Tang Compatability

[jaksprat1]

I have a well established 75 gal. tank. All its inhabitants are doing great: snails, starfish, crabs, 2 clowns, yellow tang, 2 yellow-tail blue damsels (can't think of correct name right now), blennie, yellow jawfish - all is well!! BUT, I want to add a blue hippo tang and perhaps a blue mandarin goby. Too many fish for 75 gal tank?? Also, the yellow tang is relatively large and seems to be the big boy on the block. Will I have trouble adding the blue hippo tang? Any help will be appreciated before I mess with the perfect balance that seems to be taking place.

[Octoman]

How is the tank set up? Is it a reef or fish-only? Is there a lot of swimming space or lots of live rock filling it up? I foresee two potential problems..

1. Tangs are messy, if this is a reef setup, the yellow and blue together will most likely push you over the limits of maintaining pristine water quality. For a reef you want to try to maintain the 1" of fish per 5 gallons guideline (calculate adult sizes). I think you had a thread about some red slime, if you are fighting that, adding anything right now will likely just make that fight much harder.

2. They may have territoriality issues in a 75. They are not typically species that will fight with each other, but in a smaller sized tank, there may be aggression issues. My yellow tang chases every new fish regardless of size, color, or shape (she also chases my hand when I'm trying to clean).

[Woodstock]

I would not recommend keeping a blue hippo tang in a 75 gal. They get very large and require a lot of swimming room. A 100 gal minimum and a long, 5' + tank would be best.
The yellow tang will be very aggressive towards any new tang added.

[jaksprat1]

Thanks for the comments. I think I'll pass on the Regal Tang right now. You're right. I still am fighting the red slime. But it only seems to be on the live sand. None on the live rock or anywhere else. I'm going to try to suck it out and re-treat the tank after changing some of the water.

Any ideas of any fish that would do OK with the fish I already have? It is not a reef tank - fish and invertebrates only. I have live rock on one side and a lot of free swimming area in the other. Sand is deepest in the free swimming area, and I have my yellow head jawfish there, with small live rocks to dig around. He seems to rule that small area. All fish and invertebrates are compatable. But......I'd like to add a couple more fish.

[GSELLERS]

yes the blue tang will outgrow a 75 in 6-8 months....not worth it. Usually it has been said that a yellow tang should be the LAST tang added to the tank

[jaksprat1]

"The Yellow Tang should be the last tang added" Great! I wish I knew that when I was just starting out. It was the first fish I bought. OK, so I won't buy another tang. I'm also going to pass on a mandarin, because I don't think he could survive. I guess my only choices left are angels and certain damsels. I already have the tang, 2 yellow-tail blue damsels, yellow-head jawfish, two false perculas, 2 blue damsels, one angel and a blemmie (lnot sure of spelling). I also have small crabs, sand-sifting starfish and several large snails. Perhaps I'll let it alone from here on out.

[lcstorc]

You could think about some gobies to add some color.