Tangs

[TD13]

I am gettin a 100 gallon reef and thinking of keeping three tangs such as a hippo tang, clown tang, and a purple or salifin tang would u think they would get together well

[der_wille_zur_macht]

Nope. That's definitely too many tangs for a tank that small, besides the fact that you've chosen a bad mix of species.

In a 100g, you could probably get away with 1 or 2 smaller, less aggressive tangs. Look for guidelines on overall size in books or online, and if you do risk two, get fish with different coloration/body type.

[Andrew]

You would be better off getting a yellow tang, kole tang, scopas, or convict tang. They don't get as large as most tangs and you could put one or two in a 100 gallon tank.

[XSiVE]

If you want to mix tangs, make sure to get the ones that have different body shapes as a general rule of thumb is that the similar body shaped tangs tend to be aggressive toward one another.

IMO a good mix (aquarium size not considered) *example* would be a powder(blue or brown), a hippo, and a yellow since they are all pretty different from each other... I could be wrong though so someone please correct me if so.

[NUBIANTANGLOVER]

Yes,

You can have Tangs, but they must be of different body sizes or introduced simultaneously. The clown tang is one of the most aggressive tangs! It is known to kill other tangs and is classified as a huge bully. Now, there are always exceptions to the rule. Most tangs require at least 75g or more for swimming space as their overall development is dependant upon their excercise levels too. This is one reason why they love water turbulence. By swimming throughout/in water turbulence they get plenty of excercise. Also, if you do decide to get tangs of the same body shape, introduce them together.

[JamesJR]

I would very strongly advise you to not get a sailfin or clown tang. The clown tang gets very large (Easily obtains a size of 30-35 cm or more) and is a very fast mover needing extraordinary large amounts of swimming space and current. The sailfin is very hardy, but obtains a size that will ultimately be too much for a 100 gallon tank.

I would suggest the Tomini or the chevron as these tangs stay a lot smaller. I think a hippo should do okay, but it may outgrow it as well. The yellow would make a pretty good choice as well. I would definately advise you to not mix 3 tangs together in a tank that size. I think 2 would really be a stretch, but with the smaller varieties you may be able to get away with it.

[kathainbowen]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10503063#post10503063 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JamesJR
I would suggest the Tomini or the chevron as these tangs stay a lot smaller.

Bleh! The chevron? So super-amazingly beautiful as young, but so horrifically expensive. To make it worse, they grow into utterly drab and disappointing adults for the cost (IMHO, of course, unless you get an awesomely-awesome deal!). Although, I would agree 100% + on the tomini! Such a pretty and subtle elegance to them between their build and their coloration.

I'd steer clear of the Acanthurus tangs in general. They're usually not suited to hobbyist tanks since they need lots of swimming space as well as water turn over and pristine water quality. Even still, they can be difficult to keep under the best conditions for beginners. Clown tangs, in addition to being known for snippiness, in addition to not being very hardy. Not a beginner's tang, among others. This would include the achilles, powder blue, white cheek, orange shoulder, and others (which would just take too long to list)

With the aggression tangs can often have with one another, and with how large they can get or difficult to keep, I would recommend sticking with one of the smaller to mid-sized and hardier tang varieties. This way, you can have plenty of space for stocking with other animals and little worry of aggression. Like having your cake and eating it, too.