Atlantic Blue Tang question

[Sea Turtle]

Hi everyone.

I really love the Atlantic Blue Tang and am planning on adding one to my reef tank. Here are my specs: 75 gallon, 100 lbs of live rock (plenty of hiding spaces).

My question is, can you add this guy to a tank which already has a yellow tang in it? Also, will this tank be suitable for two tangs? I also have some other fish but nothing agressive.

-Turtle

 

[jhemdal1]

Hi Turtle,

I would take a pass on the Atlantic blue tang for that tank. As adults, they grow quite large and tend to be more open water swimmers - so a 75 gal. tank with lots of rock would not be too comfortable for them. Juvenile blue tangs tend to "hole up" more, so would work in that tank for a time, *if* the yellow tang would leave it alone and no guarantees there.
I'm just not a big fan of Atlantic blue tangs; they are prone to HLLE (Head and lateral Line Erosion) and have a tendancy to fade to a dull gray blue in captivity.
What about a Pacific blue tang, Paracanthurus hepatus? They are still prone to HLLE, but they don't need nearly as much swimming room and generally maintain their colors better.
Either fish must be quarantined prior to adding them to a tank as they are both prone to Cryptocaryon (saltwater ick).
If you post your full fish list (and their sizes!), I might be able to come up with some other more likely candidates.


Jay Hemdal

 

[Anonymous]

I agree that a 75G is a tad on the small side for an atlantic blue. Especially with a yellow already in the tank. I had an atlantic blue in a 75G tank and he was quite aggressive. I moved him into a 300G and he chilled out quite a bit. I think the 75 was stressing him.