I bought them. Was able to succeed with four of the six, though all initially in my frag tank where I could feed them continuously. I still have a small one there. One got rehomed to @albano, hope that’s not the one that turned into a jerk LOL.

ReefHog · Mar 20, 2021

I’d get a good look at the ones at your lfs. Look for constant swimming picking at glass and rocks. If one is eating even better. Aggression has so much to do with individual personalities when it comes to most fish. Obviously there are exceptions like Shoal & clown tangs maroon clownfish for instance. But convicts are more often non aggressive that aggressive in my experience. Certainly no more than yellow or purple tangs.

rocklobster · Mar 20, 2021

rocklobster said:
My LFS is selling them for $25 right now on a super special. After reading this.. I may just skip the super special.

I actually went and did it anyway. No regrets, all is peaceful in the tank, try em out.

MIKE NY · Mar 21, 2021

Model citizen for me in my frag/ acclimation tank. It doesn’t bother any other fish constantly grazing. It took a few days to take frozen and about a week to take small pellets and flake.

JayinToronto · Mar 21, 2021

Had 5. They all did great together for about year or so. Eventually one decided it was going to take on all the rest. Then there was one. Lasted a few years after that, then my purple tang turned on it and that was the end of my convict tang experience. Cool fish though. Really pretty.

najer · Mar 22, 2021

As mentioned above observe it eating but also grazing, I got mine a few months back as a one inch baby and bought it before it was eating at the shop as I saw it grazing coral bases and that is what baby tangs want to do so it went in to my little tank for a month or so to fatten up with a choice of 3 or 4 macro algaes and micro algae.
You didn't say what size tank, also as mentioned above they are very active and like to swim.
Mine has four scopas tangs to "play" with and so far plays nice with everyone, growing fast.

david613 · Mar 23, 2021

I have one very well behaved .Introduced 5 different tangs at once all were very small max ( 1-1/2 in )he is probably the most active of the group unafraid of anything first to come over for food . was also worryed about bullying at first since they get a bad rap but so far so good . could be since they all introduced at once. and was very small and young he's not yet over 2 inch yet so dont know what will be when he gets bigger . But i really enjoy him very lively active personality.

david613 · Mar 23, 2021

david613 said:
I have one very well behaved .Introduced 5 different tangs at once all were very small max ( 1-1/2 in )he is probably the most active of the group unafraid of anything first to come over for food . was also worryed about bullying at first since they get a bad rap but so far so good . could be since they all introduced at once. and was very small and young he's not yet over 2 inch yet so dont know what will be when he gets bigger . But i really enjoy him very lively active personality.

just to add never had a problem feeding will eat anything.