Purple tang question.

ice fish · Jul 7, 2016

So my lfs has a sale on purples for 99 bucks. It's one of the tangs I've loved and would like to get it. My question is though how you guys think it will fair with my stock list? My tanks going to be mainly fairy wrasse. My two clowns two spot Bristle tooth scribbled rabbitfish and hopefully some anthias down the road. I don't have the two spot in the tank yet and would probably add them together if I did so. Thoughts?

Broadfield · Jul 7, 2016

I can't speak on the two spot, but I have my purple in with a couple of clowns, several Anthias and an assortment of over peaceful fish.

Kershaw · Jul 7, 2016

Ok so I have had two purple tangs. One was an amazing fish. Never caused any harm to any fish. That i added after. Or that was there. Got along with anything that was my a tang. I took a one year break from goby set up new tang got a purple tang. He was the 5th fish in tank. Constantly Herrased my wrasse and picked on other fish a little. Had to pull him out. I would get the smallest one you can find. And try and get all fish that are bigger then it

mrvn · Jul 7, 2016

I have experience keeping a purple tang with some yellow tangs, and a blue hippo tang. My purple tang almost never shows aggression towards the other tangs, despite the belief that they are too aggressive I've observed (in my tank at least) that my yellow tangs are more aggressive.
It does show some aggression towards the yellows but never towards the blue hippo tang. I think it is because of the similarity of shapes. I also have a flame angel but he never shows interest on it.

eatbreakfast · Jul 7, 2016

They can vary from individual to individual, but for the most part a purple tang should be fine with your current and planned stock.

ice fish · Jul 7, 2016

Sounds good. I would end up having the purple go in first before the anthia's and a few more wrasses. Do you think that would cause a issue at all?

eatbreakfast · Jul 7, 2016

ice fish said:
Sounds good. I would end up having the purple go in first before the anthia's and a few more wrasses. Do you think that would cause a issue at all?

It's possible, but fairly unlikely, especially since there will be other grazers in the tank.

4FordFamily · Jul 7, 2016

eatbreakfast said:
They can vary from individual to individual, but for the most part a purple tang should be fine with your current and planned stock.

X2

ice fish · Jul 7, 2016

Awesome. Thanks guys!

ice fish · Jul 7, 2016

Would a smaller or larger purple be better?

eatbreakfast · Jul 7, 2016

Smaller would be better.

SeaDweller · Jul 15, 2016

My purple tang is mean one. It nearly killed my yellow tang upon three introductions. Luckily it's let up on it, and now they all get along fine. I have 8 tangs in my tank. It used to beat up my Achilles and yellow and I think it was asserting its dominance. However ever since the Achilles and YT defend themselves, the purple backs down now and quickly.

The only one that gets bullied sometimes is the desjardini now, but it's a quick puff of the chest (err... Fins) and all is well again.

I tried the acclimation box for the yellow tang for about 2 weeks and the PT was used to seeing it but once released, it went nuts. Like I said, they're ok now but be prepared to act should it get ugly!

DRoth335 · Jul 15, 2016

I think you will be fine with your stocking list. The only potential issue is if you have an aggressive PT (we have had 2 and neither has been overly aggressive) and add another grazer. Adding additional anthias or wrasses (or other smaller, non-threatening to the PT fish) should not be an issue. In one of our tanks it is the PBT that is the bully and had to be trapped and banished to the sump when we added our PT - no issues once re-introduced after a couple of weeks of "timeout" in the sump (this would probably work for you down the road if you do add another grazer). Good luck - they are great fish.

ice fish · Jul 15, 2016

Well so far she has been in QT with my two spot that i put in there to make her get used to her. they had quite the scuffle for a while and tore eachother up. But it seems that they have worked out there differences. They both Puff there chest once in a while and try to be the boss but its just in passing. Hopefully it will get along with my scribbled rabbit thats in my tank currently. Thats about the only thing imw orried about right now. I do seem to have gotten one of the more bossy purples though.