How aggressive does Sohal Tang gets?

[Dussumeiri]

I currently have a Sohal tang on my 150 gallon tank. It grow 3" in the last year. Once in awhile it chases the Blue tang briefly like a second or two but not to a point of hurting it.
I'm currently cycling a 400 gallon 10'x2.5'x2.5' I'm planning to put additional rare angels. I have read horror stories from other people that after awhile there Sohal become so aggressive killing other fishes. I'm concerned about this and would like to hear peoples advice and experience. Thanks!

[R-nel]

They get pretty aggressive...I have mine with the Achilles, Purple Tang, Sailfin tang along with other wrasse. He goes after the sailfin and Purple tang but leaves the Achilles alone. He's about 7" now...I'm also in the process of moving them to a larger tank, hopefully it will take some aggression out.

[dzfish17]

No personal experience here but from what Ive read they dont do well with powder brown or blue tangs. I've also seen that some people have had success with them but as you probably know every fish is different and has its own temperament.

[honcho]

A friend of mine has one in a 550 gallon. He has had the tang for over 5 years and it is now 12 inches. Its the only fish in the tank now as it has killed every other fish. Grew more agressive the larger it got. Last fish he tried to add was a 10 inch clown trigger. That lasted about 2 weeks before became the latest victim. If he puts his hand in the tank the sohal will attack it. Just a mean fish

[geaux xman]

man, so a 12" sohal took down a 10" clown trigger... those are about the two meanest fish on the block.

[BANDIT ANGEL]

Everyone told me that sohals are aggresssive but my 5inch sohal was killed by a 3inch purple tang in two days!!!

[AfricaOffroad]

My guy has calmed down over time (last 6 months).
He is the dominent fish in the tank with 7 other tangs.
Only time he gets upperty is when I feed Nori, he hates getting bull dozed by the other tangs. When I put my catch box in the tank, the sohal takes it as his personal domain. Moves in and chases everyone away from it - kind of defeats the purpose of the box !!!.
Things get interesting when him and the purple are in the box at the same time, not much space left.

My sohal is very tame, eats out my hand and when I'm working in the tank he is all around, nibbling on my arm. I open my hand and he will swim into it.

Meanest tang of my group is a big purple tang I call "Psycho Sid". He has an evil glint in his eye!

I've recently met a few fish where I was nervous to put my hand in the tank. At a mates place the other day, he had a 1000L flow bin with a single fully grown gem tang in it - around 10 inches. He was checking me out at the water surface, I put my finger in the tank, he went moggy tail thrashing , circling, sprayed me full of water. Another mate had this stripped snapper (with check scientific name, you often see the cute little juveniles for sale in LFS's). waved my hand over the tank, it lauched itself at my hand, luckily I pulled back or it would have had my fingers for dinner - its revenge for our equivalent of fish fingers !!!

[Gogandantess]

Originally Posted by honcho

A friend of mine has one in a 550 gallon. He has had the tang for over 5 years and it is now 12 inches. Its the only fish in the tank now as it has killed every other fish. Grew more agressive the larger it got. Last fish he tried to add was a 10 inch clown trigger. That lasted about 2 weeks before became the latest victim. If he puts his hand in the tank the sohal will attack it. Just a mean fish

Wow that's crazy! I'd be bored to have just one fish in a tank that size.

[snorvich]

Originally Posted by Dussumeiri

I currently have a Sohal tang on my 150 gallon tank. It grow 3" in the last year. Once in awhile it chases the Blue tang briefly like a second or two but not to a point of hurting it.
I'm currently cycling a 400 gallon 10'x2.5'x2.5' I'm planning to put additional rare angels. I have read horror stories from other people that after awhile there Sohal become so aggressive killing other fishes. I'm concerned about this and would like to hear peoples advice and experience. Thanks!

I took one out of a tank about the size (350) of your planned tank. I would never do it, but I am risk averse having been burned once.

[agreeive?fish]

he could be a ***** cat or he could be as bad as an crack addicted x wife who hates your guts and your late on the allimoney payment and she needs money NOW for her next crack fix

it all depends on the fish but i would venture to guess most are gonna follow the lines of the x wife discription

[cakemanPA]

I have an 8" Sohal in my 8' tank. He is tame but yet let's the other fish know he is in charge. I still think this a fish dependent thing but the risk level is much higher with a Sohal. My tank jerk fish is my Sailfin. Gorgeous fish but a complete butthead. I will eventually retank him. He messes with everyone but the Sohal.


