Powder Blue Tang with Yellow Tang

[Lone Wolf]

I have a yellow tang in my 180 reef for nearly a year and I am thinking about adding a powder blue into the same tank. There are no other tangs in the aquarium. Will the powder blue and yellow get along? Thanks.

 

[Burke]

How big is the yellow tang and how big of a powder blue are you looking at? I have noticed that adding a smaller fish to an established system works better, in my experience. But Lee will give you the best info...

 

[OCDreefer]

I wouldn't do it... He's going to kick the crap out of the blue tang. If you really want him I would try to trap the Yellow Tang then sell or trade him off and then add both new tangs at once

 

[sgwill122]

Adding them both at once when smaller is your best bet. Having said that I have a 180 and added mine sequentially, I added a yellow and a tiny blue hippo tang to start, then six months down the road added a purple which dwarfed the other tangs. Then six months after that I added a powder blue. The first couple of weeks there were some battles. Everytime I add a new fish especially a new tang I either change up the rock work or put a couple dinner plates in the middle of the tank for the first week so every body feels like they are in new territory. Make sure and quarantine especially the powder blue as some can be difficult to get eating and easily stress and the last thing you want is to dump a new fish in your main tank and find everyone has ich. Anytime you add two tangs there is no telling what your outcome may be. Good luck on which ever direction you take.

 

[Lone Wolf]

The powder blue is larger than the yellow tang. Any new fish I get goes into quarantine for six weeks.

 

[leebca]

Most (not all) YT once in captive life, consider that the whole tank belongs to them. They will attack a wide range of fishes, including other Tangs.

A friend of mine has a 180 and had two YTs. They would not let him add any other fish to the system. They ganged up on any newcomer. To make a long story short, I took them and put one in an established 180 and the other in my 300. They were at the bottom of the pecking order in each tank and my other fish let them know it. It was a big 'reversal of fortune' for the bullies. They became 'angels.'

A YT should be one of the last fish added to a community tank.

 

[Lone Wolf]

Thanks for all the input.

 

[bmw-legend]

I added a power blue tang couple weeks ago with current yellow tang in my 90gal. The yellow tang went after the BT right away for days...It stress the WT so much, cause it ick..I was so worry that I trapped the yellow tang and put it in my QT until now. I am thinking of put the YT back next couples days and see what gonna happen...

 

[Reefreak]

I put a powder blue in my 225 with a yellow that I have had for 6 years. They are about the same size, the yellow chased the powder around for 10-15 minutes and then lost interest. There is also a naso and hippo in the tank, all are about 5-6 inches. Sometimes you get lucky sometimes you dont!

And no I dont want to hear from the Tang police!!!!!!

 

[MrGone]

I've seen it go both ways with my Dad's tank. He had a yellow tang in it for a few months then added a powder blue that was actually bigger and the yellow would chase after him. He removed the powder blue and got another a few months later and it was much more aggressive than the first. I think the first one wasn't doing too well in the tank.

In my experience once the yellow tang has figured out the tank is "home" they can be a pain, but not always. Kind of like what leebca said. Although I've noticed if they have someone who keeps them in line they tend to be more passive but I've found with this hobby there is no certainty lol.

 

[Lone Wolf]

Just thinking about something... What if I caught the Yellow tang and added it to the quarintine tank when I added the Powder Blue. Both would then be new at the same time in the QT. After the quarintine time, add both in the 180. Since the QT will be a 20gal with no hidding spots, is that only asking to big trouble, like two pitbulls in a box?

 

[leebca]

One of the goals of the quarantine process is to provide a safe place (with hiding places) for a wild animal that is now in captivity. It must be as stress-free as possible. Why do this to the PBT?

In addition, if the the PBT came in with a disease, now the YT would be diseased. Why do this to the YT?

I understand your dilemma. Choose which fish you want to keep. If you want both, then give away the YT to someone or return it to an LFS for credit. After the PBT has gone through quarantine and then is acclimated to its new home, then in a few weeks, start a new YT through the quarantine process.

 

[roscoe]

I have 3 large tangs in my 270 along with a large Majestic Angel. A chevron, PBT and Achilles. When I had the PBT and chevron in my 40b. They never really fight each other. Once my 270g went through the cycle I added all 3 tangs into the 270g the same time. The PBT and Achilles chase each other almost all the time but never really do much damage to one another. Now just over the last few days I 1st noticed my Achilles has a huge 1'' gash from the mid to top of his back towards its dorals fin. Last night when I got home from work I noticed my Chevron has a nice 1'' cut not as deep or bad as the Achilles but a nice wound. I was really surprised to see the cut on the Chevron as it is the most mellow out of the 3 and usually the one to stop the PBT and Achilles from fightng. Both fish looks to be pretty healthy, happy and eating like pigs as they always do and the Achilles looks to be healing up nicely.