I have a yellow tang and just recently added a kole tang. They are getting along great. The kole has only been in the tank for 4 days. At first the yellow didnt like it but after a couple of hours the yellow was fine with it. They actually hang together now.
I would like to get a powder blue tang. I know this is risky since I already have two tangs. Any suggestions on how to add the powder blue?? Any body have any luck with several tangs in there tank ? I now know that I should of added the yellow last. Any advice or experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
the tank is a 90 gal. I have a damsel, clownfish(nemo), yellow tang, yellow eyed kole, coral beauty, and a purple firefly gobie.
I think adding another tang to that size tank with the other two would be too much you would almost certainly end up with an aggression issue at some time.
[quote=“Hudzon, post:2, topic:6424”]
I think adding another tang to that size tank with the other two would be too much you would almost certainly end up with an aggression issue at some time.[/quote]
+1. On that size tank and that many different tangs in the tank may call for a royal rumble.
I’ll disagree with the masses on this one … I kept a large blue hippo, a medium-large sailfin, and a mid-large purple in a 75 for years with no issues.
When I moved them to the 120 I added a large yellow to the mix.
Now I have all 4 tangs, 2 ocellaris clown fish, a tomato clown, green chromis, and a six-line wrasse. I have no aggression issues or other problems to deal with.
The key is to make sure there is PLENTY of food for them to focus their attention on, if there’s an abundance of food they don’t worry as much about having to compete to eat. I feed at least 1 sheet of nori a day tied to a rock.
I agree with Craig that multiple tangs have been successfully kept in smaller tanks. Ime tangs of the acanthurus family (clown, powder blue, Achilles, etc.) require more swimming room than their smaller cousins. I would never put a powder blue in anything shorter than 6’. My first one was in a 5’ tank and once it out grew the tank it got stressed out and died. I was able to extend it’s life with daily selcon soaked nori feedings and rearranging the rock for more swimming space, but it eventually succumbed to the stress.
While the yellow and kole tang have similar body shape they actually belong to seperate subfamilies and you shouldnt have much of an aggression problem. That being said every fish is different. I’ve seen yellow tangs that rule with an iron fist and yellow tangs that are total wimps even though their the biggest fish.