What tang to add with an established yellow tang?

[Pazzoman]

Hey Everyone,

I have a 150 gallon tank 48x24x30 (LxWxH), I have a yellow tang at about 3-4 inches as well as a marron clown/long nose hawkfish/green bird wrasse all at about 3-4 inches and a pink margin wrasse at about 4-5 inches. I will be removing the green bird wrasse probably as he is killing all of the inverts...

Im thinking about adding a Blue Tang, and of course if he gets too big I'll put him up here for cheap.

However Im pretty sure If i add a blue tang or any other tang it must be bigger than the yellow tang right?

 

[sunny]

Yellow tangs are nasty. Whatever tang you add expect aggression initially. I would take the yellow out and reintroduce him with the new tang. You can also try and place a mirror inside the tank to keep the yellow busy while the new fish settles.

I have quite a few tangs in my system and boy is it a challenge to keep all of them happy

Good luck.

Sunny

 

[Jlavine]

I have heard of people taping a magazine picture of a fish (blue tang) to the outside of the tank and rotating it to different places every few days. They leave it for a few weeks and then add the real fish. No idea if this works though.

 

[Dre]

Yellow Tangs are not that nasty IMO. Yellow tangs don't pursue an attack. Any Tang similar in size or bigger will be okay in a 150.

 

[jvu61]

have a sail fin tang yellow tank a yellow eye tang and chevron all introduced at different times in a 300 gal. first few days they would chase the new guy around a bit but I would tap the glass when they did that after a few days they all learned to get along

 

[evoIX_Reefer]

I had a yellow tang and tried to introduce a long nose butterfly and it was pretty nasty. It was also pretty nasty to a hippo that I introduced ~week apart.

An established yellow tang is pretty aggressive. I might have to remove mine and just switch it to more of the "higher end". I'd love an achilles or a powder blue.

 

[arthurk0722]

I had a yellow tang and tried to introduce a long nose butterfly and it was pretty nasty. It was also pretty nasty to a hippo that I introduced ~week apart.

An established yellow tang is pretty aggressive. I might have to remove mine and just switch it to more of the "higher end". I'd love an achilles or a powder blue.

An achilles tang is way more aggressive IMO then a yellow tang

 

[sunny]

I had a yellow tang and tried to introduce a long nose butterfly and it was pretty nasty. It was also pretty nasty to a hippo that I introduced ~week apart.

An established yellow tang is pretty aggressive. I might have to remove mine and just switch it to more of the "higher end". I'd love an achilles or a powder blue.

Yup, my experience with Yellow tang is very similar, hence I said they are nasty.

 

[Pazzoman]

Hmm thanks for tips everybody, If I go for a blue tang defiantly will make sure it is bigger. Im debating on removing the yellow tang for a few hours...while the blue tang adjust and than add it back. Also that picture idea doesn't seem like a bad idea as well as the mirror idea.

 

[Kworker]

Yellow tangs are nasty, period. Even nastier than a Achilles and I consider it nastier than a Powder blue as well. Perfect example is the little guy that was with my Achilles who is bigger and wouldn't leave him alone constantly pursuing an issue. Now he is with a Powder blue twice his size and still instigating and looking for a fight.

Both Acanthurus tangs I have would bully new tank mates for a day or two maybe more than would stop. The yellow's just don't stop.

Avoid a yellow unless you are certain the other tangs or tank mates can handle the aggression of a yellow.

However, since the OP is asking bout an established yellow and possible new tang. I would try to get a tang twice the size of the yellow, even than you will run into issues. Most preferable would be to remove the yellow and allow the new tang to establish.

 

[Dre]

Wow, you guys must have nanos..

 

[LongIslandAndy]

I agree with the previous comments, an established Yellow Tang that size (IMHO) is not going to be happy sharing his home with a Hippo tang. I think the only way it could work was if you were able to pick up a healthy large hippo from someone looking to get rid of one (one that is eating and has some girth on him) you would have a shot.

 

[duke62]

My yellow tang is a *****cat. He will hold his ground with the other tangs but does not search for a fight. I had him first and introduced 5 other tangs and other fish and never was the aggressor. Now my Achilles he is a nasty SOB

 

[evoIX_Reefer]

The hippo was double the size and long nose butterfly was about 1/2" bigger. Held it's own but the yellow tang was definitely aggressive pushing it out of the rock work etc.

Achilles > Yellow tang

It'll be the only tang in my tank and be very happy.

How about a purple tang? They seem like a good option as the first tang in the tank.

 

[Kworker]

Wow, you guys must have nanos..

Try 180 gallons and a 3 inch yellow.

 

[Jim]

The hippo was double the size and long nose butterfly was about 1/2" bigger. Held it's own but the yellow tang was definitely aggressive pushing it out of the rock work etc.

Achilles > Yellow tang

It'll be the only tang in my tank and be very happy.

How about a purple tang? They seem like a good option as the first tang in the tank.

I have 8 tangs in my tank and one of my purple tangs in the nastiest of them all. My 2 yellows and black are docile and my achilles is a pleasure.

 

[Reef lover24]

This is the reason I never got a yellow tang as they are very and territorial. I would remove the yellow before adding another. I have a 110 and I have a sailfin, powder brown and a blonde naso without any issues. The sailfin was added as a baby and the powder brown and naso were added together wit the naso being bigger. They all swim happily together.

 

[j0hnnyb0y13ave]

Just put in a powder blue tang and I also have a yellow tang both bout same size as eachother and they don't both eachother as of now.. Plus I have a 75 gal so u got double the room lol should be fine

 

[homegrowncichlid]

Overall zebrasomas are more aggressive than athurcantus. I'm sure I didn't spell that right. If the blue tang is the atlantic blue tang that's an athurcantus and a gentle fish. You talking about the regal blue tang? the hippo tang is pretty strong, not easily intimidated.
Personally I let the fish fight it out, as long as you give them plenty of food to keep them going, though I have added tangs in the past that didn't work out. When that happened I just catch them, fatten them up separately then reintroduce.
The major problem I have is that when a fish stops fighting, he gives up and is too scared to eat.


Anyway, adding another zebrasoma is not a problem, ie sailfin, scorpas, red sea (sailfin, or purple)

 

[marrone]

Overall zebrasomas are more aggressive than athurcantus.

I think you'll find just the opposite. The Tangs in the family Acanthurus are very aggressive, to the point where most can't be kept with other Tangs. Also throw in the fact that they get very large, some close to 2'.

Sohal, Clown, Achilles, Powder Blues, and Powder Brown Tangs are very aggressive to the point where they will keep attacking other fish until they die, and they're not even the largest of the group either. The scalpel on these Tangs is also very large, and they use it to cause great damage to other fish.