Tang Additions

[themcnertney]

Hello. I have a 220 mixed reef with a 75 fuge. I am looking to add some tangs as I would like to take the fish in a different direction...

Current livestock:

• (2) B&W Ocellaris clownfish
• (1) Banggai Cardinalfish
• (2) Blue/Green Chromis
• (1) Vlamingi Tang
• (1) Yellow Tang
• (1) Magnificent Foxface? as it is currently sick
  
• (1) Yellow Clown Goby
• (1) Wheelers Goby
• (1) Pistol Shrimp
• (1) Black Longspined Urchin
• (21) Red Bubble Tipped Anenome

Additional livestock:

• (1) Regal Tang
• (1) Powder Blue Tang
• (1) Purple Tang

 

[JaimeAdams]

What is your question?

 

[themcnertney]

What is your question?

Just getting the conversation started really. Would the additions be compatible?

 

[Zack K]

Do you QT your fish? If not I would talk you away from the PBT. The purple will have some problems with the existing yellow but an acclimation box will be your friend. Regal_should_be okay. But it is a tang. So acclimation boxes will be your friend.

 

[ca1ore]

Yellow and purple are highly likely to initially hate each other, and then if you're lucky settle into an uneasy 'truce'. Mine have been together for almost four years and every week one of them is sporting a newly torn fin. Agree that the powder blue is likely to trigger an ich breakout if you don't do QT. Hippo may as well, but is less suceptible than the powder blue.

 

[themcnertney]

My biggest worry is a PBT. As for aggression with my current tank mates, my clowns are the most aggressive. I don't have a QT setup but would consider doing so. I struggle with understanding the benefit of a QT. It seems to me that it is just one more stress situation to put fish through. Now if we talk hospital tank to treat a ich fish then I would be on board.

 

[JaimeAdams]

I would totally treat a PBT as if it had it or other parasites even if you don't see them.

The yellow tang is going to try to kill the purple tang. Your best bet would be to move the yellow to the sump for a couple weeks then add it back at the same time as the purple, or add the purple if it is much smaller for a week or two then add the yellow back. Acclimation boxes or tank partitions will be your best friend. The hippo shouldn't be a problem.

 

[ca1ore]

I will say that while an acclimation/socialization box can be helpful, it is far from foolproof. I've had many a fish get ignored for days in the box, only to have the stuffing beaten out of it upon release.

 

[ca1ore]

My biggest worry is a PBT. As for aggression with my current tank mates, my clowns are the most aggressive. I don't have a QT setup but would consider doing so. I struggle with understanding the benefit of a QT. It seems to me that it is just one more stress situation to put fish through. Now if we talk hospital tank to treat a ich fish then I would be on board.

Think of it like this ..... Which is more stressful, being put in a new tank all by yourself, or being put in a new tank where most of the established fish want to kill you?

 

[Zack K]

Right now without a QT you are almost certainly running an Ich Management tank. Ich has been introduced to the system and is in low numbers being fended off by the fishes immune system. Once you add that PBT (wether you Qt’ed him or not) he will break out sending the number of Parasites skyrocketing.
This is all from personal experience. Many fish can live happily in an Unquarentined Tank, but Acanthurus Tangs can not.
-Zack

@4FordFamily can contest to this, as well as give you some pointers on aggression

 

[themcnertney]

I appreciate the comments. How’s this plan sound?
(1) regal tang followed by (2) additional yellow tangs. That would be a nice list I think.