What Tang would you recommend for a first-timer?

[DeniseAndy]

How can you not think this fish is beautiful:
He had rainbow outlines on every fin and bright yellow eyes. I miss him soooo much. My ultimate favorite fish for over 12 years. I have not been able to keep one since this one. Tried twice now. One got through QT in DT for 2 months, then disappeared overnight. Only thought the H. malu got it.

Edit: my other one was an orange strip not a kole in qt. Sorry.

 

[Zionas]

I live in a rented apartment so the 5-footer is taking up pretty much all of the space, so unfortunately I may not have room for a QT tank. My LFS said I can take my fish to them for treatment if they get sick, and I will be running a UV sterilizer and feeding a good diet. If I had the space I’d definitely do a quarantine tank.

 

[NJDragonet]

I have had too many tangs I would say a Blue Hippo or a Convict I have not had a good experience with the kole but I have a blue eyes kole he is much hardier than the yellow eyed.

 

[ApoIsland]

There are wild sizes and then aquarium sizes. I've never seen a captive kept yellow, scopas or purple much bigger than palm size, no matter how big the tank was. 6" would be considered a big one of any of those ime but they have the potential to be bigger.

This is exactly right. A fish will only grow as much as you feed them. To attain the max sizes listed on these sites you would have to dump so much food in the tank that they would all be dead from poor water quality long before they reach those sizes.

A 5' tank is big enough for any tang on your list. Seems like you are willing to put the effort in so the advice to pick the one you find the most visually appealing is also the best way to go I believe.

 

[ReeferPat]

Hi everyone, I am considering adding a Tang (recently jumped on the bandwagon after ditching the BF idea) as the last fish to my tank. I’ll make sure it’s got enough algae before I can support a Tang. Which Tang do you feel is the hardiest, most disease resistant, forgiving, easy conditioned and peaceful? Thanks and I would appreciate your opinions. 5 ft tank.

2 other 8” fish: One Spot Foxface and Marine Betta.

3-4” fish:

-Flame Hawk pair

-Ocellaris Clowns pair

-Trio of PJ Cardinals


All Tang lovers, experts, and Tang police can answer. Thanks.

I have nori, Hikari Algae Wafers, Hikari Mega Marine Algae as part of my diet for my Tang and FF. Also, fresh seaweed will be fed when possible.

Other (Acanthurus, Paracanthurus, Naso etc.)

Not sure about the Kole tang as I have no experience with that fish. My yellow tang has been easy and healthy though. Whatever you do, stay away from powder blue/brown. Disease magnets!

 

[joekool]

I have a vlamingi tang. He is beautiful and he's getting that really a distinct face and long streamers.

I plan on filling the tank with a bunch of chill fish before I add anymore tangs and they will all go in at once.
They will be
Sailfin
Scopus
Yellow eye kole
3 tank breed yellow
Maybe orange shoulder don't know.

 

[SebastianReefer]

Correct me if I am wrong but I’ve read mixed reviews on the hardiness and disease resistance of Kole Tangs. Bob Fenner contradicts himself on his own site. In his article specifically devoted to the Kole Eye Yellow, he says they’re a hardy and undemanding species as long as I can get a healthy one. However, in his “general” article on the Bristletooth genus, he says they’re fragile. Hobbyists including ones here also seem to have mixed reviews of the genus. I do agree the Kole looks very pretty but I want to make sure it is the safe option for my experience level.

Zebrasomas seem to get a good reputation overall when it comes to their hardiness, but I’m not sure if anything under a 6 footer is enough for one to be happy?

Out of all the Tangs, which ones are active swimmers and which ones are more limited in the space they use?

I know my One-Spot Fox Face is going to be a very active swimmer (or is it?) but my Marine Betta is a slow one.

I think fish are like dogs you could have two of the exact breed and both act totally different one of my first foxface would swim right up to top of I was around the one I have now is a drama queen

 

[SebastianReefer]

Not sure about the Kole tang as I have no experience with that fish. My yellow tang has been easy and healthy though. Whatever you do, stay away from powder blue/brown. Disease magnets!

