How many / which tangs can I get for my 150 gallon?

[BSej]

Hello,

I am looking to get some tangs for my tank. It is 150 gallons / 4 ft long. I already have a sailfin tang. The tangs I am looking at are

Powder blue
Gold rim
Purple
Yellow
Blue
Whitetail yellowfin

How many can I get? Are there any to stay away from? They will be going through the full quarantine protocol provided on this site. My QT is only 20 gallons, how many can I put in there at once?

 

[crazyfishmom]

In a 4 foot tank, anything other than zebrasoma or bristletooth tangs will not do well long term. I Willa Lao say that sailfin tangs get giant and will need a bigger tank in a couple of years.

In a 20 gallon quarantine, I would only do baby tangs and no more than 2 at a time.

 

[CO2TLEY]

Multiple zebrasoma in a 4ft tank will definitely be an issue. Especially being added at different times. I had trouble in a 6ft with a purple and sail

 

[Malum Argenteum]

I remember when the rule was one tang to a tank. They seemed not to be dying all the time back then.

 

[littlefoxx]

Hello,

I am looking to get some tangs for my tank. It is 150 gallons / 4 ft long. I already have a sailfin tang. The tangs I am looking at are

Powder blue
Gold rim
Purple
Yellow
Blue
Whitetail yellowfin

How many can I get? Are there any to stay away from? They will be going through the full quarantine protocol provided on this site. My QT is only 20 gallons, how many can I put in there at once?

A yellow would probably be okay. No more. Tangs need length in tanks, way more important. I have 5 that I moved from a six foot tank to an 8 foot 300 gallon tank cause I felt that they needed more room. Especially that powder blue, gold rim and purple. They will not do well at app in that rank

 

[Idech]

I have a yellow tang and a blue eye kole tang in my 4 foot tank. Those two work, in my case.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I have a yellow tang and a blue eye kole tang in my 4 foot tank. Those two work, in my case.

^^^ This.
OP, choose a bristletooth tang and don't add more than one.

 

[crazyfishmom]

Multiple zebrasoma in a 4ft tank will definitely be an issue. Especially being added at different times. I had trouble in a 6ft with a purple and sail

I think it largely depends on a variety of both fish and tank specific situations. I had a white tail, yellow, and sailfin in a 42 foot long tank and had no aggression. They were all added at around 2.5 inches and fed to exhaustion. Disease wiped them all out unfortunately. The tank was being used as a grow out tank as I got ready for my 210 gallon. Disease was brought in by a pyramid butterfly from a vendor that “fully quarantined” but definitely didn’t.

In a 6 foot tank I now have 2 yellows, a gem, a blue hippo, a Kole, purple, PBT, and sailfin. The yellows and gem were added together. They were already adults. The blue hippo was added a month later also as an adult. The rest were added every 3 weeks after that, all juveniles. Never even needed the mirror trick. They were mad on the first day, mostly for about 2-3 hrs. I observed closely and was ready to go in case I needed to remove or move rock work around but again, largely depends on very specific conditions for every tank. They will be moved to a 500 gallon tank in a year.

 

[Dburr1014]

I had a white tail, yellow, and sailfin in a 42 foot long tank and had no aggression.

Any pics of the 42' long tank? That must have been crazy too clean the glass.

 

[crazyfishmom]

Any pics of the 42' long tank? That must have been crazy too clean the glass.

Sorry, 42 inch tank.

 

[crazyfishmom]

Sorry, 42 inch tank.

I wish I had a 42 foot long tank. #dreams

 

[buruskeee]

I have 3 yellows, a purple, and a yellow belly blue in my 5 foot long that is also 150g. My blue is only about 6” right now, and in a few years when it gets to about a foot long I’ll probably be upgrading to a 6 or 7 foot tank.

I would look at total length over total volume when looking for tangs. They need to swim. As others have said, a bristletooth and a couple yellows are probably the most you want to put in there.

 

[BSej]

Well this isn't fun to hear. I really wanted a powder blue. Is that totally out of the equation?

 

[crazyfishmom]

Well this isn't fun to hear. I really wanted a powder blue. Is that totally out of the equation?

PBTs are amongst the most aggressive tangs, particularly in a tank that’s not appropriately sized. In a six foot long 150, I’d say go for it but in a 4 foot tank? I’d say please don’t. My QTis a 4 foot 55 gallon and my PBT was an absolute terror in it despite being only 3 inches long. He’s a much happier guy in my 6foot tank and model citizen.

 

[BSej]

PBTs are amongst the most aggressive tangs, particularly in a tank that’s not appropriately sized. In a six foot long 150, I’d say go for it but in a 4 foot tank? I’d say please don’t. My QTis a 4 foot 55 gallon and my PBT was an absolute terror in it despite being only 3 inches long. He’s a much happier guy in my 6foot tank and model citizen.

I see. What about the gold rim, purple, blue? I'm definitely ok with getting the whitetail and yellow. From what you all are saying, I should not have any more right?

 

[crazyfishmom]

I see. What about the gold rim, purple, blue? I'm definitely ok with getting the whitetail and yellow. From what you all are saying, I should not have any more right?

Gold rim and PBT are similar in temperament. Blue hippo tangs can grow to about a foot long so they really do need that 6 foot tank. Purples can be big jerks unless they have lots of space.

If you want more than a white tail and a yellow, maybe consider a scopas or a tomini.

 

[kenchilada]

FREEZE DIRTBAG THIS IS THE TANG POLICE!!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hello,

I am looking to get some tangs for my tank. It is 150 gallons / 4 ft long. I already have a sailfin tang. The tangs I am looking at are

Powder blue
Gold rim
Purple
Yellow
Blue
Whitetail yellowfin

How many can I get? Are there any to stay away from? They will be going through the full quarantine protocol provided on this site. My QT is only 20 gallons, how many can I put in there at once?

Powder blue and powder brown will become a nightmare based on aggression with others and aggression with feeding. Six is a safe number to start with and a tomini tang, white tail bristletooth and chocolate tang are other good tangs to consider

 

[kenchilada]

I kept tangs in my 135G. Had a Kole, tiny baby sailfin, naso, yellow, etc. Buy them small and when they outgrow the tank find them a new home or upgrade. No big deal.

 

[kenchilada]