Three tangs in a 120? Scopas/Powder Brown/ Kole

[xxxbadfishxxx]

My tank is looking barren and would like to add some life. I have a 120 display (200 total volume) and would like to add a Kole and powder brown tang. Right now all i have is a small scopas, mandarin, yellow watchman and bangaii cardinal.

Also, thoughts on how they would get along? If only think i can house two, who would get along better with Scopas.

[cody6766]

This probably won't be a whole lot of help with specifics, but the powder tangs (brown and blue) can be pretty aggressive. I'm unsure of how they are when introduced last, but I'd be concerned about fish with similar shape and color. The Scopas is kind of a similar color and the Kole is vaguely a similar shape with drab coloration. I'd be worried about an angry powder brown lashing out against either one.

I'd get the kole tang for sure and maybe be brown if people give you the thumbs up on it.

[mark54321]

I have three tangs in 120 gal.tank: purple tang,tomini tang and hippo tang.Purple is more aggressive than scopas but mine peacefully coexists with tomini (similar size and same family as kole tang)and hippo for 9 mos.now.As far as powder brown I have no experience with it .If you decide to have all three I would add powder brown and Kole at the same time to spread any aggression from scopas.Good luck

[xxxbadfishxxx]

Yeah, def. Want at least one. They might not be the last fish I add though, but would be for at least 6 months

[Chris27]

Hopefully you don't get berated for not having a 10' tank....so that said....

If your goal is to successfully keep those three together, then starting properly up front is in order. If you haven't already, you'll want to get everyone in QT to weed out any parasite issues now. Additionally, you'll want to ensure that you have an over-sized well performing skimmer, as tangs need a good bit of O2 and they can poo with the best of them.

The scopas has the ability to get overly aggressive, and I've heard similar stories with the powder brown, but if you add all three at once, you'll have a better shot at it. All three of those guys is on the smaller side when mature, so I think tank size should be ok, just keep your rockwork open, as Power Browns have a tendency to pace back and forth.

Just remember....the No.1 factor to making this work is QT....without it you're playing Russian roulette with some beautiful fish as the casualties.

[john rochon]

having owned tanks from 500g to 33g and present 180g, I would not put 3 tangs in a 120g. for one, It will be very very hard to keep up water quality so
algea and pest will be an issue, not to mention tangs need to cruize.
the POWDER I wouldn't keep in there. The KOLE and SCOPAS possibly both of them but remember they don't stay small either. In my 120g I kept 1 tang and a few other small fish.

[Liquid Hobby]

FWIW: I've got 2 scopas tangs in my 120, one large one medium. They are most aggressive towards each other with lots of tail bumping between the 2. Interestingly, the large scopas will try to push any fish out of 'his' lair except for the juvenile koran angel. Nobody messes with that little angle fish!

[JPhan1]

I had just a scopas and bought a small powder brown and kole and added them at the same time to take all the focus off just one tang. The scopas is the largest and was in the tank for about 8 months when I added in thr powder brown and kole and the scopas only chased the powder brown for about a day and stopped and now they all get along just fine