Can I keep a Blue Tang in a ten gallon

Trebol · Oct 17, 2019

Hear me out So I’ve had my ten gallon reef tank setup for around 3 months and my mother bought a baby blue tang from the LFS because she wanted a dory. I don’t know much about blue tangs since I only had a pair of juvenile clownfish for less than a month but when I searhed it up it says they require a bigger tank. Right now she has plenty of hiding places and she eats quite well and likes to remain close to the circulation pump. I make sure all of my water parameters are at zero and ph at 8.2 every three days and I’m running a uv sterilizer and surface skimmer as well as over filtering the tank. Water is crystal clear and it has no signs of sickness. I want to know if I can keep the tang in the ten gallon tank for now with full intentions of putting her in a 90 gallon tank once she gains another inch or two on her and then upgrading to a bigger tank once she gets to around six inches. I will move her to a bigger tank I just need to save up to buy more live rock and live sand I have the tank already since I used to own discus two years ago until I moved back to Georgia. Sold the fish but kept the tank. I did try to return it but they had a 24 hour return policy and I went two days after. She has grown on me and I have fallen in love with it.

Lovemyreef2015 · Oct 17, 2019

I would honestly find someone to either babysit the fish in a larger system until you actually upgrade or give it away to someone who has the right size tank. I hope you do the right thing.

C. Eymann · Oct 17, 2019

Hippos grow quick ! I'd bet setting up that 90gal very soon.

I'm not going to go all tang police on you, a baby hippo should be kept in at least a 30-40gal tank IMO.

Also as babies they are not easy, you need to be constantly providing food for it, they have high metabolisms, grow fast so as babies/juvies they need lots of food, which in a 10 gallon will be tough as nutrients can end up being a problem.

DJF · Oct 17, 2019

X-37B · Oct 17, 2019

Read the pet peeve thread its my number one.

exnisstech · Oct 17, 2019

Well you already have the fish in the tank so it can be done ;-) You state it is temporary until the fish grows some so I personally don't see a problem as long as it really is temporary. I have one in a reefer 170 which is 34 gallons and it is fine. It was one of the little bitty ones when I bought it so I placed it there to grow out then it will be moved to either a 150 or 180, not sure which one yet.

Pntbll687 · Oct 17, 2019

Long term no, you shouldn't keep it in the 10g. I'd say keep it there as short as possible.

A few weeks probably won't hurt. Some tangs sit in tanks at the retailer for a few weeks and are in just about the same size space.

Silver14SS · Oct 17, 2019

I'd get another one so the first one isn't lonely

AZMSGT · Oct 17, 2019

First, Welcome to R2R
So many people come here asking if they can keep a Hippo tang in X size tank. And all the time people say no. In your case I agree. No you should not keep that fish.

Keep this in mind, these fish are rated for 180g tanks. Even your planned 90 isn’t big enough.

I have a 130g and I won’t keep one in it so.. that’s my perspective.

Lovemyreef2015 · Oct 17, 2019

Pntbll687 said:
Long term no, you shouldn't keep it in the 10g. I'd say keep it there as short as possible.

A few weeks probably won't hurt. Some tangs sit in tanks at the retailer for a few weeks and are in just about the same size space.

There is a difference with a fish in a small tank at a store and a fish in a small home aquarium. The stores separate tanks are all connected to one large system which makes it easier to keep everything stable. A fish in a 10 gallon home aquarium doesn't have that stability.

Urtie · Oct 17, 2019

I have no experience with fish yet, so I'm just curious. Not trying to argue here, only trying to learn;

Is it really true that the required size of the tank isn't related to the size of the fish at all? I understand that it'll need 180g as an adult, but doesn't that requirement go down the smaller the fish is, at least to a point?

Are there other factors than chemical stability and space to swim in that I don't understand?

AZMSGT · Oct 17, 2019

Urtie said:
I have no experience with fish yet, so I'm just curious. Not trying to argue here, only trying to learn;

Is it really true that the required size of the tank isn't related to the size of the fish at all? I understand that it'll need 180g as an adult, but doesn't that requirement go down the smaller the fish is, at least to a point?

