How Many Tang's Can You Have In A, 6x2x2 (180G)

Saj · #1 12/27/2004, 04:41 PM

I always wanted a group of tangs in my tank.

Achillies
Powder Blue
Purple
Yellow

Can I have them in a 6x2x2 tank altogether in my tank?

My curreny stock is
10 anthias
6 v. small chromis
4 clowns,
Medium Powder Blue tang.

Skiimer = Deltec 850
LR = 90KG

Water condition is good - with high phosphates
0 Nitrates

beerguy · #2 12/27/2004, 04:44 PM

I have an adult YT in my 180 of the same dimensions. He will not tolerate another tang, tang shaped fish, or tang colored fish in the tank. He also can go from calm to very angry in about .25 seconds. I don't think that you'll have good luck with that selection of fish.

Pick your favorite and buy one.

Cheers

theseeker · #3 12/27/2004, 09:04 PM

I have a 300 gal tank with 3 Med Regals, 1 Lg PBT, 2 Anthias, 3 Scissor tails, 3 Red Firefish, 1 Puurple Firefish, 1 Scooter Blenny, 1 LeBoutty Wrasse, 1 six Line Wrasse and a very lg Diamond Goby. I recently lost a very lg Achilles Tang and a Sohal Tang. Both deaths were caused by ICH! I have found that the Achilles and the Sohals are much more difficult to keep. Mainly because of the heirarchy of the Surgeon family. Tangs are so interesting they will eventually eat from your hand, but their eating habits are the key. You have to train them in a quarantine tank first. If you can get them to eat Nori paper before you put them in your main tank, you have it made. They will always eat live brine but it will not keep them alive. Tangs must have a plant based food such as algae to keep them alive. The easiest way to understand Tangs is to compare them to cattle. They love to graze on the "green stuff"!
Lastly, add the Yellow Tangs last as they appear to be the most agressive.

tahoe98 · #4 12/28/2004, 10:21 AM

I would not add that many tangs to a 180. I would say 2 to 3 at the most for a 180. If you can quarantine them then go for it but if not then i suggest soaking some nori in garlic and Selcon as this helps them fight off diesease and stimulates them to eat. I don't know how your current PBT acts but it may even be tough for you to add one more tang as powder blues are notoriously aggressive. If you have a quarantine tank, I would put the powder blue in there for a few weeks and add the new tang such as the purple, then put the powder blue back in. You still may have some fighting but it will be better than putting one in with the powder blue now.

Saj · #5 12/28/2004, 02:20 PM

Thanks for the advice; on a similar tangent would it be possible to add another 2 powder blue tangs to make a group of 3? Or a group of 4?

Saj

iori_del · #6 12/29/2004, 12:05 AM

The most important is the live rock position.

If u have a lot of hiding spot for them to sleep when the light go off, they wun really fight.

i have a 4' at 60 G and i have tonnes of tangs
achillies
power blue
power brown
white cheek
salfin
yellow
purple
kole
chevron

They don't really fight as i have tonnes of nori for them to nip on and an autofeeder to feed them 4 day a day beside my main feeding.

Seems crazy, that why i spend a lot on skimmer

lduncan · #7 12/29/2004, 12:55 AM

I have these in my 180gal:

Sohal
Blue
Ringtail
2 x Yellow
Brown

No fighting between them, (other than the two yellows during feeding). I think they fight when they are hungry, so keep them well fed and they should be happy.

GuidoSarduchi · #8 12/29/2004, 08:36 AM

Are you serious iori_del ?!?! 9 tangs in a 60 gallon tank??

ledford1 · #9 12/29/2004, 10:30 AM

Saj, you seem to like the meaner tangs. I would keep no more than 3 tangs in a 180. That's a little conservative to some, but too many for some others. Add an angel or some other large, colorful fish in place of so many tangs.

sharla1234 · #10 12/29/2004, 06:03 PM

I have a 135 gal, 6 foot, 10 months old and need to know which and how many tangs I may add now. Current inhabitants are:

2 ocellaris
1 blue spotted jawfish
1 firefish
1 bar goby
1 midas blenny
2 bangaii cardinals
1 mandarin

My fav tangs/surgeonfish are, in order:

powder blue
naso
yellow
indian ocean sailfin

Thanks

ledford1 · #11 12/29/2004, 07:45 PM

sharla1234,
I'd say you could go with the yellow, powder blue, or maybe the sailfin. The Sailfin may be pushing it size-wise though.

sharla1234 · #12 12/29/2004, 09:49 PM

How many and which of my favs can coexist together and do I add them in a certain sequence or all at once? I've been told Powder Blues need to be last.??!!
One friend @ LFS says I may have 3 , the other at LFS says I can add two, but should introduce at same time.

ledford1 · #13 12/29/2004, 10:25 PM

Powder Blues are some of the meanest tangs. You could try it with the Yellow Tang, but if you do, I'd add them at the same time. The YT can hold its own and can be very territorial. The Sailfin is usually peaceful. It would go before any of them. The Naso will get too big for that tank. I'd keep it to two tangs. That seems like it would give you a pretty full tank.

