Can I get a Powder Blue Tang?

[donnievaz]

Here's a better pic, I like them because their body shape is very similar to a butterfly.

 

[Humblefish]

I would have to do TTM with CBB. What size TTM would you recommend? I currently have 2 2.5 gallon which are small. Was going to use those for 6 line wrasse.

I've used CP on multiple CBBs without issue, but a couple of 10 gals would be ideal for TTM with one.

Any other butterfly fish that are good options?

All of the Hemitaurichthys (Pyramid) Butterflies are supposed to be reef safe. They just aren't the prettiest.

 

[Humblefish]

@donnievaz I love Singapores, but they have the potential to literally destroy a reef at any time. I had one for a year, and then woke up one morning to find him going to town on my corals.

 

[donnievaz]

@donnievaz I love Singapores, but they have the potential to literally destroy a reef at any time. I had one for a year, and then woke up one morning to find him going to town on my corals.

Don't all angels pretty much have that potential?

 

[Humblefish]

Don't all angels pretty much have that potential?

Not Genicanthus. And Dwarfs will usually just start nipping, whereas large angels (including Singapore) can do a lot of damage quickly.

 

[Ryan81886]

I have a Flame Angel in my 150g reef tank and it is the only Angel I have ever tried that didn't touch my coral or inverts at all. For the size tank that you have I would recommend some type of brightly colored flasher wrasse and possible a flame angel. A 75 gallon is pretty small for much more than that.

 

[shred5]

To me the Acanthurus tangs require the biggest tank of all tangs and include the most viscous tangs with the powder blue being on top..
They just hate other tangs and other fish and are relentless.

I just had to trap my white cheek, he was killing everything and he is small and the last fish I added. The only fish he did not go after was my Kole because he was twice the size but he still challenged him from time to time. Eventually that would change too. He even went after my foxface. There are always exceptions too but those can change at anytime too...

It does not matter a 75 is to small and your Kole probably wont like another tang anyway and two tangs in a 75 is way pushing it.. I have a hard time with mixing tangs in my 6 foot tank..

 

[shred5]

Not Genicanthus. And Dwarfs will usually just start nipping, whereas large angels (including Singapore) can do a lot of damage quickly.

Correct they are plankton feeders vs grazers and are much more reef friendly. Issue is they get big and require bigger tanks.. Might be ok in a 75 for a while.

 

[rovster]

I would say no. Mine is in a footprint of 52x26 and he's become increasingly aggressive and I may have to get rid of him soon. Have had him for almost 2 years and he's fat as a horse, but you can tell he's getting cramped...

 

[Scott.h]

Personally I think it depends on the fishes personality and size when added.

 

[frankragghianti]

I've been all over this site and other for years, just wanted to reach out to see if anyone had some experience with multiple tangs in a 75 gallon or a tang (kole tang) with some of the smaller Angels. I know there are a lot of mixed views about them being nippers of corals and some people say they never touch them.

I would love a Potters Angel but they are finicky to acclimate I hear

have a Japanese swallow tail in 125 gallon with lots softies for six months no problem at all

 

[MRRBW]

i had a lemon peel angel and it was ravaging my birdsnest, so out it went. I have a potters right now, it nips a little, but nothing major. Was very easy to acclimate for me. 75 gallon is probably way too small for a PBT though. Yellow tang should be good though, add lots of color and life.

 

[7hogwarts]

I have an African Flameback angel in my 125. He is a model citizen.

 

[1stNoel]

That might be more feasible. I would condition the CBB in your QT, so he's eating well before being added to the DT. Or train him to eat out of your hand like @saltyhog does. They sometimes don't compete well with other fish for food.

My CBB eats from my hand. You're absolutely right about them not competing for food. The way I've overcome that is putting the food in a turkey baster and letting him "break the pinata". That way he gets some food, and everyone else is conditioned to let him go first.

I have a PBT. He's been great personality-wise, but he continually gets ich and so I currently have him in quarantine.

I love having angels too. I have a Swallowtail Angel and he's been a stellar tankmate. I've been tempted to try a Regal Angel, and probably will bite the bullet at some point.

 

[Cary Hover]

Can I add a Powder Blue Tang?

I have a 75 gallon mixed reef with 36 gallon sump. The tank is now almost 9 months old, well cycled, parameters perfect.

