Choosing tangs for 220...streamers?

ShepherdTech

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I am in the process of stocking and am picking which tangs I want. I was going to buy a blonde Naso, but saw how big they get and decided 1’6" is probably too big for a 6ft tank. Are there any other tangs that aren’t quite as big, but still can develope streamers?

List so far:

Yellow
Flame
Hippo
Powder blue
 
Not to rationize any large tangs in a 6' tank, but that is the size they get in nature. In reality, in captivity, think about 2/3rds that in 10 years time max. I love a male naso tang. They will slow to a crawl in growth at about 6-7".
 
All the Naso tangs get really big. It's wise that you are staying away from them.

Your four that you picked will be fine.
Yellow and flame (tomini) will have plenty of room. The hippo and powder blue are borderline, but should be okay.
 
Not to rationize any large tangs in a 6' tank, but that is the size they get in nature. In reality, in captivity, think about 2/3rds that in 10 years time max. I love a male naso tang. They will slow to a crawl in growth at about 6-7".
By that logic if your parents raised you in a closet you would not be as tall as you are now! The fact is if you were rsised in a closet your legs would have no muscle strength from lack of use and I would not be suprised if your growth mentally and physically was stunted as well as you lifespan shortened. In no way is that good for you or a fish. A naso tang is an open water swimmer and as such should be kept in a tank at least 10' in length, probably more. Sure one could be kept in a smaller tank, just as you could have been raised in a closet.
 
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yellow tang
sailfin tang
yellow eyed kole tang
hippo tang
mustard tang
convict tang
purple tang
scopas tang
mimc tangs
black tang
chevron tang
gem tang
 
I don't believe there are other tangs common in the aquarium trade that develop streamers outside the Naso family. It is smart to plan ahead, usually leads to the highest level of success with minimal headache. Personally I think a baby naso in a 6' tank is fine for years, but eventually would need to be re-homed. One of the critical components is making sure your aquascape is designed for the most available swimming room.

Unrelated: Looking at some of the replies, proof reading is important for people to take your advice seriously.
 
I don't believe there are other tangs common in the aquarium trade that develop streamers outside the Naso family. It is smart to plan ahead, usually leads to the highest level of success with minimal headache. Personally I think a baby naso in a 6' tank is fine for years, but eventually would need to be re-homed. One of the critical components is making sure your aquascape is designed for the most available swimming room.

Unrelated: Looking at some of the replies, proof reading is important for people to take your advice seriously.

Thanks, HH. I was unable to find another tang with streamers when I searched the interwebs. I may need to rearrange some of my aquascape for them...was thinking about that today after watching tang videos on YouTube. It really is nice having so much information in video format at our fingertips. I’ll post a pic of it when I get back home.
 
By that logic if your parents raised you in a closet you would not be as tall as you are now! The fact is if you were rsised in a closet your legs would have no muscle strength from lack of use and I would not be suprised if your growth mentally and physically was stunted as well as you lifespan shortened. In no way is that good for you or a fish. A naso tang is an open water swimmer and as such should be kept in a tank at least 10' in length, probably more. Sure one could be kept in a smaller tank, just as you could have been raised in a closet.

We could also leave them in the ocean, as there will never be enough adaquate tanks for these kind of fish. I've become a realist, you do the best you can for them. I use to romance there were enough perfect tanks for all of them. You obviously don't contemplate where they all go.
 
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I started moving rocks and then remembered to stop and take a pic.
 
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We could also leave them in the ocean, as there will never be enough adaquate tanks for these kind of fish. I've become a realist, you do the best you can for them. I use to romance there were enough perfect tanks for all of them. You obviously don't contemplate where they all go.
Your correct we could do that, but we should at lest give them a chance to live comfortably and not be un dully stressed by the environment we force them into. I do not believe the 5 tangs the OP wishes to put in his 220 will all live that long as they will start to kill each other off as they grow or become sick due to stress. I have tangs I have had for 25 years, clowns for 23 & 26 years. Do you think these 5 will make it to 5 years? I do not, but I hope as they grow they are moved to a tank more suitable. I hate being one of the tang police, but I think we should provide the animals we care for a decent inviroment to thrive, not just a closet to survive in. No one should be encouraging people to do otherwise.
 
The Achillies kind of get streamers as they get large. Not quite like the naso but they’d fit your tank better than the naso.
 
4C00F46F-459D-4656-B260-8C1A2A7A82F3.jpeg
B6500E13-2AEE-49CC-B138-A0EA331BA614.jpeg
CB93616F-AF1F-4535-957B-548E78922665.jpeg
CC6850AF-F873-4983-AF64-940793C8FE9E.jpeg

Please excuse the stirred sand.

Nice tank. So there is no wrong way to setup your rock. What I did to optimize swimming room in place the rock in the middle of the tank, not leaning on any of the glass, which allows swimming room in front and behind. I also created multiple islands that allow the fish to zig zag from the front to the back. What I have noticed is having vertical height open is not terribly beneficial, as they don't swim straight vertically. I think your tank can absolutely be suitable for the livestock you plan. I would not recommend a naso that already has streamers, as it will already start off 5"+. Starting with a baby will definitely be the way to go, but you won't know if you have a male or not. Either way I wish you luck.
 
Your correct we could do that, but we should at lest give them a chance to live comfortably and not be un dully stressed by the environment we force them into. I do not believe the 5 tangs the OP wishes to put in his 220 will all live that long as they will start to kill each other off as they grow or become sick due to stress. I have tangs I have had for 25 years, clowns for 23 & 26 years. Do you think these 5 will make it to 5 years? I do not, but I hope as they grow they are moved to a tank more suitable. I hate being one of the tang police, but I think we should provide the animals we care for a decent inviroment to thrive, not just a closet to survive in. No one should be encouraging people to do otherwise.
It appears you prefer to go above and beyond the recommended tank sizes? There is nothing wrong with that, each to his or her own. There are plenty who have more tangs than what I am looking at getting with no issues, if added properly and some of those have been in the hobby a very long time like yourself. Thanks for sharing your personal opinion.
 
Your correct we could do that, but we should at lest give them a chance to live comfortably and not be un dully stressed by the environment we force them into. I do not believe the 5 tangs the OP wishes to put in his 220 will all live that long as they will start to kill each other off as they grow or become sick due to stress. I have tangs I have had for 25 years, clowns for 23 & 26 years. Do you think these 5 will make it to 5 years? I do not, but I hope as they grow they are moved to a tank more suitable. I hate being one of the tang police, but I think we should provide the animals we care for a decent inviroment to thrive, not just a closet to survive in. No one should be encouraging people to do otherwise.
My lust has four tangs BTW, not five. The hippo tang just came off the list due to size as well. If it is iffy, I will not choose it. Looks like it is only 3 inches shorter than the naso and still larger than what I would want in a 6 ft tank for my personal preference. The list is down to three known choices, none of which I would consider “too big”.
 

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