Best tang for a 360

[M.E.Milz]

My new 360g (78"x32"x36") reef tank is now up and running with a few fish and several sps frags. The reef will primarily house sps and clams, with a few lps as well.

As far as fish go, I will stay away aggressive fish. I currently have a six-line wrasse, a lemon butterfly, and 3x schooling bannerfish. Future fish will probably include a pyrimid butterfly, maybe a copperband or long-nosed buterfly, a few fairy wrasses (eg, flame, Scott's, filiments flasher, etc.), and maybe a couple of gobbies and blennies.

I am inclined to not add any angles (maybe a Wantanabe) or tangs because of thier aggression. However, I think it might be good idea to add a single tang to help control algae (mainly macro-algae - which was a real headache in my last reef tank). I would like to hear from you all as to which tang you would add. Right now, I am considering:

1) Powder Blue
2) Blonde Naso
3) Regal
4) Red Sea Sailfin

I have had good experience with all but the Powder Blue, which I have never attempted because of their reputation as being a difficult fish to keep.

Thanks in advance, Mike

 

[Osama]

Hi Mike

I would add a yellow eyed & red sea sailfin. My yellow eyed has been in my tank from the very beginning (2-1/2 years) and the sailfin for a year. The sailfin is now huge in size....
Both are doing very well
Osama

 

[Len]

For a 360, I really don't think multiple tangs will be a problem. There's likely gonna be initial agression, but within a few short weeks, 3 tangs in a 360 will coexist very peacefully. In other words, if you like tangs, don't let the issue of aggression stop you.

My favorites (suitable for your tank) are Powder Blues, Achilles, White-cheeked, Sohal, Mustard/guttatus, Purple, Sailfin, Black, and Chevrons. Ideally, one representative from each genus (Acanthurus, Zebrasoma, Ctenochaetus, Naso) is better then 3 from one genus.

Not sure which species you're referring to when you mentioned "Long nose Butterfly," but if it's Forcipiger sp., I don't recommend them in reef tanks. They're supreme carnivores of just about everything, ranging from polycheates to echinoderms to crustaceans to sometimes cnidarians (I had one LONG time ago take out a open brain coral in 2 days). Lemon Butterflies (Chaetodon miliaris) are also iffy (all Chaetodons are), but if yours is behaving, let's not jinx it

 

[Anonymous]

My large sailfin eats a variety of macro algae, including valonia.

My regal tang is much more finicky with macros, I would never get one for algae control. And the regal tang also eats several corals in my tank, xenia. open brains, leathers.

 

[naesco]

You have a tank large enough to have 3 tangs if you so choose. Out of your list the red sea sailfish is an obvious first choice
It will completely coexist with zero problems with a regal tang.
Another good choice not on your list would be a kole tang if you like them. They love film algae.
You are 100% correct in avoiding a powder blue tang as I am sure you are aware that by far the majority of problem fish threads involve the powder blue tang. They are extremely agressive and get sick, die and frequetly take a few of the other tank inhabitants with them.
Leonard mentions the achilles. This fish is in the same category. They seem to do well than up and get sick for no apparent reason. They are an extremely difficult fish to keep.
Good luck with your decision if you need some advice of buying healthy ones or keeping them healthy, ask

 

[dizzy]

Great tank size selection. I have a Red Sea Sailfin (desjardini) and a purple in together and they get along great. They are different sizes. I would suggest a sohal for company and you are on your way to a Red Sea Reef. I also have a Red Sea Regal angel in the tank with the purple and sailfin and he can only be described as spectacular. Neither the purple, the sailfin, or the regal bother any of my corals and it has sps, lps, and softies.

 

[IcantTHINKofONE]

360g (78"x32"x36")

Mike, is this tank being built for you? Glass/Acrylic? How thick? Why did you choose 78x32x36? Just curious.

 

[Lazyreefer1]

If you get blond naso make sure it has streamers!!! If not get a sohal tang. they are great looking and will pace from 1 end of your tank to the other.