Everyone says that but I went against the grain and my powder blue is amazing and healthy as could be and I’ve had a long time I think there are a lot of factors that can make or break a fish just my two cents

 

[SebastianReefer]

Yellow tang all the way. I have had 4 tangs (yellow, blue, sailfin, kole) in a 120 4x2x2 for many years and just recently added a 5th (Naso)

Blue tang has been with me 7 years and is gorgeous but also the only one that ever gets a spot of ich from time to time when I fall way behind on water changes or feedings.

Sailfin requires the most food and the only tang I have to specifically feed nori to. All others get what they need from eat tank algae and the mysis I feed other fish.

Kole is just plain ugly in my opinion and is the most difficult to get trained on meaty foods / nori. In 2 years he has never taken one bite of anything except algae on the rocks. But dang that fish can clean a rock!!

Yellow tang is a rockstar with show stopping beauty. Been with me for 9 years through 3 moves and 1 early tank crash. Spent 2 years living in a 55g with the blue tang. Harrasses any new fish for 15 min or so but after that its all good.

Go with the Yellow. Can get tank raised yellows now too!

My yellow is a beast and fat as could be I agree

 

[Bruce1066]

My role eye does his job at controlling algae

 

[Conrad Noto]

Hi everyone, I am considering adding a Tang (recently jumped on the bandwagon after ditching the BF idea) as the last fish to my tank. I’ll make sure it’s got enough algae before I can support a Tang. Which Tang do you feel is the hardiest, most disease resistant, forgiving, easy conditioned and peaceful? Thanks and I would appreciate your opinions. 5 ft tank.

2 other 8” fish: One Spot Foxface and Marine Betta.

3-4” fish:

-Flame Hawk pair

-Ocellaris Clowns pair

-Trio of PJ Cardinals


All Tang lovers, experts, and Tang police can answer. Thanks.

I have nori, Hikari Algae Wafers, Hikari Mega Marine Algae as part of my diet for my Tang and FF. Also, fresh seaweed will be fed when possible.

Other (Acanthurus, Paracanthurus, Naso etc.)

I personally would suggest a Vampire Tang- (Acanthus tennenti) I've had most and worked with all. Acanthus tennenti is easy, fun, good looking fish, relatively inexpensive. Love mine, my Hippo is an ****** that rips up my frags, knocks over rock and plays basket ball with my inverts. 7 years, little ******* doesn't get sick. Velvet out break 3 years ago, lost 1/2 my fish. He never got a spot, bullies the tank except for my red lip blenny..... he thinks he owns the joint lol

 

[Conrad Noto]

I've had several tangs and for sum reason beyond me they all die...so I gave up on the tangs tho they're my favs...

Naso are the only ones I had zero luck with went thru eight of them ranging from 2" to 10". Can never get them to eat, they waste in 2-4 weeks. My tank gets fed red, brown, purple and green seaweeds, plus 6 chopped macro algae. Don't understand it. I have expert level things that thrive but I can't grow GSP.... why? lol

 

[Acskippy]

Hi everyone, I am considering adding a Tang (recently jumped on the bandwagon after ditching the BF idea) as the last fish to my tank. I’ll make sure it’s got enough algae before I can support a Tang. Which Tang do you feel is the hardiest, most disease resistant, forgiving, easy conditioned and peaceful? Thanks and I would appreciate your opinions. 5 ft tank.

2 other 8” fish: One Spot Foxface and Marine Betta.

3-4” fish:

-Flame Hawk pair

-Ocellaris Clowns pair

-Trio of PJ Cardinals


All Tang lovers, experts, and Tang police can answer. Thanks.

I have nori, Hikari Algae Wafers, Hikari Mega Marine Algae as part of my diet for my Tang and FF. Also, fresh seaweed will be fed when possible.

Other (Acanthurus, Paracanthurus, Naso etc.)

Peaceful is DEF not yellow, purple, or brown. A white fin bristletooth is imo the prettiest and as long as hes the only tang or system is large, thats my choice.

 

[mickeysreef <*))))<]

I've had a lot of tangs and I've learned you never know what you're going to get with these fish. you never know how they are going to act or what they will do. depends on their individual personality and the situation they are introduced to. yeah there are some general characteristics but when you get a fish that doesn't meet those then how valuable was it to really know that before buying?

one thing that absolutely rings true is that a lot of them are ich magnets. so if you can't say your tank is ich free then just stay away from that type. powder blue, brown and gold rim imo are the nicest fish though.

