Purple and Yellow tangs

[das75]

Have a 145g that slowly turning into a reef tank with a 4-5" Purple tang. As the tank is room divider, rock is laid out down the center with lots of swimmer space on either side.

Wife is wanting more fish and is leaning towards a yellow tang. Realizing that I might have problems will aggression so if I was to add a YT, wondering on what size I should get (same size as the PT or smaller).

Other fish are two Ocellis clowns and three blue/green chromis that do nothing but hid in the rock.

 

[jdeets]

Purples are pretty aggressive, IME. A baby yellow would probably be killed pretty quickly.

If I were in your situation, I would probably add 2 yellows at the same time; if you just add one, it should be big enough to defend itself against the PT--i.e., about the same size as, or slightly larger than, the PT.

Unfortunately when it comes to adding fish and their meting out territory amongst themselves, etc., there are no guarantees--you just have to try it and see what happens.

Good luck.

 

[fungia]

i think the tank is big enough, the yellow can hide for a few weeks and the two tangs will learn to get along. some people told me to put a big mirror on one side of the tank to keep the current tang busy when i added my new tang. i didnt try it but it sounds like a good idea.

 

[Anonymous]

IMO two Zebrasoma Tangs in a 145 will probably be just one Tang within a couple of years.

 

[bwmalloy]

Never had a purple tang but a good friend keeps a purple and a yellow. They are probably about the size you are talking about, maybe the yellow is a little smaller. They do just fine. He had 2 purples and sold one back to a store because it was too aggressive.

 

[FragMaster]

IMO two Zebrasoma Tangs in a 145 will probably be just one Tang within a couple of years.

I agree totaly. Prety agressive towards eachother.

 

[I'm Your Huckleberry]

In my 135 reef I have a Purple Tang, Yellow Tang, two Blue Tangs, a Powder Brown Tang, and a Red Sea Sailfin Tang. They all get along just great. Once in a blue moon they will squabble for a few seconds, but it is truly once in a blue moon and only for a short while. It almost always involves the Powder Brown Tang. In a 145 you shouldn't have too much trouble unless your Purple is a real bully.

 

[moggyhill]

In my 135 reef I have a Purple Tang, Yellow Tang, two Blue Tangs, a Powder Brown Tang, and a Red Sea Sailfin Tang. They all get along just great. Once in a blue moon they will squabble for a few seconds, but it is truly once in a blue moon and only for a short while. It almost always involves the Powder Brown Tang. In a 145 you shouldn't have too much trouble unless your Purple is a real bully.

That is alot of tangs in a small tank. They must still be pretty small. I think that once they get bigger you will begin to notice more aggression issues.

 

[Anonymous]

I had a purple tang that was easily the meanest fish I ever owned. I eventually took it back to the LFS for for credit. That was in a 75G.


I have found that tangs do behave less aggressively in a larger tank. I had an Atlantic Blue Tang in my 75G that was pretty mean too. When I moved it into my 300G tank it's whole personalty changed within a few weeks. It was like I gave it a Valium or something.

Your tank might be big enough. I like that your rock is in the center. That does double the swimming space. My 300G is aquascaped the same way.

Louey

 

[FragMaster]

In my 135 reef I have a Purple Tang, Yellow Tang, two Blue Tangs, a Powder Brown Tang, and a Red Sea Sailfin Tang. They all get along just great. Once in a blue moon they will squabble for a few seconds, but it is truly once in a blue moon and only for a short while. It almost always involves the Powder Brown Tang. In a 145 you shouldn't have too much trouble unless your Purple is a real bully.

:lol:
Guy and I agreed two Zebrasoma xanthurum Tangs (purple tangs) wouldnt get a long with eachother.
Not that they wouldnt get along with other tangs ( they do tend to be agressive towards yellow tangs though so be careful).
You only have 1 Zebrasoma xanthurum Tang in your description hence the lack of agression with your lone Zebrasoma xanthurum Tang (purple tang) .

I ment to correct the broad naming in the above post of mine but never did 8O

Here are some links where you can read about them.
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?articleid=2042
http://aquariumreference.org/SpeciesLib ... N=10000078
http://www.solodvds.com/saltwater_index ... eons&ID=36