I want to get a Blue Tang for my reef, but?

[Teremei]

for my 125, I'm gonna make sure everything is moved in and let the tank mature for awhile. But should this tang be added last or is it a friendly enough tang, that if I got a small one, I could add a few wrasse and smaller fish afterward?

One last thing I'd like to know, how much of zooanthid eaters are they? I plan to have alot of zoa's in this tank.

[mr_o98]

Depends on the tang. If you get an aggressive tang, I would add it last. I have a Convict Tang and have added multiple fish after him. The Tang has actually befriended the fish and helped them acclimate to the tank. I have never had any incident with my Tang and zoa's. I have multiple zoa colonies and have never had the Tang pick at anything except algae.

[Teremei]

Well the tang is deffinatly going to be a blue tang. So you think this is ok to get a juvy blue tang and through the months later still add a couple gobies and wrasse afterward?

[Gary Majchrzak]

Originally posted by Teremei
Well the tang is deffinatly going to be a blue tang.

Which species of "Blue Tang"? (There are several commonly called "Blue Tangs".)

[Teremei]

Originally posted by Gary Majchrzak
Which species of "Blue Tang"? (There are several commonly called "Blue Tangs".)

If you don't know what tang I'm talking about. It's the tang the most commonly called a blue tang. Hippo Tang, Regal Tang, Regal Blue Tang, Hepatus Tang, Palette Tang, Yellow Tail Blue Tang, Pacific Blue Tang.

I have read many posts about these fish becoming zoa nippers. My question is how bad is it. can they wipe out entire colonies?

[Gary Majchrzak]

It's always good to know what fish is being discussed.

Paracanthurus hepatus is probably the "friendliest" of the "Blue Tangs". IMO it's a fairly intelligent species, too.
Any Tang can be a possible coral nipper.
Personally, I've never had any Surgeonfish ever touch a zooanthid- but I used to have a Hippo Tang that would pick up rather large frags and drop them in my carpet anemone or hide them in a dark cave to dispose of them.

[Teremei]

Originally posted by Gary Majchrzak
but I used to have a Hippo Tang that would pick up rather large frags and drop them in my carpet anemone or hide them in a dark cave to dispose of them.

What? Oh man that's funny!

[Gary Majchrzak]

Not funny if the frag was expensive!
This same Hippo would "splash" people for attention (food).

Buyer beware: all 3 commonly imported "Blue Tangs" (Powder, Atlantic and Pacific) should be QT'd before introduction to a reef aquarium. (Ick is a problem common with all of them.)

[Teremei]

Originally posted by Gary Majchrzak
Not funny if the frag was expensive!
This same Hippo would "splash" people for attention (food).

Buyer beware: all 3 commonly imported "Blue Tangs" (Powder, Atlantic and Pacific) should be QT'd before introduction to a reef aquarium. (Ick is a problem common with all of them.)

Wow I guess a hippo tang can be very personable!! I appreciate your advice on QT. But I do not QT neither does my pholosophy require it. I DO have ick in my tank. I've seen my fish have minor spouts of it. But it has never killed as I keep a roomy and healthy tank. Thank you.

[cardgenius]

I have a juvi hippo in my tank with zoos and dont have any problems. Not aggresive at all. Very friendly and personable. Do be careful they get ick very easy.

[Teremei]

Originally posted by cardgenius
I have a juvi hippo in my tank with zoos and dont have any problems. Not aggresive at all. Very friendly and personable. Do be careful they get ick very easy.

Oh I know. He'll be going in a very roomy tank with 0N, 82F, cleaner shrimp, and proper levels. He should be ok.

[Omar H]

The problem with tangs is that when they get ick, they really get it. Not a spot here and there, they can get completely covered. The P. Hepatus that I've got gets ick from time to time but being the oldest (6 years) and most dominant fish of the tank, he is able to get over it without a fuss. That being said, I would wait until the 125 is up, running and stable. They really do require the space. I had mine in a 55 too, before the 125 and wish I had waited. I don't think it ever reached the size it should've . At 6 years with me (and probably another 18 months back at sea), my hepatus is about 5-6 inches,, way small for its standard size of 12"

JMO

Omar

[Omar H]

Oh, and his peaceful enough with any fish, corals or clams. He will eat bristleworms though...

The only rules that other fish have to keep in mind for peaceful coexistence are:

1. No bullying of blue tang or else...
2. If you're a tang, mind your own business.
3. If you're not sure what kind of a fish you are, just remember 1.

Esentially it is no bully, even with tangs, but it won't tolerate bullies or show-off's.

Omar

[Teremei]

Originally posted by Omar H
Oh, and his peaceful enough with any fish, corals or clams. He will eat bristleworms though...

The only rules that other fish have to keep in mind for peaceful coexistence are:

1. No bullying of blue tang or else...
2. If you're a tang, mind your own business.
3. If you're not sure what kind of a fish you are, just remember 1.

Esentially it is no bully, even with tangs, but it won't tolerate bullies or show-off's.

Omar

I do have a Coral Beauty that knows she's the dominant one in the tank. She might harrasse him a little when I first get him. So I'm thinking maybe I shouldn't get too small of a specimin. And I do plan to wait until the 125 has been fully stable for awhile. I went to buy some rock from a guy who had a 150g and his blue tang was only 6-7" so I don't know if your BT would have been much bigger even if you had waited. The few BT's I have seen in stable long term displays have been 6-7" max. Even in 200g or larger!