Are there other factors than chemical stability and space to swim in that I don't understand?

Fish grow and can grow rapidly. Is your budget and tank space going to grow with it?
When I buy a fish I think long term. I plan to have these animals for as long as I can. I don’t want them to suffer in a space that is to small. I won’t be upgrading my tank and am 100% honest with myself that I don’t want to upgrade.

tehmadreefer · Oct 17, 2019

First off baby hippos have a pretty high mortality rate then to stick it in a 10g that is unstable and way too small is just cruelty. Even the 90g is too small longterm. Take it back, sell it or give it it to someone that can properly care for it.

tautog83 · Oct 17, 2019

Tell your mom to keep her impulse buys to Amazon. Lol

dantimdad · Oct 17, 2019

Honestly, I don't believe a 180 is big enough for a Blue tang. It needs to be at least an 8 foot x 2 foot tank so a 240 would be my minimum for it. But, in reality, this fish needs a very long tank (10 foot+) to be happy long term.

Have I kept them in smaller? Yes. Should I have? Nope.

C. Eymann · Oct 17, 2019

Stree

dantimdad said:
Honestly, I don't believe a 180 is big enough for a Blue tang. It needs to be at least an 8 foot x 2 foot tank so a 240 would be my minimum for it. But, in reality, this fish needs a very long tank (10 foot+) to be happy long term.

Have I kept them in smaller? Yes. Should I have? Nope.

Agreed, hippo tangs can grow over a foot long! I think to keep one for a lifetime of the fish 300+ gal is ideal

artieg1 · Oct 17, 2019

By far, the biggest issue here is the impulse purchase by someone who is not the primary keeper of the tank. That is frankly idiotic. Take it back to the store, heck don't even worry about a refund. You will not have any success in this hobby long term with policies like "anyone can buy a fish and put it in my tank any time." And "wanting a Dory" is the absolute worst reason to get a fish, it is selfish and uninformed.

I would back up and think about what you are trying to do with this very very tiny little tank. And hippo tangs are everywhere, it's not like this was a once-in-a-decade find. Everything about this screams disaster, and not just relating to this tang. Slow down and plan.

NShirke · Oct 17, 2019

@Trebol, welcome to fish and reef keeping hobby!

I started at same point where you are. Should I have? No, but I did and learned my lesson the hard way. Just to be clear, you mean blue regal tang(hippo) and not powder blue tang, right? As many of fellow user have said, hippo tang tend to grow long and requires more space to swim. Even 90G tank is not big enough for them.

Tangs in general are algae eater, hippo tang is not one of them. So, it wont munch on algae. I think, Kole tang is best in eating algae and tend to live in a 90g tank.

Also, hippo tang is an ich magnet. You don't want to have ich in your tank. It is frustrating to treat ich, but possible. I'm not sure if you can rid of it 100%. I hope you've a quarantine process before adding fish to main tank.

Good luck with your tang!

Zohar78 · Oct 17, 2019

Urtie said:
I have no experience with fish yet, so I'm just curious. Not trying to argue here, only trying to learn;

Is it really true that the required size of the tank isn't related to the size of the fish at all? I understand that it'll need 180g as an adult, but doesn't that requirement go down the smaller the fish is, at least to a point?

Are there other factors than chemical stability and space to swim in that I don't understand?

the one critical flaw in the logic and why poeple dont suggest doing it is because Almost all people that get a fish that will grow too big for the tank they are currently and say "ill be upgrading to a bigger tank", dont upgrade or get a bigger tank. so the fish ends up staying in a small tank. thats why people recommend the minimum is what the fish will need grown.

Fishurama · Oct 17, 2019

If you want to keep it long term, tell your mother to buy you a 100+ gallon tank. Something lengthy vs tall as they like to swim. Your 10 gallon tank to be blunt will end up killing it.