Zebrasoma Tang Tank

[Syed123]

Hey guys. Wanted your opinions since there are many tang experts on this site. This is just the planning stage but I'm planning on starting a tank with Zebrasoma tangs. The tank is going to be a 180 gallon. Dunno how many I'm gonna put in there. Minimum 3 at least to a maximum of whatever can fit in there comfortably. All of the tangs will be different species. All of them will be added together. I want my purple tang in there mixed with a yellow and a Desjardini. I wanted a couple more as well. There are Black tangs, Scopas tangs and Zebrasoma veliferum. The Gem tang is a maybe since it's kinda expensive.

Will 6-7 Zebrasoma tangs work in a 180 gallon? How should I setup the tank? Filtration, flow, etc. Are there any considerations I should make to reduce aggression besides the obvious feeding heavy? My current purple is 6 inches long. Should I get tangs of similar or larger sizes or will smaller sized ones still work? How should I aquascape the tank?

Just trying to get some ideas.

 

[ca1ore]

I think 6-7 in a 180 is pushing it, particularly if you are talking fish in the 6" range. I kept a yellow, purple, black and desjardini in a 265, but had to move the black to my refugium (where it recovered and still swims today) due to relentless aggression from the purple. I have all of the six zebrasoma species represented in my system. but not all in the same tank.

 

[Syed123]

I think 6-7 in a 180 is pushing it, particularly if you are talking fish in the 6" range. I kept a yellow, purple, black and desjardini in a 265, but had to move the black to my refugium (where it recovered and still swims today) due to relentless aggression from the purple. I have all of the six zebrasoma species represented in my system. but not all in the same tank.

So best chance would maybe be an 8 foot tank huh? What are the dimensions of the 265 gallon?

 

[Faisal27]

So best chance would maybe be an 8 foot tank huh? What are the dimensions of th


Yeah an 8 foot tank will work and will be much better .. I have around 10 tangs mixed species with other fish in a 10 foot tank (500g 10by2.5by2.5) don’t know about the 265 dimensions though.. length is the most important thing

 

[ca1ore]

So best chance would maybe be an 8 foot tank huh? What are the dimensions of the 265 gallon?

Standard 265 is a 7' tank, though 8' would be better.

 

[Syed123]

Hmmm guess a 8 foot 240 gallon would work. U guys have issues with your Zebrasoma being aggressive towards one another?

 

[Faisal27]

Hmmm guess a 8 foot 240 gallon would work. U guys have issues with your Zebrasoma being aggressive towards one another?

Yeah but in 8 foot tank you should be fine .. I have 11 tangs ( 7 from the zebrasoma family ) and they rately get aggressive for more than one second which is their normal behavior .. if you looking for 3-5 max you should be fine given that not all of them are that aggressive ( tried to post something earlier don’t know why it only shows ur answer )

 

[ca1ore]

I tend to be of the opinion that if two fish decide that they hate each other, no tank regardless of size, will suffice. A large enough tank will help preclude crowding conflict, but that's just half the battle. For example, though my current tank is an eight foot 450, I'm reluctant to reintroduce the black tang because I think the purple just hates it.

I'd not attempt 7 tangs in anything less than an 8' tanks, though accept that even that may not ensure success.

 

[Faisal27]

I tend to be of the opinion that if two fish decide that they hate each other, no tank regardless of size, will suffice. A large enough tank will help preclude crowding conflict, but that's just half the battle. For example, though my current tank is an eight foot 450, I'm reluctant to reintroduce the black tang because I think the purple just hates it.

I'd not attempt 7 tangs in anything less than an 8' tanks, though accept that even that may not ensure success.

Agreed .. mine is around 10 feet long and they will chase each other once in a while
Try doing what I did if u can which are caves for every piece of live rock .. if tangs know they have a place at night to sleep in that is their own it will help a lot with their overall behavior

 

[Syed123]

Yeah but in 8 foot tank you should be fine .. I have 11 tangs ( 7 from the zebrasoma family ) and they rately get aggressive for more than one second which is their normal behavior .. if you looking for 3-5 max you should be fine given that not all of them are that aggressive ( tried to post something earlier don’t know why it only shows ur answer )

Nice. Guess I'll work with a 240 gallon tank. That should still be fine budget wise. Minus the gem tang there are 6 Zebramosa tangs I believe. I want to aim for the 6 but we'll see.

I tend to be of the opinion that if two fish decide that they hate each other, no tank regardless of size, will suffice. A large enough tank will help preclude crowding conflict, but that's just half the battle. For example, though my current tank is an eight foot 450, I'm reluctant to reintroduce the black tang because I think the purple just hates it.

I'd not attempt 7 tangs in anything less than an 8' tanks, though accept that even that may not ensure success.

I fully agree. Some fish hate others no matter what you do. Each fish is an individual.