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[Sardaukar]

The reality is that pretty much every report of a 'peaceful' sohal was of one that was below a foot in length. Once they get into the 12"+ range, they almost universally turn into killing machines unless they are in a public aquarium or something. This is the usual pattern imo:

Under 5": Can show some aggresiveness, but often fairly benign, especially if there are other larger tangs or angels.

5" to 10"ish: Usually starts showing serious signs of aggression and may already be a fish killer through harassment. Some fish are still calm and seem to be model citizens. This is usually where you see people like cakemanPA who have large-ish Sohals that are not problem fish. The reality is that they are not problem fish YET.

11"+: By this size Sohal's, by almost every account I have heard, actively kill other fish. It seems the BEST you can hope for is that a huge sohal will dominate feeding time, kill almost all new fish, constantly harass established tank residents and generally create a feeling of tension and stress as it quickly performs laps in even the largest tank. I think 64ivy had one of the better behaved 14" sohals out there and even he got rid of it for these reasons.

[pinnatus]

Jut got rid of mine Saturday. It was peaceful at times, but a terror at other times. Very sneaky about it too. My Achilles had ich, but shortly before it died it had 2 large slash marks on it, which likely came from the Sohal and likely hastened his death. My purple tang had a nice slash on it as well. I have had many tangs in the past, but the Sohal was just evil. Glad its gone.

[Jens Kallmeyer]

Originally Posted by Sardaukar

....Once they get into the 12"+ range, they almost universally turn into killing machines unless they are in a public aquarium or something.

Even in some public aquaria the divers don't want to dive in a tank with a Sohal in it because of its aggression.

[sTefaniA]

They are very agressive. I went diving in the red sea last year, and the sohals were everywhere. You would have to hurry and get in the deep because the big sohals in the shallow water would come and attack your feet.

[snorvich]

Originally Posted by Jens Kallmeyer

Even in some public aquaria the divers don't want to dive in a tank with a Sohal in it because of its aggression.

Yes, like me.

[Sheol]

They will *ATTACK* divers!?! That bad. I always though t it was Clown tangs that were the most aggressive tangs. That's almost scary..

Matthew

[cakemanPA]

I just got rid of mine too I came home to find my now 10" from nose to end of streamers dead on the bottom of my tank. I have no idea what happened. All other residents are fine. Some Sohals must be the devil in the fish world, but mine would feed out of my hand. Not a good hobbyist night for me. I hate unexplained fish deaths. I did a quick autopsy. No cuts, no wounds, no inflammations, gills looked fine, eyes were still clear.

[sTefaniA]

Originally Posted by Sheol

They will *ATTACK* divers!?! That bad. I always though t it was Clown tangs that were the most aggressive tangs. That's almost scary..

Matthew

Jup, they would try and chase you away by slapping their tail against your legs

[Stanley-Reefer]

Mine has started challenging the syphon and my hands during maint. Got my first cut a couple weeks ago from a spine grazing. I love it though

[Aqua Man 07]

mine is just fine but he is the smallest tang in my tank

[dzfish17]

Originally Posted by Aqua Man 07

mine is just fine but he is the smallest tang in my tank

Not for long.

[Gogandantess]

Originally Posted by sTefaniA

Jup, they would try and chase you away by slapping their tail against your legs

Does any of the natives eat this fish?

[reefsic]

I've personally never owned a Sohal, but most Surgeonfish from the genus Acanthurus are pretty aggressive.

My A. Pyroferus, was hyper-dominant and pretty much harassed every new addition to my tank. Became very territorial and even slashed my arm a couple times, while moving rocks. Claimed every spot as its algae patch and every fish stressed out, stopped eating, starved or ended up with ich! Cold blooded Killer

GL!

[MrTuskfish]

I love the way Blue Zoo describes their temperament; passed on to me by another member:
"Wide berth should be given to this Red Sea inhabitant as it’s aggression extends from the tangs to Parrotfishes, Triggerfishes and whatever else it may feel particularly displeased with."