choosing the RIGHT tang

[nbagnardi]

ok, if you're part of the tang patrol, please keep your responses as professional as possible. I'm not trying to stuff 984752498572409528 tangs in a shot glass.

i have a 5' tank with a light bioload as it is but miss the appearance and functionality of a happy and healthy tang. i had a large purple at one point that died on me after 2 years, no idea why. but its been hard to find a replacement for him. he was great, hand fed and all. no other fish showed any signs of stress or illness so I'm chalking it up to it being his time. my current livestock is as follows:

- pair of lightning maroon clowns (breeding)
- a medium ruby head wrasse
- a small/medium female flame wrasse in transition (was part of a mated pair but the male jumped during a water change)
- a medium/large springeri dottyback
- a medium starry blenny
- a medium blue throat trigger (male)

i'll attach a few pics of my system and show you i have the means to filter out a much heavier bioload as well.

my experience with tangs is small. i got lucky with my purple and picked him up from a fellow reefer who was breaking down his tank. i've tried to QT a white tail bristle tooth, twice, and each time they didnt make it. i LOVE the blonde naso tangs but know they get BIG, but slowly. please feel free to share your experiences with your favorite tangs. thanks a lot everyone!

 

[dakoop]

Purple is one of my favorites.

 

[Highgrade]

I'd go with another Purple Tang. I picked mine up from Brian at Reefwise. He was fat and healthy when I received him. I put him in QT and he had no signs of any parasites or infections. Went through 3 treatments of Prazi and a few rounds of Metroplex. Then onto the Cupramine treatment for 8 weeks. He began showing signs of HLLE after 6 weeks of Cupramine treatment which copper can cause. He bounced right back once I stopped the treatment. HLLE completely gone within a couple of weeks. Monitored for a few more weeks before adding to my display. He is very docile compared to other Zebrasomas I've seen being jerks.

 

[melypr1985]

I'd say any of these would work: Purple tang, Yellow Tang, yellow eye kole or any bristle tooth tang, black tang possibly, one spot foxface (not a tang, but still cool and the one spots stay smaller than the others)

 

[nbagnardi]

I'm leaning heavy towards a purple. just something about them that i can't get over. the more research i do on the naso's i just don't have enough real estate for them long term. the black tang is a dream fish. @melypr1985 i haven't done any research on fox faces, i've heard they like their corals so i've stayed away. i will definitely check them out though. thank you for the recommendation!

 

[ca1ore]

5' tank would exclude sailfins, hippo, Achilles and any of the nasos. Most other zebrasomas would work, as would the bristles. Acanthurus can be problematic, though mimics and convicts probably ok still.

 

[nbagnardi]

The convicts are cool looking as well but I've heard they're hard to get established? Lots of issues health wise. @ca1ore

 

[nbagnardi]

@ZoaCollector @revhtree @Reefwise @All Delight @BSA Corals @Pieces of the Ocean
any insight?

 

[nbagnardi]

I'm leaning heavy towards a purple. just something about them that i can't get over. the more research i do on the naso's i just don't have enough real estate for them long term. the black tang is a dream fish. @melypr1985 i haven't done any research on fox faces, i've heard they like their corals so i've stayed away. i will definitely check them out though. thank you for the recommendation!

Well so much for not going with a naso... I ended up with a medium sized naso who has the best personality ever. Let's me let him and hand feeds as well!! And I Also picked up a baby powder brown tang... and these two actually get along! Win win!