Tangs… What do you see in them?

[Miami Reef]

Kind of off topic.

I never comment anything, but I always find it curious when people post their stock lists for large tanks (150g+). I've never really had a personal tank that large. It's almost always 8-10 tangs, 2 other large fish and 3-4 small fish.

If I had a large 6'+ tank, it would be 40-50 anthias, 10-15 wrasses, and an Achilles or powder blue tang. Dozens of small schooling fish seems so much more "natural" to me.

I'm not a tang hater though. Achilles, powder blue, orange shoulder, naso, yellow all beautiful fish.

I would have that many anthias if they wouldn’t die from uronema lol.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Yes jcm u r spot on. Lol.
D

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

They starve imo

 

[doubleshot00]

Humor me with some wrasses that present as much color to a reef tank as a tang.

Melanarus, mccoskers, yellow coris, dusky, earmuff just to name a few are just as much color if not more than most tangs.

Not arguing as i love tangs I would love more than my mere one scopas but he accents well with my foxface. I want more but the aggression isn’t worth it.

 

[doubleshot00]

I actually do want a gem tang

Saw one in the LFS for the first time. Yes they are pretty but not $750 pretty and online go for $1k+

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

I will say the monos in my tank are growing so quick. Lol.
They will look.like huge pirahana compared to the rest of my tank. Lol.
Really unnatural looking to my reef tank. Lol!
D

 

[Mark Gray]

I have a Powder Blue tang I bought cheap because it had ick. Witch in my opinion they are hardy fish. Now he has turned into being an assassin, will do his best to kill anything new in the tank. He does a good job of keeping my bubble algae down, I think this is his only plus. Not sure if I will keep him he is such a jerk

 

[RKeenan]

I have 3 (4" Yellow, 8' Sailfin, 7" Hippo) and love them. There was some aggression at first (especially since did not add them all at same time) but have had them all a year or two and all get along now. They are beautiful, active (not hanging in one spot like the clowns) and not hiding all the time (like my 6 line and smaller anthia), eat anything and are a good cleanup crew. Fixing to get a larger tank (RS 425 now) and will add another then.

 

[DavidinGA]

Melanarus, mccoskers, yellow coris, dusky, earmuff just to name a few are just as much color if not more than most tangs.

Not arguing as i love tangs I would love more than my mere one scopas but he accents well with my foxface. I want more but the aggression isn’t worth it.

...but they're small and add less color because they're small. Also, because they're not so big and less than large and kind of not very big, sort of small. Did I mention they're small? This is a true saying...

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

I will say the monos in my tank are growing so quick. Lol.
They will look.like huge pirahana compared to the rest of my tank. Lol.
Really unnatural looking to my reef tank. Lol!
D

Those mono will get stupid large. They look cool when smallish, it begins to take the look a rubiks cube as it grows up and has the bioload of a tang or rabbitfish.

 

[Bruce Burnett]

I have a blue eyed kole, tomini and a foxface in a 100 gallon tank. They swim together and eat out of my fingers. In a large tank I would have a naso, and a power blue and a few others. The whole thing is an assortment of size and color. Even though a tang can swim easily a 6-8 ft tank I find them fairly calm fish if not over crowded. Why do people keep clown fish? I have a flame hawk that is the boss until the diamond goby puts it in it's place. It is all personal choice and affordability. Yellow/purple coris adds some color and has a purpose.

 

[Tamberav]

Maybe people run blue windex tanks and it washes out all the beauty in smaller fish and they can only really see the details on bigger fish like tangs.

The most common tangs seem to be mostly shades if brown (bristletooths) or mostly one color like yellow or purple tangs. Throw enough blue at a bristletooth and it will look purplish instead.

Some tangs are really pretty like a clown tang but mean or an Achilles but difficult.

The common ones are definitely more basic though in terms of color.

I have a yellow tang and he’s boring but also pretty mellow so he can stay and be called Mellow Yellow until he gives me a reason to evict him.

 

[Tamberav]

Saw one in the LFS for the first time. Yes they are pretty but not $750 pretty and online go for $1k+

they were $250 before COVID but what wasn’t cheaper then lol

 

[ComfortRacing]

My wife found a gorgeous powder blue tang for me for fathers day Sunday at my saltwater lfs!! I couldn’t bring him home until my QT tank was up and running again. So going to go pick him up in a few days, and CANNOT WAIT!! He is about 3 to 4 inches, eating well, thick and was already QT’d at the LFS.

 

[Aquarist76]

Tangs are the best fish, bar none. Just like dogs are the best four legged pets. I don't feel the need to justify either, that's just how it is. Either you get it or you don't.

My current tangs (with names):
Dussumieri (Deuce)
Clown (Tangy tang)
Sohal (P.I.T.A.)
Gem (Gizmo)
Hybrid Black (Blackie)
Purple (Red)
Achilles (Prince)
Hybrid powder blue (Cobalt)
Koi scopas (Lazarus)
Blue hippo (Bashful)
Chevron (Scarface)

Had in past and will again:
Naso/Blonde naso
Yellow/Guam yellow
Yellow scopas
Mustard
Sawtail
Zebra
Sailfin

 

[i cant think]

...but they're small and add less color because they're small. Also, because they're not so big and less than large and kind of not very big, sort of small. Did I mention they're small? This is a true saying...

You want big?
Halichoeres chloropterus
Halichoeres garnoti
Halichoeres hortulanus
Halichoeres scapularis
Halichoeres trimaculatus
Coris gaimard
Coris venusta
Coris formosa
Paracheilinus hemitaeniatus
Paracheilinus attenuatus
Cirrhilabrus roseafascia
Cirrhilabrus jordani
I could go on and on!

you also need to remember:
Many you see in the LFS aren’t fully grown and will still have growth in them. They will also still need to colour in as many come in either as newly transitioned males or juveniles/females.

 

[i cant think]

What non tangs do you like (better?)

I really prefer my Wrasses, Butterflies, Angels, Anthias, Even the foxfaces more.

 

[Aquarist76]

Saw one in the LFS for the first time. Yes they are pretty but not $750 pretty and online go for $1k+

Up to about 5 years ago they used to be like $3k so that's a deal. LOL.

 

[Squidward]

Tangs are the coolest fish right next to Angels. I have 12 tangs currently while 2 of them are small juvies Desjardin and Atlantic Blue. I like aggressive wrasses too like my paddlefin wrasse. All the pretty small fairy wrasses don't compare to tangs.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Squirrel fish or bust