+KimP Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 I'm thinking about getting a tang for my 150gal. I'm looking for part utility and part I've just always wanted one. So what's a good grazer and interesting tang for a tank 4' long and 2.5' wide? If it's important, tank mates are: [ ] Brittle star [ ] Sand sifting cucumber [ ] Scott's fairy wrasse [ ] Mystery wrasse [ ] 2 urchins [ ] Long spine urchin [ ] Tail spot blenny [ ] Yellow watchman goby [ ] Tiny clear goby [ ] Yellow wrasse [ ] Springer's damsel [ ] Red lined wrasse [ ] Royal Gramma [ ] 2 Conch snail [ ] Dwarf Golden Morey [ ] One spot Fox face Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 I say any bristletooth tang will work and they'll work the rocks all day long. A kole tang would be a nice alternative as well for that size tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobR Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 I agree with Ty any of the Ctenochaetus species would be a great addition to your tank. You could probably consider a yellow as well, although some discourage yellows in a 4ft tank. The biggest potential problem to be aware of is aggression towards other fish that are also grazers. My experience (in a 4ft 150gal) with kole tangs has been that they do not like blennies and gobies. Every time my kole saw my Benny he would go after him like a demon. My pink spot goby would just hide in his little cavern and the tang would sometimes turn his tail and posture towards him. I have read others who have experienced the same issue between tangs and blennies, however I have also read of people who have had good experiences. I really think it all boils down to each individual fish. Hope that helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 I agree with Ty any of the Ctenochaetus species would be a great addition to your tank. You could probably consider a yellow as well, although some discourage yellows in a 4ft tank. The biggest potential problem to be aware of is aggression towards other fish that are also grazers. My experience (in a 4ft 150gal) with kole tangs has been that they do not like blennies and gobies. Every time my kole saw my Benny he would go after him like a demon. My pink spot goby would just hide in his little cavern and the tang would sometimes turn his tail and posture towards him. I have read others who have experienced the same issue between tangs and blennies, however I have also read of people who have had good experiences. I really think it all boils down to each individual fish. Hope that helps. I've never had a kole tang but that's the 3rd instance this month I've heard about them attacking smaller non-tang fishes... interesting. I'm currently in love with this guy... white-tail bristletooth tang. Too bad my tang collection is finalized! http://www.nyaquatic.com/white-tail-bristletooth-tang-3-4/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+KimP Posted March 3, 2016 Author Share Posted March 3, 2016 I agree with Ty any of the Ctenochaetus species would be a great addition to your tank. You could probably consider a yellow as well, although some discourage yellows in a 4ft tank. The biggest potential problem to be aware of is aggression towards other fish that are also grazers. My experience (in a 4ft 150gal) with kole tangs has been that they do not like blennies and gobies. Every time my kole saw my Benny he would go after him like a demon. My pink spot goby would just hide in his little cavern and the tang would sometimes turn his tail and posture towards him. I have read others who have experienced the same issue between tangs and blennies, however I have also read of people who have had good experiences. I really think it all boils down to each individual fish. Hope that helps.I've never had a kole tang but that's the 3rd instance this month I've heard about them attacking smaller non-tang fishes... interesting. I'm currently in love with this guy... white-tail bristletooth tang. Too bad my tang collection is finalized! http://www.nyaquatic.com/white-tail-bristletooth-tang-3-4/ That's funny Ty, the white tail bristle tooth has been my favorite so far as I research them this morning! I'm concerned about them attacking my smaller fish though. I need to read more, but are the kole tangs a kind of bristle tooth, or is that another name for all bristle tooth tangs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobR Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Those white tail bristletooths would definitely be a nice addition. Supposedly they only get collected a couple of times a year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobR Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 I believe that all the Ctenochaetus species are considered bristletooths. They tend to be on the smaller side for tangs which is why many recommend them for 4 ft tanks. They are definitely cool fish. Another trick would be to try an social acclimation box when adding the new fish that way you could get an idea of how he would interact with tank mates before releasing him into the general population. That is what is recommended for introducing new wrasses, but I think it would work for a new tang too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 RobR has it covered! Interesting, I never realized a Kole tang was a bristletooth... you learn something new every day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jestep Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 RobR has it covered! Interesting, I never realized a Kole tang was a bristletooth... you learn something new every day! Chevrons are in the same family as well. Personally, I'd go with a yellow or purple zebrasoma, purple if you feel like spending the money on one. WIth the foxface the bristletooth might stay in the open more, but they're just a really shy fish. I couldn't imagine one being a bully. