Tangs for 120galloons

[Oliver94]

Good evening guys!
I am thinking soon to add tang(s) to my 120g reef.
But i am a bit lost about the information given about what volume needed for each tang.
I am thinking something between these tangs:
Yellow tang
Purple tang
Blue powder tang
Blue tang(too small for 120g everyone agree on this from my research)

Anyone have an experience with tangs in such volumes?
Thank you!

 

[TJ's Reef]

It depends a lot on overall length of tanks for Tangs in most cases, is your tank 48", 60" or 72". The Yellow and or Purple would be fine and also something from the Bristletooth family like a Kole/Yelloweye or Tomini/Flame Tail. A Powder Blue may be fine if a male as they are quite a bit smaller than the females but also more aggressive. I have a 125g (60x24x20) with five Tangs including a soon to be re-homed Blochii, male-Powder Blue, Naso, Kole and Yellow. My Naso will need to be re-homed as well in another year or so.

Cheers, Todd

 

[ryanlotz5]

As long as you have good swimming room you'll be fine!Love my powder blue he's quite an algae muncher and very social ! Never have problems with him nipping at corals ! If you go this route I've been warned powder blues are very susceptible to get ich so quarantine and keep a nice steady diet

 

[Seguragr]

Yellows are great for a tank that size.

 

[Oliver94]

Deall thank you so much!! My population is still only a couple of clowns some chromis and 2 cardinals,Can I add for example a yellow tang,and then add another fish? or should I make sure to introduce them at last??

Thank you guys!

 

[Seguragr]

Depends on the last fish. Tangs can be aggressive once established. I've never had a problem with mine though. Just be careful with other tangs.

 

[Kworker]

Bristletooth tang.

 

[Seagars]

stick with 3

 

[Oliver94]

Thank you Kworker for the suggestion! for the suggestion,but honestly I didn't like that much the colors of the bristletooth tangs..and I never saw of them in my LFS

If I am going to stick with 3,should I add them all together?(a professional in reef told me that they should be add all together(the tangs) )

Evening!

 

[Kworker]

Thank you Kworker for the suggestion! for the suggestion,but honestly I didn't like that much the colors of the bristletooth tangs..and I never saw of them in my LFS

If I am going to stick with 3,should I add them all together?(a professional in reef told me that they should be add all together(the tangs) )

Evening!

Don't add 3 of same. It's very hit or miss with mainly miss. I had 3 yellows in my 180 for about 6 months until things began to get nippy. They were in he same tank at lfs for 2 weeks than in my Qt tank for a couple after.

It turned into a constant flare up at each other and dart around and chase each other. When they were swimming together it was nice but long term it is not functional in my opinion unless you have a much larger tank.

 

[Oliver94]

Deal,no of course I won't add 3 yellow tangs or three purple tangs,For example if I want to add a yellow tang and a purple tang,should I add them together? or for example can I do it a month apart?

Thank you Kworker!

 

[Seguragr]

I would put them in at the same time. Supposedly it lowers the risk of aggression because none of them have set up territories.

 

[Kworker]

Deal,no of course I won't add 3 yellow tangs or three purple tangs,For example if I want to add a yellow tang and a purple tang,should I add them together? or for example can I do it a month apart?

Thank you Kworker!

Sorry my mistake, for some reason I read it as 3 of the same. :bowl:


Honestly I am not a big fan of a lot of tangs in reef tanks. I do think 3 would be a max as far as tangs. I was only planning on keeping my 180 as the 3 yellows and the tomini. Than was going to keep it as the duo but ran into a sick Achilles at a LFS so I will have 3 total and leave it at that.

If you never seen a Bristletooth tang (many different species) I would recommend seeing one in person before crossing them off the list. Kole tangs are pretty, there are the yellow and blue eyed. Blue being more rare to come by. Pictures in my opinion do not do a Tomini tang any justice for once they are into a actual tank and not in the store. My tomini has nice vibrant orange fins and has orange dots all along his body. Not the prettiest fish I agree, but given the chance they are nice looking fish and mine has been nothing but a model citizen.

 

[gacolt]

i would add them at the same time.at this moment i have 2 yellow,2 sailfin and 1 purple tang in the same tank i have no problems at the moment,i do plan on getting rid of 1 of the sailfins when i do my tank upgrade.i keep them well feed which keeps them happy and healthy.i also feed lots of red seaweed i hear that helps keeps tangs be less aggressive.bristletooth tang are great fish aswell alot of people dont like them cause there not as colorful as other tang but they take care of algae like no other imo.what ever you do i was you good luck i took me awhile to find the perfect group of tangs for my tank and now i am almost there.

 

[Reefing Madness]

In my experience you should add all the tangs at the same time, no one will have any territory at that time, and they will all check out the tank at the same time.

 

[Trex]

Personally, I wouldn't have 3 tangs in that sized tank. Would stick with just one.

Also, I would skip the purple. IME, they end up getting too aggressive in a 4 foot tank --- had one that drew blood on my male Clarkii.

Would also skip the "powder brown" (( either species that goes by that common name )) --- like to swim too much for a 4 footer; tried it about 10 years ago with an Acanthurus nigricans, became very aggressive as it grew, and paced back and forth all the time.

 

[3dees]

as much as I love tangs, I won't put even one in my 120. too much risk in a four foot tank. even with a qt, they are Ich magnets. I don't have a qt large enough for all my fish if there is an outbreak and then look at an empty tank for a couple of months.

 

[Kworker]

as much as I love tangs, I won't put even one in my 120. too much risk in a four foot tank. even with a qt, they are Ich magnets. I don't have a qt large enough for all my fish if there is an outbreak and then look at an empty tank for a couple of months.

If you got a smaller bristletooth they would be great in a 120. Just do a proper quarantine an you won't have to sorry about ich. I'm insure how susceptible their genus is to ich or stress for that matter. I'm a nut for the bristletooth family after having my tomini so I watch them and look for them everywhere I go. I have never seen one that looked in bad shape.

I have seen plenty of other tangs in bad shape. Bristletooth family is probably the hardiest. Just my .02

 

[Marshall O]

I would also recommend a (smaller) Tang from the Bristletooth family. Well behaved, and are very useful for algae removal.

 

[Oliver94]

mmm Yeah I see what you mean,also regarding the ich this is what I am MOST AFRAID of.. I though to place a UV filtration that could help to fight ich in case..