Agreed .. mine is around 10 feet long and they will chase each other once in a while
Try doing what I did if u can which are caves for every piece of live rock .. if tangs know they have a place at night to sleep in that is their own it will help a lot with their overall behavior

I agree caves are important. My purple tang has laid claim to one of the caves in my tank and absolutely hates it when other fish, particularly my pyramid butterfly fish, try to go in there to forage for food. He sleeps in that area every night. I will make a lot of cave structures in the aquas cape and open areas for swim space.

Also you have an amazing tank! Love the Vlamingi Tang!

 

[Faisal27]

Nice. Guess I'll work with a 240 gallon tank. That should still be fine budget wise. Minus the gem tang there are 6 Zebramosa tangs I believe. I want to aim for the 6 but we'll see.



I fully agree. Some fish hate others no matter what you do. Each fish is an individual.



I agree caves are important. My purple tang has laid claim to one of the caves in my tank and absolutely hates it when other fish, particularly my pyramid butterfly fish, try to go in there to forage for food. He sleeps in that area every night. I will make a lot of cave structures in the aquas cape and open areas for swim space.

Also you have an amazing tank! Love the Vlamingi Tang!

Sounds good .. update us and thank you for the compliment

 

[ca1ore]

Yeah but in 8 foot tank you should be fine .. I have 11 tangs ( 7 from the zebrasoma family ) and they rately get aggressive for more than one second which is their normal behavior .

Interesting. I've got loads of sleeping spots in my tank, and feed heavily, yet my yellow and purple seem to spend most of their waking hours giving each other a hard time.

 

[Faisal27]

Interesting. I've got loads of sleeping spots in my tank, and feed heavily, yet my yellow and purple seem to spend most of their waking hours giving each other a hard time.

Did you try to put one of them in the sump for a while ? .. and how big is the tank ? Cause I had the exact same problem with my yellow and purple and once I sumped the yellow for a week and when reintroduced the purple who was getting harassed started to harass the yellow .. now they swim together everywhere ..

 

[ca1ore]

They've been together for a few years now, and mostly don't inflict major damage - they just certainly aren't 'friends'. In a 450 now; 265 before. I'd never be able to catch either one without inflicting major aquascape damage.

 

[Faisal27]

They've been together for a few years now, and mostly don't inflict major damage - they just certainly aren't 'friends'. In a 450 now; 265 before. I'd never be able to catch either one without inflicting major aquascape damage.

Yeah in aquarium that big u should be fine anyways .. tangs are tangs it’s in their blood to be aggressive as long as no damage they are enjoying chasing each other

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Good discussion so far. @4FordFamily is my go to guy for all things "tang"

 

[Syed123]

Good discussion so far. @4FordFamily is my go to guy for all things "tang"

Yes I would like to hear his opinion on the matter as well!

Since you all have Zebramosa tangs, out of the Zebramosa tangs which his the most aggressive to the least aggressive?
I always thought the purple and yellow are the most aggressive. Others have said black tangs and scopas are vary passive. Thoughts?

 

[Faisal27]

I have a black tang one of the least aggressive of my tangs .. sohal and powder blue are really aggressive .. least aggresige hard to tell individual tangs differ .. vlamingi tang is literally a gentle giant .. purple could be when he becomes older but depends of the individual fish I guess

 

[PatW]

I tend to be of the opinion that if two fish decide that they hate each other, no tank regardless of size, will suffice. A large enough tank will help preclude crowding conflict, but that's just half the battle. For example, though my current tank is an eight foot 450, I'm reluctant to reintroduce the black tang because I think the purple just hates it.

I'd not attempt 7 tangs in anything less than an 8' tanks, though accept that even that may not ensure success.

I have observed the same thing. A large tank does seem to lower aggression and having an ample number of hiding places helps. But I don’t think anything short of an impractically enormous tank will serve to protect a fish from a determined enemy.

Something that does seem to be effective is a large benign boss fish in the tank. Subordinate fish in a tank tend to be less aggressive. The problem is having a benign boss to keep the troublemakers in line.

I have an aggressive dottyback in my tank but he is no higher than 4 rungs down on the totem pole so he rarely causes trouble.

 

[ca1ore]

Yes I would like to hear his opinion on the matter as well!

Since you all have Zebramosa tangs, out of the Zebramosa tangs which his the most aggressive to the least aggressive?
I always thought the purple and yellow are the most aggressive. Others have said black tangs and scopas are vary passive. Thoughts?

It varies by individual, of course. My yellow and purple are the most aggressive to themselves and the other tangs. They beat the stuffing out of my black so I had to remove him. My Sailfin (a Desjardini) is aggressive to me but pretty much ignores and is ignored by the others. I have a scopas and gem in my frag tank. Scopas is afraid of its own shadow and is less aggressive than the smaller gem.