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Yeah, I knew the chevrons were but I can't believe I overlooked the kole for so long and didn't realize it was a bristletooth. I'm almost baffled by the oversight... Or should I say embarrassed. [emoji53] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mFrame Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 I'd also look at sailfins, mine is the showfish of the tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Frame, did you smell too much ocean air in Hawaii? Those things get to the size of a dinner plate! Kim has a 4' tank! [emoji14] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+KimP Posted March 3, 2016 Author Share Posted March 3, 2016 I'd also look at sailfins, mine is the showfish of the tank. IMG_20150311_121450959 (Medium).jpg Wow, that's gorgeous Mike! It is a lot of fins for my tank, I think. I don't have as much open space as you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mFrame Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Frame, did you smell too much ocean air in Hawaii? Those things get to the size of a dinner plate! Kim has a 4' tank! [emoji14] after seeing the tangs in Hawaii, I can tell you that just about all of them get to be the size of dinner plates in the wild... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Frame, did you smell too much ocean air in Hawaii? Those things get to the size of a dinner plate! Kim has a 4' tank! [emoji14] after seeing the tangs in Hawaii, I can tell you that just about all of them get to be the size of dinner plates in the wild... Aw man, I'm gonna trade in all my tangs then... either that or get a 9' tank. Hmmm.... How long was the biggest achilles you saw? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mFrame Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Frame, did you smell too much ocean air in Hawaii? Those things get to the size of a dinner plate! Kim has a 4' tank! [emoji14] after seeing the tangs in Hawaii, I can tell you that just about all of them get to be the size of dinner plates in the wild... Aw man, I'm gonna trade in all my tangs then... either that or get a 9' tank. Hmmm.... How long was the biggest achilles you saw? 10-12 inches. Yellows were much larger and appeared well fed, HUGE parrot fish. I've been meaning to post videos, I'll get on that asap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+JoseZ Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 A while back I added a lavender tang in my old tank and it went to town on the algae I was battling. I like to believe that it showed my hippo and yellow tang to eat the algae as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 +1 bristletooth tangs. Off of the top of my head I can think of five species of bristletooth tangs and they're all nice. Sailfin Tangs are known to eat bubble algae when they get larger. Scopas tangs are known to graze all day, but I'm not a fan of their appearance and I've read that they can be aggressive. Convict tangs graze all day, aren't very common, and are the most passive of any tang as they have the smallest scalpel. I'm not sure of the grazing habits of Yellow Tangs, but they're popular for that size aquarium. Some popular fish that I suggest that you avoid are the Regal Tang, Clown Tang and all of the powder varieties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+KimP Posted March 4, 2016 Author Share Posted March 4, 2016 Thanks for all the great info! Now I need to see what I can actually get my hands on. I found one place online that has a white tail, but I'm going to try and see what's available locally first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 I bet you can just get one of the LFS to order it, pending competitive pricing. I don't think I've ever walked into one of our stores and actually saw a white tail bristletooth though. They are pretty rare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+KimP Posted March 4, 2016 Author Share Posted March 4, 2016 I bet you can just get one of the LFS to order it, pending competitive pricing. I don't think I've ever walked into one of our stores and actually saw a white tail bristletooth though. They are pretty rare. Oh, I meant out of all bristle tooth tangs, see what the lfs can bring in Not just the white-tail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 I remember reading that the White Tail Bristletooth Tangs are only collected during the spring and fall, so they're commonly available around March and December time frames. You're best bet is blue zoo or live aquaria, but they're expensive. Personally, I think all of the bristletooth tangs on liveaquaria are attractive. The bottom line is that ones from Africa have spots on the body and ones from the Pacific have lines on the body. The head should always be spotted in every species. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+KimP Posted March 4, 2016 Author Share Posted March 4, 2016 I remember reading that the White Tail Bristletooth Tangs are only collected during the spring and fall, so they're commonly available around March and December time frames. You're best bet is blue zoo or live aquaria, but they're expensive. Personally, I think all of the bristletooth tangs on liveaquaria are attractive. The bottom line is that ones from Africa have spots on the body and ones from the Pacific have lines on the body. The head should always be spotted in every species. Okay, thanks for the advice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+KimP Posted March 7, 2016 Author Share Posted March 7, 2016 Found a place to get a white tail. So which one, Chevron or white tail? Can't decide... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolt Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 I like both. I think the whitetail is much more expensive? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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