how many tangs in a 125?

S

smt91278

Guest
its tough to decide which tang to go with in a 125 FOWLRLS setup. I'm looking at 3.
Blue Hippo Tang
Blonde Naso Tang
Sohol Tang (Zebra)
If at all possible, I want to put them all in the tank. I would put the Zebra in last. I dont plan on having alot of LR. Some recommend 125lbs. I want to create a tang with large LR. I want to make caves, and eventually start a reef. I want all 3, but I dont want to get burned later.
thanks for the help
 
tjswanson

tjswanson

Member
When I had my 125 I had an orange shoulder, sailfin and naso. All the tangs you listed are from different genuses, so you have that going for you. But an adult Sohol gets very large. If you had those three tangs I would not want many more fish, especially if you want a reef tank eventually. Hippo Tangs can be fairly hard to keep since they are very prone to ick and Naso Tangs make great fish and it would be fine in a 125g. tank. I would have almost all the live rock you want in the tank first since you will have die off and your levels will spike. Then as far as the fish, I would add the Naso and Hippo first and then after they get well established get a 4-7 inch Sohol. They are probably have the meanest disposition as far as a tang goes, but he will be king of the tank so I doubt you will have any problems unless you get an extremely mean Sohol. The one I had did really well with other fish and tangs AS LONG AS THEY ARE NOT PART OF THE ACANTHURUS CLAN! I hope this helps and good luck. Sohol Tangs are my favorite.
 
karajay

karajay

Active Member
I think you could do two tangs in a 125g, but I wouldn't recommend a Naso or a Sohal in anything smaller than 200g (and certainly not both in the same tank). They get huge (18" +) and are very active stiff-bodied fish.
Considering that your tank is probably 24" (front to back) an adult fish would barely have room to turn around.
 
tangpolice

tangpolice

New Member
I agree. The Hippo is a great Tang but you're asking for trouble adding any more than one Tang in your 125.
 
tjswanson

tjswanson

Member
I'm sorry I have to disagree TangPolice. I have had great success mixing the different tangs from the different families. As long as he doesn't add two tangs from the same genus he will be ok. If those are the only three fish he wants, he could do it. SMT just be prepared to either trade off a huge naso and sohol someday or upgrade your system, but if you get smaller fish between the sizes of 3-6 inches you will be able to enjoy them for several years before they get big enough to out grow your tank. In my opinion the Sohol is the only one that will really out grow your tank because they are insane swimmers, when he gets to be a full grown adult of about 12 inches you will want a bigger tank for him or find someone with a bigger tank.
 
tangpolice

tangpolice

New Member

Originally posted by tjswanson
I'm sorry I have to disagree TangPolice.
That is fine :) I tend to look for the permanent long-term solution. It would break my heart to keep a beautiful Tang for 6 or 7 years and then have to either send him away or watch him succumb to disease & stress from being in a tank where the other tangs are slicing and attacking.
Perhaps I think of my fish as pets and not just decoration to be traded when they get too big.
I understand the desire for Tangs. They are gorgeous. I just will never understand how someone can enjoy watching Tangs fight with each other or cower in a corner.
 
tsl

tsl

Member
I have a 5-year old Hippo Tang and a 2-year old Sailfin in my 125. They have always got along until recently. My hippo tang has developed a very nasty temperment. He doesn't like any of the other fish in the tank anymore. He nips at the Sailfin now and is also fighting with my big female clownfish and my two dwarf angels. He even goes after my LMB from time to time. The Sailfin runs away from him when he gets in these moods, but the clown doesn't put up with his crap. Hopefully he will return to the way he used to act, but I doubt it. He deinitely isn't too big for the tank. I don't know what his problem is.
 
stacyt

stacyt

Active Member
I've had the same experience as TSL. I had 3 tangs in a 240 for about 18 months. Then one day the whitecheek decided he needed more room and made quick work of the other 2. The whitecheek is the only tang left in the tank. It may work for a while but probably not for the long run. As they get bigger they will start getting aggressive towards each other. I've seen it happen so many times in other freinds tanks as well. If you want to keep a tang for life in a 125 I would only choose one.
 
M

mastino mike

Guest
I would not put more than 1 tang in a 125. I know have 5 tangs in my 700+g and the fish seem to use every inch of the tank. Ive kept 3 tangs in a 90 before but never got great growth rates. My tangs seem much happier in a larger set up, they behave differently. All of my tangs and Two of my Angels sometimes school up and graze together. A 125 may seem big to us but its a jail cell to a strong swimming fish like a tang.
 
razoreqx

razoreqx

Active Member

Originally posted by TangPolice
That is fine :) I tend to look for the permanent long-term solution. It would break my heart to keep a beautiful Tang for 6 or 7 years and then have to either send him away or watch him succumb to disease & stress from being in a tank where the other tangs are slicing and attacking.
Perhaps I think of my fish as pets and not just decoration to be traded when they get too big.
I understand the desire for Tangs. They are gorgeous. I just will never understand how someone can enjoy watching Tangs fight with each other or cower in a corner.

I agree with TP on this one.. One Tang per tank under 200g.. They are very aggressive towards their own species.. its not the size of the fish and the tank in question with this species.
If you have more than one thats great.. You probably introduced them at the same time.. but that doesnt mean conditions might change later and they start to fight with each other. Then you have a stressed tank.. I just dont think its worth the risk to my investment.
Solution.. buy more tanks :)
 
downtime89

downtime89

New Member
My 125 6ft reef tank currently has three very happy and healthy tangs in it, the first added was medium yellow tang, second was a medium regal and the last was a large sailfin, none of the tangs fight and all are healthy and happy fish, i have even only had ich on those fish once and it was gone within a week without removing any fish from tank and i have not had it since. So imo 3 tangs in a 125 depending on length of tank, and on top of those 3 tangs i have a royal grama, false perc clown, bar goby, green mandarin, and a blue damsel.
 
saltfan

saltfan

Active Member
Very interesting conversation. All having different opinions. Welp, I'll throw in mine then, and whoever likes tangs is gonna love this one. I've had multiple Tangs in a 125g for 5 years (sailfin,scopus,yellow,). So there lies the trick. Its what kind you put in. the Scopus and the Yellow are not going to get very big, the Sailfin on the other hand is, but I leave Romaine Lettuce in the tank at all times so they do not fight for food. I recently moved to a 240g tank, because I wanted more swim room, because I wanted more tangs. So for a year now, I have Sailfin,Yellow,Scopus,Hippo,Naso,Tennant Tangs in this tank with the same result, no fighting no deaths, and getting BIG. So, to your original question, No. I would not put those Tangs in a 125g, they are simply going to get to big. But..., If you had nothing in the tank but swim room, I might shy towards the ok side, just those 3 fish. You do realize how big, in the long run, they get. If you just want short run fish, then O YEA, put them in, you could keep them for a few years until they outgrow the tank. They grow, but not overnight mind you. If thats what you want, enjoy them while you can.
 
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