Current Livestock:
Kole Tang
Starry Blenny
Royal Gramma
2 Stubby Ocellaris Clowns

My reservations:

I know 75 would be on the small side for a PBT.
Will Kole and PBT fight?

Any thoughts? I really would like to add another few fish, my tank is pretty boring in terms of fish life in there.

Any thoughts on another livestock suggestion? Any of the "reef safe" Pygmy Angels? Anthias? Wrasses? Other tangs?

Thank you!

I currently have a Kole, Naso, Yellow,Black Shoulder, and a Powder Blue in my 450, mixed in with a Majestic, Emperor, and a Passer Angel with three Maroon clowns, 3 designer clowns, melanarius and six line wrasse, Bangai Cardinals, and some gobys. Everybody gets along and they love their algae that I feed twice daily clipping it close to the bottom of the tank but they will eat anywhere. Keeping the fish well fed helps but don't overfeed. They also get dry flake and mixed 5 in 1 frozen once a day. I have lots of Acros, chalices, some mushrooms, leathers, hammers, one large paly colony and one Lymph. I had to remove my acans, zoas, and any fleshy lps mainly because of the emperor. Fish temperaments can change over night and you just have to watch and have a sump ready to take out whatever becomes food. If you are going to add a PBT make sure the size is right, not to big and not to small compared tot he other tangs and don't wait to long. I want to add another Blue Line Angel since the one I had decided to jump one afternoon and when I find one I'm going to add a Queen Angel along with it to give the rest of the fish two new additions to bully instead of just one. I read that a lot of the fish I have together with my reef wouldn't be safe but I have had no problems with my SPS and that is what I am focusing on. I would love to have zoas but that aint going to happen now. I think youll have no problem. The ick thing is always a concern with any blue colored fish and buying from a trusted source will help. I surely don't agree that there is a 100% chance they will catch it. None of my fish have and I don't have a quarantine tank which is a big no no but who can afford that. I'm already going broke keeping the 450 up and running. Good luck, always check your levels, process everyone's opinion but in the end you have to try it, it just may work!

 

[DiegoS]

My PBT was basically the first fish I introduced in the tank. Not recommended to be the first one but I just had the opportunity of getting one very cheap. He had ich. I had to put him on QT for 2 months and treat with cupramine. It took him around 1 week to start eating seaweed. But I pushed him and finally started nipping the seaweed from the clip. After two months with the DT empty and PBT in Qt and transferred him. He became more active and more hungry. From that day I had to start QT every single new fish and even treat with cupramine as preventive measure. Even my clown fish went through that process just to protect the PBT. The next tang I introduced was a purple tang. At that time the PBT was already big. The purple tang was still small. Fight started right away and I had to capture the PBT and put on acrylic box until he got used to the PBT. Today I have 4 tangs. PBT, blue tang, purple tang and sailfin along with other fishes. All good so far. My tank is around 150g.

 

[DiegoS]

My PBT and purple tang being friends

 

[Greg Setzer]

Can I add a Powder Blue Tang?

I have a 75 gallon mixed reef with 36 gallon sump. The tank is now almost 9 months old, well cycled, parameters perfect.

Current Livestock:
Kole Tang
Starry Blenny
Royal Gramma
2 Stubby Ocellaris Clowns

My reservations:

I know 75 would be on the small side for a PBT.
Will Kole and PBT fight?

Any thoughts? I really would like to add another few fish, my tank is pretty boring in terms of fish life in there.

Any thoughts on another livestock suggestion? Any of the "reef safe" Pygmy Angels? Anthias? Wrasses? Other tangs?

Thank you!

 

[luke33]

I have a PBT in my 180g and he is a menace. At this point i can't trap him and can't add any more fish as he will kill them instantly. He took out a foxface, CBB and a couple goby's in a years time. I would highly advise against it in a 75g. That being said he's a bold and beautiful fish that is healthy as a horse.......but if i could trap him he would be gone in a second.

 

[shred5]

I have a PBT in my 180g and he is a menace. At this point i can't trap him and can't add any more fish as he will kill them instantly. He took out a foxface, CBB and a couple goby's in a years time. I would highly advise against it in a 75g. That being said he's a bold and beautiful fish that is healthy as a horse.......but if i could trap him he would be gone in a second.

Try a aquamedic trap ,, I trapped 3 fish I wanted out of my reef on the first try..
I set it in for a day and the next day added food. I feed a little less that day and when I added food all three went in one by one.