A Clown Tang with Butterflies

[dinogeorge]

I have a 220 with lots of butterflies. I love it. But I want to add a Clown Surgeonfish and wondered if any of you have had one. I know they are supposed to be aggressive towards other tangs, but do they mess with other stuff? In another tank I have a Powder Blue and he is about as nasty to every single fish in there as he can be. If a Clown acts that same way, he’ll kill my Butterflies.
Any advice?

 

[nicetry]

If you have a tank of fairly sensitive ish that you really like, I'd suggest against adding another fish that can be very aggressive/pushy, even to fish other than tangs. The other main consideration is that clown tangs are very difficult to maintain in captivity. Most don't live to adulthood. I'd pass on this fish if it were me.

 

[dinogeorge]

Hey, thank for the advice man. I spent the day doing more reserach on these tangs and have found your comment about them to be the norm. Not worth it for me.....or the tang!
Thanks again.

 

[kjr_trig]

I would tend to agree George, there is the aggression issue, and the sensitivity of your Butterflys issue, plus the poor survival rate of the Clown Tang....On another note, would love to see a picture of a tank full of Butterflys, do you have any posted anywhere?

 

[nereef]

i don't have any experience with the aggressiveness of clown tangs, mostly because they don't live. i don't know why, but everytime we get one for the store's big tank they die before they reach 3". they just sort of deteriorate.
less aggressive tangs that might work, imo, would be: the veliferum or desjardinii sailfins, kole, chevron, maybe even a naso if your 220 is an 8-footer.

 

[pastor b.]

Dear hobbyist , I can tell you from experience . I brought my Clown Tang about two years ago from a proprietor in California .When I first got it , it was only 2 inches . Today ,it's an impressive 6.5 inches . And I must say this about the C T. As it becomes older ,it becomes more aggressive towards some of my other fish . The two fish that my C T are aggressive towards are : The 7" Queen Angelfish , and my 5.5" Yellow Tang . The C T doesn't bother my hippo tang or my blond naso tang at all . The C T must have richly oxygenated marine water in order to survive. For anyone attempting to keep the Clown Tang . Its not impossible . You just have to be able to meet the Clown Tangs demands .

 

[dinogeorge]

Originally Posted by kjr_trig
I would tend to agree George, there is the aggression issue, and the sensitivity of your Butterflys issue, plus the poor survival rate of the Clown Tang....On another note, would love to see a picture of a tank full of Butterflys, do you have any posted anywhere?

One of the things I swore I was going to buy myself for Christmas was a good camera. When I get one, I'll get a picture of my Butterfly tank and post it. Of all of the tanks I have ever had, this one is really my fav.