 

[elpescado]

You can actually keep a number of different tang species in a 350 gallon, but remember you gotta feed them, and they eat a lot. One of my favorites is the Red Sea Sailfin Tang (Zebrasoma desjardeni), a very beautiful fish. I find powder blues to be quite easy to keep, however they are by nature very territorial (and for good reason). In the wild powder blue tangs can be found in pairs or individually. They control a rather large patch of turf algae, and to ensure that they have food they must defend it from other algae eating fish. There is nothing like watching a lone powder blue trying to fight off a shoal of hundreds of convict tangs, or yellow tangs.
Careful with putting butterflies into a reef tank. If you do, watch them and feed them very well. They are notorious coral pickers. They sometimes leave everything alone, but watch out!

 

[Anonymous]

I've never kept one, but I think in both Fenners and Scott Michael's book the Big Long-nose butterfly is listed as reef safe; Michaels mentions that the other long-nose is not reef safe. I've heard this at my LFS as well.

Leonard, which species did you have?

 

[M.E.Milz]

360g (78"x32"x36")

Mike, is this tank being built for you? Glass/Acrylic? How thick? Why did you choose 78x32x36? Just curious.

The tank was built by Inter-American Pet Supply in Canada as is made from Starphire glass (1" front and side panels). It weighs about 1200 lbs dry. The dimensions were picked because that was the biggest tank I could fit (on end) through the door, down the hallway, and into the living room of my condo (with a few inches clearence).

 

[M.E.Milz]

If you get blond naso make sure it has streamers!!! If not get a sohal tang. they are great looking and will pace from 1 end of your tank to the other.

I would love a Sohal, but everything I have read and heard says that these fish are very aggressive. I don't want half of my fairy wrasses getting chased out of the tank. Am I wrong? Is the aggression of Sohals limited to aggression towards other tangs?

This is the same reason why I will probably avoid yellow and purple tangs (which I have in my FOWLR tank, along with a Chevron).

 

[M.E.Milz]

Thanks all for the replies. It looks like my best bet is a Red Sea Sailfin tang. If I decide to add other tangs, then my next choice would be a blonde Naso. If I do add a Sohal, then I would add this fish last. But that won't be for quite a while since I plan to add fish slowly.

 

[IcantTHINKofONE]

M.E. Milz that's an awesome tank! Starphyre huh? What did the tank itself cost ya if you don't mind me asking?

 

[ReefMon]

Go for the desjardinii!

They DO eat Valonia, have a great personality, and are just beautiful, changing colors every time you look at them!

Glenn R

 

[M.E.Milz]

M.E. Milz that's an awesome tank! Starphyre huh? What did the tank itself cost ya if you don't mind me asking?

The tank ended up being around $2300. Shipping from Canada to Chicago was another $700-$800. And the movers that unloaded, uncrated, and moved the tank into my condo and lifted onto my stand cost me another $1000.

 

[Osama]

Hi Mike:
did you also buy & have shipped the metal stand & sump?

 

[K77]

Go for the desjardinii!
They DO eat Valonia, have a great personality, and are just beautiful, changing colors every time you look at them!

Glenn R

I totally agree. They are a little more expensive than the average sailfin, but my desjardini has more personality (by a long shot!) than any other fish I have. He is still slightly smaller than my purple, but every now and then I see him quickly swim up beside my purple and push his fins all the way out to check his size against the purple. Its usually a posturing stance, but you can tell when he sees he's still smaller, he just swims off with this dejected look on his face. :lol:

He is about a year or more old now, got him when he was about the size of a nickle, literally. The purple is 2 years or more. They get along great, even being from the same family of tangs. They have plenty of room in a >300g to avoid each other, trust me. Mine is a 96x30x26. Its slightly lower in hieght (I don't need the height for SPS), but a little longer, and probably a few less gallons than yours (around 325 I think).

Good luck with those tangs! :wink:

 

[M.E.Milz]

Hi Mike:
did you also buy & have shipped the metal stand & sump?

Yes. The sump and the stand were another $350, plus shipping. It is hard to keep track of the total costs since everything was shipped separately, and because the manufacturer picked up some of the shipping costs do to a couple of goof-ups at his end. Although I did have to pay for my movers twice, once to unload the first tank that turned out to be the wrong size, and again for the replacement tank. It is too bad that I didn't discover the error until the first tank was unloaded and uncrated, otherwise I would have just refused delivery. That little error cost me $950. In all fairness, the manufacturer has offered me another tank for no charge whenever I want to make up for the extra costs I had to eat.