Greg12900 · #14 12/29/2004, 10:58 PM

Where is the Tang Police to go after iori_del???!!!

sharla1234 · #15 12/30/2004, 03:10 PM

Ledford1,
Thanks for your advice. So, you think a Naso would be too large for my 135, 6 foot?

ledford1 · #16 12/30/2004, 04:37 PM

Yeah, Nasos need lots of room because the grow to a large size and are very active.

Saj · #17 12/30/2004, 04:49 PM

a couple of good points regarding Nasos, is that they are not aggressive and they are always in front of the tank. I had mine eating from my hand. Mine grew really fast with 4 feeds a day.

I've decided that achilies would a be a challange, it would cost me jusr above the $100.

If i see a good one I might give it a go.

baddoger · #18 12/30/2004, 05:09 PM

I have 5 Tangs in my 180 along with about 15 other smaller fishes:

1 Yellow Tang
1 Purple Tang
1 Regal Tang
1 Power Blue Tang
1 Achilles Tang

I Put the yellow tang and the purple tang in at the same time all the rest within a few weeks. At first my power blue and achilles were hostile towards each other, but now they are best friends. Also my yellow tang and purple tang get along great. All of them are very fat and happy, no nipped fins on any of them. I still am thinking of adding a sohal tang. I also have around 220 lbs of live rock with many caves that all the tangs hide in. I would say the four tangs you have said would be fine, but i would put the yellow and the purple in at the same time, to minimize the chance of one of them becoming too dominant.

Denadai · #19 12/30/2004, 05:15 PM

HI,

Quote:

I always wanted a group of tangs in my tank.

Achillies
Powder Blue
Purple
Yellow
.

I think you can put them, go ahead !

Roberto

sharla1234 · #20 12/30/2004, 06:16 PM

So, is the consensus that a Powder Blue, Naso & yellow would/should work together?
I don't want them to be too crowded or the Naso to be miserable.
Naso and Powder Blue are my top choices.

iori_del · #21 12/30/2004, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by GuidoSarduchi
Are you serious iori_del ?!?! 9 tangs in a 60 gallon tank??

yup, i am serious, as the price for my fish is very cheap, i tend to buy and buy.

Pls pls dun tell tang police, will try to get the 9 of them together for a family photo..

Trying to add a sohal , black tang, and a few more..

iori_del · #22 12/30/2004, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Greg12900
Where is the Tang Police to go after iori_del???!!!

pls dun, i am trying to upgrade to a 180G after i got my new apartment.

i still i still have flame, coral, potter, golden angel..

seems over stock

but luck i dun have coral

inda14s · #23 12/30/2004, 10:43 PM

in my 125i have a purple sohal naso hippo no problems

Fursphere · #24 12/31/2004, 12:13 AM

I had a purple and a yellow in my 200, and they got along just fine (that was before the 200 cracked, and I had to emergency evac the fish to a 55 gallon, wich eventually led to both of there demises

)

Now I've got a juvenial regal blue in a 300, and he couldn't be happier. I'm planning on adding an achilles tang in the future, and *maybe* a yellow or purple. But with the prices of purples (insane!) I might just get a yellow.

Fursphere · #25 12/31/2004, 12:18 AM

...watching the blue tang swim around in the tank, its obvious that they need LOTS of swimming room, and he's not even full grown yet.

If you've never seen a large tank with tangs, (6' + long, 200+ gallons) please visit one and observe the behavior of tangs in a large tank before you start cramming them into a small tank. I had the blue in a 90 (48"x18"x24") gallon before my 300 was up and running (84"x30"x30"), and its amazing how much the tang's behavior has changed (along with the rest of the fish) in the new tank. Much more calm and "easy going" in the big tank. Not so skittish, not hiding anymore.

The tang's might survive just fine in smaller tanks, but they are open water swimmers. They need room to breath, and lots of it.