Tang Question...?????HELP!

[alextheromanian]

ok so i have a 75 gal 45 lb of rock...planning on adding more rock as i get more money but im actually planning on adding piece by piece ...as in whenever i bump into a piece i like..ill buy it...much better than the first set of rock i bought...you dont get to pick.


EITHER WAY!

parameters are fine everyone in it is happy...well sorta.

i have 4 clowns they all do fine they picked at each other and now i guess they figured out who is king (queen) and who isnt.


a cardinal...hes being a little BI@TCH...always alone and i dont care for him since he picks on green chromisses.

1 green chromis out of 5 left...because the cardinal was being a jerk(the chromis seems to swim with the clowns now...he has been for about 2 months).

lawnmower (my fav!)
yellowhead goby(interesting guy likes to dig out his home)


3 weeks ago...one of the lfs stores around here sold me a FLAMEFIN tang. i have had bad luck with tangs in the past with ick and not eating but the owner of the store said he ate like a pig for the two weeks they had him and that since he knew me to be a customer that goes there alot he said he would actually guarantee the fish for 10 days...something he doesnt do but he said he was sure this fish would do fine.

well he does...he eats like a pig swims alot eats literally anything you throw at him including the ocasional garbage flying around from when i clean the glass.


since i figured he did well i was looking for another tang to add in there. and i wanted a YELLOW tang ...since they seem to be hardy and be good algae cleaners(i have a bit of algae)


well the yellow tang i got from petco on the first day he came in(I KNOW I KNOW!) ..you dont do that....but ive been waiting for one for a while and last time they got one in someone else got him before i had a chance to see how he does over a few days before pucrchasing him.


after purchasing him...i put him in a 29 gal with a sump and rock i have...he stayed in there for a day and a half and wouldnt touch food at all.

i tried OGO plants/dry seaweed/vegetable delight seaweed/bryne/misis/ there was even some hair algae growing on the base rock i have in there...and HE WOULDNT TOUCH ANYTHING!

the parameters are fine on that tank aswell but the tank has only been running for a month.


well today i got nervous...so i put him in the 75 gal tank...and he started picking off the rock immeadiately.


also ...IMMEDIATELY the flame fin came to him...looked at him...then looked at him again...then got closer and started shoving his tail at him...sorta like "THIS MY TANK AH0LE!"

well the yellow was picking at the rock/shoving his tail back at the flamefin...the little barbs were sticking out...


THIS TAIL...DUEL...went on for about 30 mins...no agressivness or biting just tail shoving...i watched closely...then i noticed they were both picking at the glass...an rock togheder and when they came to close to each other this tail shoving would continue.

i went for a jog and when i came back i found them not fighing anymore (the tank lights were off and the flame fin that was in there fist went to his usual sleeping spot)

question is...do i need to rearrange the rocks? maybe this will solve any future tail fighting? or should i let it be..and they will jsut establish teritories on their own.


ALSO i just wanted to add one more tang in there...and this would be a KOLE tang ...does anyone have any ideas on what i should do to have the most succes with this.

i dont want them to kill each other and i also cant purchase all of them at once since the LFS stores around here usually have bad fish selections and it takes a while to come acrosst something you like...thats also healthy looking.

[vikusik]

IMHO, Your tank is way too small for three tangs!

[alextheromanian]

Originally posted by vikusik
IMHO, Your tank is way too small for three tangs!

so keep it at 2?

[aslavatortin]

troll...I hope

[alextheromanian]

Originally posted by aslavatortin
troll...I hope

???

[chatyak]

1 tang in that size tank if you want success and peace... make it a kole or a yellow

[vikusik]

I agree with chatyak. 2 is more than enough. They will outgrow your tank. Good luck!

[alextheromanian]

thank you guys!!!

[Tswifty]

Originally posted by alextheromanian
???

I mean it's kind of a ridiculous question if you look at your first post.

You already have 2 tangs fighting it out, and you're asking about adding a third to the equation. It'd be like pouring gasoline on a fire in a tank that size.

I would monitor the current two you have. Hopefully the fighting will lessen, and they will learn to "tolerate" each other. It may, it may not... agression levels will vary from fish to fish. I doubt moving the rocks around will change much in a tank that size.

If it gets bad and you notice them beginning to harm each other, you can stick an eggcrate divider in the tank for a while and see if that helps. Ultimately you may need to make the decision to get rid of one of them, as yellow tangs are known bullies.

Your cardinal more than likely did not pick off the chromis. They are known for taking each other out, until the dominant one is left in smaller aquariums.

4 clowns isn't a great idea either... sounds like you've got a time bomb ticking away there.

IF it was me... here's what I would do.

Take out 2 clowns, and the yellow tang... leaving you with:

2 Cardinals
2 Clownfish
1 Tomini (Flamefin) Tang
1 Lawnmower Blenny
1 Yellow Goby

Then:

Possibly try some more chromis
A wrasse or two
Maybe a jawfish
A pair of cleaner shrimp are also interesting to watch

A dwarf angel such as a Flame Angel or Potter's Angel would make a better addition than a Tang.

Whatever you decide, Good luck... I would just make sure to keep an eye on the tangs so they don't injure one another.

[alextheromanian]

Originally posted by Tswifty8
I mean it's kind of a ridiculous question if you look at your first post.

You already have 2 tangs fighting it out, and you're asking about adding a third to the equation. It'd be like pouring gasoline on a fire in a tank that size.

I would monitor the current two you have. Hopefully the fighting will lessen, and they will learn to "tolerate" each other. It may, it may not... agression levels will vary from fish to fish. I doubt moving the rocks around will change much in a tank that size.

If it gets bad and you notice them beginning to harm each other, you can stick an eggcrate divider in the tank for a while and see if that helps. Ultimately you may need to make the decision to get rid of one of them, as yellow tangs are known bullies.

Your cardinal more than likely did not pick off the chromis. They are known for taking each other out, until the dominant one is left in smaller aquariums.

4 clowns isn't a great idea either... sounds like you've got a time bomb ticking away there.

IF it was me... here's what I would do.

Take out 2 clowns, and the yellow tang... leaving you with:

2 Cardinals
2 Clownfish
1 Tomini (Flamefin) Tang
1 Lawnmower Blenny
1 Yellow Goby

Then:

Possibly try some more chromis
A wrasse or two
Maybe a jawfish
A pair of cleaner shrimp are also interesting to watch

A dwarf angel such as a Flame Angel or Potter's Angel would make a better addition than a Tang.

Whatever you decide, Good luck... I would just make sure to keep an eye on the tangs so they don't injure one another.

ill do so then

i forgot to mention i have 2 cleaner shrimp and 2 peppermint in there

along with the usual snails and little hermits.


what id like to do is eentually have a reef so im trying to limit it to reef safe fish.

i heard wrasses can be mean with shrimp.

[Eklikewhoa]

I thought I had a lot of fish......

[alextheromanian]

Originally posted by Eklikewhoa
I thought I had a lot of fish......

why how much do you have?

[kmf507]

1 tang (maybe) in a 75......

[happyhonker]

I agree with tswifty

[majawestphal]

I would go with only one tang in a 75 IMO.

[Toddrtrex]

Originally posted by kmf507
1 tang (maybe) in a 75......

Yep. Suggest just keeping your tommi tang. And getting rid of 2 of the 4 clowns, in time you will end up with 2 anyways.

Plus what you have is going to be a huge bioload for a 75 if you want it to be a reef tank, going to have water parameter issues in the future.