Powder Blue Tang Advice

[TommyDelaney]

I'm looking into getting a powder blue and have seen lots of people say that they can be a bully fish and ich magnets so just wanted to get some advice first. Im planning on looking into a small one maybe 3" when the fish shortage ends. I have in the tank already a bluespine unicorn, scopas tang, foxface, and lawnmower blenny. Tank size is 150 gallons 5'. I know preferably the tank would be 6' but ive read these fish tend not to hit their max size so hoping I could get away with the 5'. It would be my last tang into the tank. I possibly could add 2 yellow tangs before then, but I will be trying to add more fish later (most likely wrasses and smaller fish for the sandbed or rockwork) do you think that the introductions of the fish that are significantly different in shape and size be a problem with one? Im very open to any advice, thanks yall. For Any other information check out my build thread.

 

[mattrez80]

I'm looking into getting a powder blue and have seen lots of people say that they can be a bully fish and ich magnets so just wanted to get some advice first. Im planning on looking into a small one maybe 3" when the fish shortage ends. I have in the tank already a bluespine unicorn, scopas tang, foxface, and lawnmower blenny. Tank size is 150 gallons 5'. I know preferably the tank would be 6' but ive read these fish tend not to hit their max size so hoping I could get away with the 5'. It would be my last tang into the tank. I possibly could add 2 yellow tangs before then, but I will be trying to add more fish later (most likely wrasses and smaller fish for the sandbed or rockwork) do you think that the introductions of the fish that are significantly different in shape and size be a problem with one? Im very open to any advice, thanks yall. For Any other information check out my build thread.

I added my PBT as my last tang since I knew their ‘possible’ temperament. I added them to an established 180gal that already had a few other tangs (Purple, Desjardini, Chocolate, and Tomini). It took a few days for the Purple and the PBT to get along, but since then they have been fine... this has been over 5 months now. The Chocolate Tang and PBT have similar body shapes and they get along just fine.

Ich can be a problem. I have a buddy that has lost 3 PBTs to ich over the past 12 months. Mine has been lucky, knock on wood, and has never got ich.

 

[AcroNem]

Aside from possible aggression issues (which you might be able to get away with but I'd say don't add the two yellow tangs) I'll just add to definitely run it through a good quarantine process as you should with everything. It will likely come in with something and they can be quite difficult.

 

[TommyDelaney]

I added my PBT as my last tang since I knew their ‘possible’ temperament. I added them to an established 180gal that already had a few other tangs (Purple, Desjardini, Chocolate, and Tomini). It took a few days for the Purple and the PBT to get along, but since then they have been fine... this has been over 5 months now. The Chocolate Tang and PBT have similar body shapes and they get along just fine.

Ich can be a problem. I have a buddy that has lost 3 PBTs to ich over the past 12 months. Mine has been lucky, knock on wood, and has never got ich.

That's good to hear, my biggest concern was going to be getting along with the other tangs. My quarantine procedure is going to be get him feeding then cupramine for 14 days then prazipro. And if he contracts ich in the display do you think that increased feedings to keep him healthy would work?

 

[TommyDelaney]

Aside from possible aggression issues (which you might be able to get away with but I'd say don't add the two yellow tangs) I'll just add to definitely run it through a good quarantine process as you should with everything. It will likely come in with something and they can be quite difficult.

Ok thanks. Would the yellow tangs just put too many tangs in that size tank and promote more aggression? I will definety be running thorough quarantine with it after hearing the horor stories of crashing tanks.

 

[mattrez80]

That's good to hear, my biggest concern was going to be getting along with the other tangs. My quarantine procedure is going to be get him feeding then cupramine for 14 days then prazipro. And if he contracts ich in the display do you think that increased feedings to keep him healthy would work?

Increased feedings will help and as long as they are eating. Chances are they should recover. When I transferred my fish from my 120 to my 180, the Purple Tang contracted ich. I increased the feedings and kept a watch on their activity. After a couple of days, he was fine. There is no way to catch anything in my 180 so it’s a gamble.

I will say, I did try adding a yellow tang (before the PBT) that was twice the size of my purple tang. The purple tang bullied him death. He contracted ich, wouldn’t eat, and stayed hidden behind my gyres.

Now that the powder blue is established, there is no way that I would add another tang, especially one that was in the same family.

 

[TommyDelaney]

Increased feedings will help and as long as they are eating. Chances are they should recover. When I transferred my fish from my 120 to my 180, the Purple Tang contracted ich. I increased the feedings and kept a watch on their activity. After a couple of days, he was fine. There is no way to catch anything in my 180 so it’s a gamble.

