Compatability

kbuser92

kbuser92

Breeder
So in a very large tank (i.e. 600+ gallons), how well would the following coexist?

Tangs:
Z. flavescens
Z. rostratum
Z. xanthurus
Z. veliferum
A. hepatus
A. leucosternon
A. japonica
A. nigricans
A. achilles

Damsels:
A. ocellaris x2
A. percula x2

Hawkfish:
O. typus x2

Wrasses:
P. hexataenia x2

Gobies:
S. splendidus
G. okinawae x2
A. guttata

Basslets:
G. loreto

Dottybacks:
P. flavivertex
P. aldebrensis

Butterflies:
F. flavissimus
C. auriga
C. rostratus
Heniochus sp.

Now I know everyone thinks butterflys should be left alone, but the one I really want is the longnose. Any thoughts on the list?
 
I highly doubt you would be able to get all of those tangs in there because tangs within the same family will fight. You might be able to get two of each type in there, but not all of the ones you have listed.

And the problem with butterflies is that they are so delicate, but in a big mature system they do have the potential to do well. So dont cross them off your list, but wait at least a year to start adding them. They also arent reef safe, so if youre going to do butterflies you might as well add a few angels to the list.
 
What about the Z. flavescens/veliferum and A. hepatus/achiilles?

I realize the butterflies arent coral safe, but arent there certain corals they go after and could just avoid or am I mistaken?
 
they will go after pretty much everything, but especially soft corals. I wouldnt count anything as safe.

And i would ask the tang experts, but i think you are still going to have your hands full
 
The only thing you can do if you want to keep Butterflys is have other tanks to move corals to that the Butterflys are picking at. I have a Klein, Pakastani, Yellow Longnose, Falcula and 2 Heniochus. It's hit or miss with corals, I just add a new piece and watch to see what happens. If they leave it alone it stays and if they go after it I move it to another tank. The biggest problem I had was with the Klein and a Folded Brain coral, he thought that is was an All-You-Can-Eat Buffet and wouldn't leave it alone, so out it went to another tank.
 
Okay, fine.

Yellow, Black, Purple, Sailfin (NOT Desjardinii) from Zebrasoma.

PacificBlue, Powder Blue, Powder Brown, Achilles from Acanthurus.

Orange Perculas and Black Ocellaris.

Longnose Hawkfish, Six-line Wrasse.

Mandarin Dragonet, Orange Prawn, Yellow Clown gobies.

Sunrise, Neon dottybacks; Royal Gramma basslet.


Copperband, Yellow Longnose, Auriga, Heniochus spp. butterflies.
 
The ONLY thing I know about your list is that the Royal Gramma is really tame. It will get along with anything except another basslet. Not sure that helps you much, but its something.
 
do some looking about tangs on the web.

not knocking your design or anything,but tangs have a knickname. tank killers.

I added a kole tang last to our tank, he was QT for 3 weeks. gave everything ich and lost 6 fish. almost everybody I have talked about to with tangs, they almost always say they will never put another tang in a tank again.

i'm sure somebody willchime in with other info. good luck with your build
 
Ill be really good about qt. 6-8 weeks in copper, live rock will come from my tank only and probably cycle for 3 months+. All corals will be dipped, too.
 
That is just silly about "tang killers", i think you are mistaken about them. The vast majority are peaceful and great additions to the tank. And they are well known for having ich issues, but ich is a very preventable problem if you have taken the time to research and set up your tank correctly.

https://www.livingreefs.com/oh-no-have-ich-do-do-t30950.html

However, i dont think your stocking list for the tangs is going to work out. I think you need quite a bit more research and experience with these fish before you even try and make a combo of them work. I also can pretty much promise you that you arent going to succeed with the copperband either, the others you might though.
 
little_fish said:
That is just silly about "tang killers", i think you are mistaken about them. The vast majority are peaceful and great additions to the tank. And they are well known for having ich issues, but ich is a very preventable problem if you have taken the time to research and set up your tank correctly.

https://www.livingreefs.com/oh-no-have-ich-do-do-t30950.html

However, i dont think your stocking list for the tangs is going to work out. I think you need quite a bit more research and experience with these fish before you even try and make a combo of them work. I also can pretty much promise you that you arent going to succeed with the copperband either, the others you might though.
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No far from it. please do a google search and tell me what you find, or I can do it for you.

I don't have 10000+ posts,but that don't mean I am clueless. plus tangs should be only mixed 2 of different body styles. like hippo & yellow. or sail & unicorn.

if the tangs are so prone to getting ich, which kills fish. think tank killers sounds about right. I have read many many thread on different forum with many more members with more experience than a year under their belt. plus my friend owns a large tropical fish store, who also told me. I seen it first hand in one of my tanks, it killed 6 of my fish. the tang was what did it. my old 75 gallon tank from years ago. added a yellow tang, and out of no where, whole tank with ich. funny thing is out of all my tanks with so many different fish, I have never had a problem till a tang was added.

but maybe it's just my tanks.
 
FocasSRT10 said:
that don't mean I am clueless.

if the tangs are so prone to getting ich, which kills fish. think tank killers sounds about right.

but maybe it's just my tanks.
Click to expand...

Ich is a disease, tangs are fish. The temperament of the fish toward each other will differ with each fish. Its not the tang that killed your fish it was the ICH! Some fish are more easily stressed then others, Tangs for example need room to swim, put them into a tank that is too small and presto, ich. There are many, many people who keep multiple tangs very successfully. I wish they didn't have such a bad reputation but I blame that on LFS and people not doing research before buying them.
 
I do not foresee that many Acanthurus tangs co-existing together peacefully. Even if you added them at the same time, I think it would be fishy fight club

Not only that, but Acanthurus tangs beat the hell out of anything added after them, I mean a beat down of epic proportions.

My Achilles started out getting roughed up by my existing tangs, but he is boss fish now. He is always first in line at the seaweed clip, if an other fish gets in his way before he eats, its a tail smack that sends the fish to the other side of the tank
 
You actually gave me the idea of multiple tangs, North. But I was thinking with a 600+ gallon tank, theyd each have enough room to call their own, especially narrowed down to 2 of each genus.
 
Hannah: the Yellow Longnose is the only one I REALLY want. If I cant have the others, thats fine, Id just like them if I could.
 
I know a few people who have kept the longnose successfully, so as long as you give the tank some time to mature, i would go for it. But do make sure you buy the right fish, dont settle for anything less than the most healthy, fat, and active one you can find.
 
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