How do I pick reef fish for size?

[Fishnerd7]

Looking for the old timers advice. I love some of these tangs until I read they get up to 18 inches!
I have 100 gallon tank. What happens next? They don't move out on their own like kids right? Or is this a situation where tank size controls their growth and age? They could make it to 18 " or so many years given tank size and no foul ups by the reefer? I'm trying to build my aquarium fantasy team which of course involves a clown or two plus a few tangs. New to saltwater by the way. Still building tank. Educating as I go. Any and all advice much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Kershaw]

You might be able to get away with a yellow eye Kole tang or other smaller tangs. But more then 1 in a tank that size will cause you headaches and cost you the lives of fish. Live aquaria has pretty good tank size for fish. Fish don't grow to the aquarium. There are allot fish in this hobby that can live up to around 20 years, tangs being included in that.
Tangs are territorial. My first tank was 180g. I had 1 blue tang in there and it would kill 80% of the new fish I put in there. So imagine an tank half the size with multipul

 

[jsker]

@4FordFamily could answer this best.

 

[4FordFamily]

A 100 gal can possibly handle a couple tangs -- I would stick to bristletooth (Kole as mentioned is a type of bristle) and zebrasoma (yellow, scopas, purple, black) varieties as they're slower growing or have smaller full sizes. I've done a trio of zebrasoma in a tank that size before for a few years without issues -- a small desjardini sailfin, a yellow, and a purple -- but the sailfin outgrew it and had to be moved out.

I would avoid any naso tangs for size, any sailfin for fast growth and size, almost all acanthurus except perhaps convict tangs for size, space and disease concerns.

Add the tangs together and properly treat and quarantine all fish prior to addition. Tangs are very susceptible to disease and velvet and ich are in every distributor and LFS in the country -- and they share water systems.

Fish will grow irrespective of tank size, as well.

Hope this helps!

 

[Fishnerd7]

I'm cutting and pasting these fish names. A lot of science involved here. Why can't we use simpler terms... I can look up an entire roster of people on a hockey team and remember the name with accurate pronunciation yet talk fish is like understanding my three year old. I have a feeling I'll ask for a fish at Reefapolooza and people will just nod there head and agree with no action. Again kinda like I do my three year old. Wife is laughing hysterically at me right now because how true this is. Thanks for your time and help.