The bright yellow saltwater fish that goes by the name of Yellow Tang is quite possibly one of the most adored tropical fish species in the saltwater aquarium hobby. There are various reasons for this, perhaps the bright yellow body and unusual facial shape, or maybe their relaxed and peaceful personalities. We believe it is a culmination of all those things as well as the fact they are brilliant algae eaters too and will clean your tank for you free of charge.
Their peaceful nature makes them compatible with a whole host of awesome brightly colored fish, on the condition that your saltwater fish tank has suitable living conditions for them. Yellow Tang's require a minimum tank size of 100 gallons (378 liters) with an abundance of swimming space as they are active swimmers. They will grow to around 8 inches (20 cm) in length.
Check out the video below for a more visual guide to this article:
10 Best Tank Mates For The Yellow Tang
Now, let's dive into our list of the top 10 best Yellow Tang tank mates. It is important to know that, while Yellow Tangs are very peaceful fish they have been known to become somewhat territorial in some fish tanks. Perform appropriate research before putting them in your aquarium with other possible tank mates that do not make our list below.
1. Vlamingi Tang
The first fish to enter the list is the Vlamingi tank, these fish are incredibly peaceful members of the tang family and get along very well with the Yellow Tang. They sport a beautiful silver/blue body and will grow quickly, reaching 24 inches (60 cm) in length! So, only purchase one of these for your community if you have a big enough aquarium - you'll need 300 gallons (1,135 liters) or larger.
2. Clownfish
Clownfish are undoubtedly one of the most popular saltwater fish there is, and for good reason. They are incredibly bright in color and display some beautiful patterns whilst maintaining a very peaceful and compatible temperament. There are many different species of Clownfish, but pretty much all of them will live happily with Yellow Tangs, it's just about picking the right Clownfish for you and your tank.
3. Sailfin Tang
Known as the Pacific Sailfin Tang, these Tang species have an incredibly unusual and unique body shape, similar to the sail on a boat. They typically grow to around 10/12 inches (30 cm) in length and have a playful, peaceful personality that really shines through when they are a part of a large saltwater community.
4. Blue Tang
Blue Tang's really rose in popularity due to their role in the famous 'Finding Nemo' film series. However, they are so beautiful to look at, sporting a blue body with black and yellow markings on the tail and fins. Blue Tangs are peaceful fish that keep themselves to themselves. They can grow pretty big, however (14 inches/35 cm) in length, meaning they will need to be residing in a tank larger than 100 gallons (378 liters).
5. Copperband Butterfly
Due to their peaceful nature and friendly personalities, the Copperband Butterflyfish is a great choice for almost any colorful saltwater fish tank mate. They are incredibly unique too, showcasing a squared body shape with yellow and white stripes as well as a long nose that picks at live rock all day long. Despite all the positives, they can be hard to keep and will require hobbyists with a lot of experience to house them correctly.
6. Cleaner Wrasse
If you are considering creating a saltwater fish community with Yellow Tangs then make sure to add a Cleaner Wrasse to it! They are not only friendly fish that will typically keep themselves to themselves, but they will also clean other fish by eating the harmful parasites off their scales. These Wrasses are long and skinny, and will usually swim around the tank finding a good place to create a fish cleaning station (like a swim-thru car wash!) where they will being to work their magic! They are much smaller than Yellow Tangs, so will not need a larger tank to thrive in.
7. Royal Gramma
These colorful saltwater fish are just incredible to look at, showing off their mixture of neon purple and yellow colors on a long, slim body. They are small fish, only growing to around 3 inches (7.62 cm) in length, which makes them perfect 10 gallon fish and compatible tank mates for all different types of saltwater fish. Additionally, their peaceful nature makes them good Yellow Tang tank mates and also very easy to care for.
8. Mandarin Dragonet
These gobies are perhaps one of the most unique-looking and colorful fish in the hobby, not just this list! They are surprisingly pretty common and easy to get hold of despite their rare coloration and patterns. Despite the fact that they are best to be looked after by more advanced hobbyists, the Mandarin Dragonet is peaceful and fun, they don't grow too big either, so you could look at adding more than one if you were up for the challenge.
9. Naso Tang
These Tangs, much like the Vlamingi are pretty big in size, growing to around 12 inches in length (30 cm), meaning that a tank above 100 gallons is a must. They will need a lot of swimming space and rock formations to swim around and keep entertained. If you can provide this, you will have a very happy, peaceful, and entertaining Yellow Tang tank mate.
10. Bangaii Cardinalfish
These fish are totally unique, sporting a beautiful white and black striped body, covered in white dots. They are typically small fish that are commonly seen in saltwater communities as they bring their own uniqueness to an aquarium setup with their colors and behavior. Typically, they will leave other fish alone and keep to themselves, making for perfect Yellow Tang tank mates.
Conclusion
To conclude this list, there are so many Yellow Tang tank mates that could have easily made the list, however, we wanted to provide variety in terms of colors and behavior.
Yellow Tangs are model citizens most of the time, and so are the fish that feature in this list. Of course, despite what you read and see research-wise, it is so important to monitor any fish that is put in a new tank. Even if a fish has a peaceful nature "on paper", you can occasionally get a nasty surprise!
