[Taras1]

Does anyone have experience with having more than one species of tang in their tank? I have a Powder Brown, A. japonicus and would like to add a Red Sea Purple Tang. I know that conspecifics do not usually get along, but what about cross species?

[Dara]

I have never had any luck trying to keep more than one species of tang in a tank together. I have a powder blue and tried to add a yellow tang and had to return him to the lfs because the blue was determined to kill him. I know that other people have done this and made it work; I've read somewhere on this site that you need more than 2 tangs and a large aquarium. In my personal experience it just hasn't worked for me. Good luck.

[marciemp]

I have a blue tang and a yellow tang and they get along fine. They actually seem to be buddies and swim around together all the time. I feed them dulse seaweed in a clip and they munch away together. They are actually the most peaceful fish in our tank, I have never seen either do anything agressive. They have been together for a few years, but I bought the tank second hand so I have no idea how they were at first, or how old they were when they were put in. The blue tang is about 5" head to tail and the yellow is 4", so they are not babies now, but they could have been when they were purchased. The tank is 92 gallons with lots of rockwork to swim in and around, and it is a corner tank so they can swim in a triangle of about 3 feet by 3 feet by 4 feet. It is so strange for me to read that my species of tangs can be aggressive because mine are the opposite, but all the books can't be wrong, I guess I am just lucky.

[Taras1]

Thanks...anyone else with advice?

My Powder Brown is about 3 1/2" and "fairly peaceful." From my previous tank, I had an Eibel's, Flame and Bicolor Angel that got along in a 75 gal w/LR and soft corals. The books said it couldn't be done. It may be the individual fish?????

[Reticentregret]

yeah ive heard a number of people say its a case of keep you enemies close but i geuss we'll never get in there heads to know