I didn't vote in the poll because my advice is just pick the fish you like best and give it a shot, might work out or not. the tangs in my tank currently are sailfin, powder blue, yellow, tomini and yellow belly hipppo.

my tank is currently ich free but I've seen ich on all of them. I lost two yellows to waste away. yellows have been some of the most aggressive. tomini only eats tank algae and is very fat, tends to hide out a lot. sailfin is a pig and requires a lot of feeding. recently he broke his jaw somehow. my purple was surprisingly friendly with everyone including yellows.

try to get your lfs to hold the fish for a couple of weeks if you're not going to qt or buy an already treated fish.

 

[Zionas]

Seems like quite a few people have trouble getting Bristletooth Tangs on prepared foods even after they’re established. Do they often starve to death and never accept any prepared foods?

 

[Oregon Grown Reef]

A 10 gallon tank with a small hob filter and some media is all you need for a qt. It's less than 2'x1'. Better to do that and not have to spend money on the same kind of fish a couple of times that won't eat. That's where you get them acclimated to prepared foods. They're more likely to accept prepared foods if they don't have to compete for them. Put them into a dt and they're intimidated by every other fish trying to eat. Even if the dt isn't disease free, there are still benefits to qt first. Put a bag of media in the dt for a month before getting the fish and you won't have to worry about ammonia. Just feed light.

 

[ApoIsland]

Seems like quite a few people have trouble getting Bristletooth Tangs on prepared foods even after they’re established. Do they often starve to death and never accept any prepared foods?

It's true my bristletooth has never eaten prepared food in a little over 2 years. The guy who had him before me said the same. If you have enough rock they will survive no problem though because they are such an efficient eater. The bristle tooth will eat at least 10 times the rock algae any other type of tang will eat. This is the reason I will never have another once I can get the kole out. The other tangs (except the yellow) just don't get enough to eat which requires supplemental feeding which I hate doing.

 

[Clarke]

Purple hardy but expensive, yellows get to big fast.

 

[Zionas]

So.... it’s pretty much down to a Yellow or a Bristletooth for me. I am worried about the aggression of a Yellow Tang towards my two other big fish that I plan to have: OSFF and Comet. Heard they are jerks, or are they okay?

Scopas get to a foot long, even in a 6’ tank they will only have equivalent of 6 body lengths horizontal and 2 body lengths in width. Purple Tang maybe if I can find and I can drop the money, they get to 10” so 6 body lengths in a 5’ tank or 7 body lengths in a 6’ tank, horizontal (tank 2’ wide) they can swim the equivalent of almost 2.5 body lengths.

For Yellow, 7.5 body lengths in a 5’ and 9 in a 6’. Same for my OSFF and Marine Betta though I doubt the latter would use up half that space. For Tomini, equivalent of 8-9 in a 5’ and 12 in a 6’. For the 7-8’ Koles, Blue Eyed Kole gets to 8’ like YT so the same. For the other Koles (Indian, Yellow Eye, White Tail) 8 body lengths in a 5’ and 10 in a 6’.

 

[mort]

I've never seen a captive grown scopas, yellow or purple, approach anything like wild potential so I wouldn't be to hung up on that figure. Scopas will probably grow a little larger but not enough to rule it out ime if you are comfortable keeping a tang in a 5ft.

The issue of mixing them with the betta is another thing you will hear differing opinions on. I'm not really a tang guy and I only have one because I'm looking after it for a friend but my betta hated it when it was first introduced and went awol for a few weeks, refusing to feed. I was worried that it would stay reclusive but it got used to it and now pushes it around. I'm still counting down the days till the tang goes but if your a fan of tangs then you won't see it as an issue because they will just get used to each other. I would say that I'd suggest getting the betta settled and confident before even thinking of adding the tang because tangs can become very tame and dominate and it might be hard to settle one with a tang present. The foxface on the other hand won't cause any issue at all ime, mine was present before the betta and they have never bothered each other one bit.

If you are trying to narrow things down then for me I wouldn't want a yellow with a osff simply because they are to similar, so a kole would be my choice out of those two.