I will say, I did try adding a yellow tang (before the PBT) that was twice the size of my purple tang. The purple tang bullied him death. He contracted ich, wouldn’t eat, and stayed hidden behind my gyres.

Now that the powder blue is established, there is no way that I would add another tang, especially one that was in the same family.

Ok so I think I’ll stay away from the yellows. The scopas tang I would hate for anything to happen to and I figured the powder blue would be the last tank because of size and aggression. Thanks for the advice. If I was to want to lessen the possible aggression, instead of the powder blue is there another tang (preferably an acanthurus so I can have one of each genus) that possibly would be more suited for my tank and inhabitants.

 

[mattrez80]

Ok so I think I’ll stay away from the yellows. The scopas tang I would hate for anything to happen to and I figured the powder blue would be the last tank because of size and aggression. Thanks for the advice. If I was to want to lessen the possible aggression, instead of the powder blue is there another tang (preferably an acanthurus so I can have one of each genus) that possibly would be more suited for my tank and inhabitants.

The mimic lemon peel tang (chocolate tang) would be a nice add. They are bright yellow as a juvenile. As an adult they morph into a light chocolate body, bright yellow fins, and dark face.

 

[TommyDelaney]

The mimic lemon peel tang (chocolate tang) would be a nice add. They are bright yellow as a juvenile. As an adult they morph into a light chocolate body, bright yellow fins, and dark face.

Do you think with the mimic tang I would be able to add some kind of bristletooth as well I really like the look of the chevron tang. It might be a little out of price range but the tomini and yellow eye kole are nice too.

 

[mattrez80]

Do you think with the mimic tang I would be able to add some kind of bristletooth as well I really like the look of the chevron tang. It might be a little out of price range but the tomini and yellow eye kole are nice too.

I have both the Mimic and the Tomini together and they leave each other alone. Both of them are pretty calm and do not grow too large.

 

[TommyDelaney]

I have both the Mimic and the Tomini together and they leave each other alone. Both of them are pretty calm and do not grow too large.

That’s great to hear thanks for the advice I think imma look more toward the mimic and a bristletooth. Thanks once again!

 

[Squidward]

I'd skip the yellow tangs. PBT will become the bully.

 

[Haydn]

The issue with PBT is not generally when it is introduced or the other existing fish in the tank- it is down the line, maybe 2 years, when your original fish stock is becoming depleted. You will find that 3" cutie, with it's annoying habit of chasing new introductions around, has become a 6" murdering monster, who considers the tank to be their personal territory. I had mine for 3 years before it decided to hunt down and kill 10 Chromis, a 6" queen angel. It obviously got a taste for murder and picked on a 12" foxface, but that was it's downfall. The family called it Psycho!

 

[TommyDelaney]

The issue with PBT is not generally when it is introduced or the other existing fish in the tank- it is down the line, maybe 2 years, when your original fish stock is becoming depleted. You will find that 3" cutie, with it's annoying habit of chasing new introductions around, has become a 6" murdering monster, who considers the tank to be their personal territory. I had mine for 3 years before it decided to hunt down and kill 10 Chromis, a 6" queen angel. It obviously got a taste for murder and picked on a 12" foxface, but that was it's downfall. The family called it Psycho!

Thats what I’ve been seeing a lot of and I definitely dont want to restrict myself to certain fish so think I’ll steer clear on this one. Thanks guys.

 

[Zionas]

That is ONE aggressive tang! The fact that it can be so aggressive AND an Ich magnet makes me feel I’ve made the right decision by sticking to a Foxface instead of a Tang, any Tang, for my first tank.

Also, not to sidetrack, but by “depleted” do you mean dying one by one? I don’t think most fish when taken good care of will die in just 2 years unless it was already a very old fish when purchased.

 

[Squidward]

That is ONE aggressive tang! The fact that it can be so aggressive AND an Ich magnet makes me feel I’ve made the right decision by sticking to a Foxface instead of a Tang, any Tang, for my first tank.

It's only an ich magnet if your tank has ich already and/or the PBT wasn't qurantined.

 

[AcanthurusRex]

The bluespine unicorn max size is 2ft.
I have a 5ft tank and 3 small tang species; Yellow/WTB/Manini. So much violence.

 

[Cameron Carter]

All depends on the fish in my opinion. I have had a couple PBT and a some were aggressive wile others weren’t. Similar to most fish. I agree that the bigger problem will be ich. I’ve had better luck with adding a larger PBT without qt, they can be finicky eaters and getting a thicker guy will help. If you get a smaller fish I’d advise qt to get them fat and healthy before adding to display, I mean QT is a good option either way but....