How many tangs

thedasher

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I was wondering how many tangs I can have in a 6 foot long 125 gallon tank. I'm planning on getting them when they are about 2" inches small. The tangs I was looking at are a:
Caribbean blue tang
Desjardini sailfin tang
Purple tang
Powder blue tang
Tomini tang
 
Great slection. I"m am a tang fanitac also. I have a 180 and currently I have a tomini, yellow, regal, sailfin and naso blond. They are my fovorites. From my experiance you'll want to be selective of the order you put them in so they don't become to territorial. From what I see you'll want to put the powder blue in last. My five seem to have plenty of room. I may could put another in but have no plan to. The powder is one of my favoriates but are very susceptible to ich but it could be controled with a good diet. Personally I'd set the tank up to controll nitrates. I did this by way of a bio pellet reactor but soon found out it was starving out my SPS. Another thing with tangs i they need nori. Dont do like I did and try to save money by going to the local Asian store and buying norie, full of nitrates. Anyhow I'm sure some other folks can help you sout with the order but I think youll be fine with your slection.
 
5 is way too much for a 125 IMO.

I have three (Achilles, yellow, and tomini) in a 180 and I can tell it's maxed. Two would be preferable.

I would only do one from a genus. The powder blue and Caribbean are both Acanthurus. Sailfin and purple are both Zebrasoma.
 
Thanks for the advice you guys. But I also heard that since the tank is longer it gives the fish more room to swim and therefore I can have the 5 tangs. Do you guys agree or disagree?
 
Yea. But you also have to remember the width of the tank aswell. Yes it may be longer. But what happens when the tang gets older and bigger. Less room from the width.
What's everyone's opinion on North Atlantic Blue tangs?
 
I have 4 in my 8' 240 and feel that it is maxed out.
Desjardini sailfin tang
Purple tang
Yellow tang
Achilles tang
 
I personally have 2 for my 120g,
North Atlantic Blue tang
Sailfin
 
5 might not seem bad when they are small, but by the time they mature in size you are almost guaranteed to have major problems. There will be major stress and the fish will either kill each other or you will have major outbreaks of ich unless you have gone to extraordinary measures during quarantine. Just my 2 cents.
 
I currently have 2 in a 600l and I feel that they look happy as the 2, 3 possibly okay depending on how bare the tank is,


Beginner all advice welcome
 
My 180 is 6' as well. Its a large tank but believe me, 6' is nothing to tangs in swim room and territory. I would only do 2 or 3 depending on species. There are plenty of other types of fish that you can get instead of tangs.

Like previously stated, you may have luck with 5 tangs for a bit but it will not last. Kudos to you to asking these questions before doing it though. Nothing is worse that somebody who did it than asking why all their tangs are fighting and killing each other than getting offended when we tell them they should not have done that.

Also, a question is who told you that all those tangs would be good in the tank? If it is the LFS I wouldnt really pay much attention to advice. Just really do what you did here, ask on here or do research.
 
I have 2 in my 150 and they are happy.. Purple and powder blue

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
 
What other fish would you guys suggest that are reef safe. Wrasses? Butterflies? Angels?
 
Angels only for sps. Butterflys keep without coral. There are reef safe wrasse but they'd be more like four, six or eight line wrasse. I believe leopard wrasse are also reef safe. If you want an angel go with any of the Genicanthus species and you can try to add a blue girdled angel. They are probably the most trustworthy of the larger angel fish however you still must be careful and have the room for them. You can get a blue throat trigger as long as you don't have any invertebrates.
 
Im going to be having lps sps zoas and softies. Also which of the wrasses are not as aggressive.
Thanks
 
Six line and such may get territorial but that's if your housing similar size fish. Cleaner wrasse are great plus they clean your fish. Any type of fairy wrasse. Leopard and fairy wrasses.
Got it. Thank you so much
 
I have a purple tang, naso, and male blue throat trigger in a 90 gallon and they do all fine. The trigger doesn't touch my cleaner shrimp or starfish or even my baby ruby red scooter dragonet. I personally recommend you get a naso tang. Blonde may be a little more aggressive then the regular ones but they have an amazing personality. If you want to have a desjardini they tend to get aggressive as they get older. The regular sailfin is your better bet. I've had both and there is a big difference. I'd add your purple tang and the zebrasoma species last unless you plan to add all the tangs at once. I've had a yellow tang, sailfin, blonde naso, naso, purple, regal, desjardini, powder blue, and a yellow eye cole. And the easiest to care for would be naso and sailfin. Most difficult any of the powder blue or powder brown and the acantharus species. Having tangs is beautiful but some just don't get along and can't behave lol. And 5 tangs should be fine in a 125 gallon as long as you have good filtration. A good skimmer and a phosphate reactor especially since your going to have corals and with all the waste that is produced by the tangs those phosphates will shoot up.
 
I have a purple tang, naso, and male blue throat trigger in a 90 gallon and they do all fine. The trigger doesn't touch my cleaner shrimp or starfish or even my baby ruby red scooter dragonet. I personally recommend you get a naso tang. Blonde may be a little more aggressive then the regular ones but they have an amazing personality. If you want to have a desjardini they tend to get aggressive as they get older. The regular sailfin is your better bet. I've had both and there is a big difference. I'd add your purple tang and the zebrasoma species last unless you plan to add all the tangs at once. I've had a yellow tang, sailfin, blonde naso, naso, purple, regal, desjardini, powder blue, and a yellow eye cole. And the easiest to care for would be naso and sailfin. Most difficult any of the powder blue or powder brown and the acantharus species. Having tangs is beautiful but some just don't get along and can't behave lol. And 5 tangs should be fine in a 125 gallon as long as you have good filtration. A good skimmer and a phosphate reactor especially since your going to have corals and with all the waste that is produced by the tangs those phosphates will shoot up.
Yah thanks, tangs are my favorite reef safe fish since I can't get an emperor or queen angel. But I'll definitely take your advice on which tang I'm going to be having. Probably will just get a sailfin instead of Desjardini. But thanks again.
 

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