Square Tank and Big Swimmers?

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Hey everyone, oddly specific question here. I know most people recommend things like 6 foot or 8 eight foot tanks for fish like big tangs and angels, but long story short, I'm looking at potentially doing a 42"x45" tank (I have glass that won't work for a project I had planned) and I'm wondering: can I keep these big swimmer fish in a tank of those dimensions?

The diagonal would be 61", and the tank would be 24-30" tall (~196-245 gallons).

It's not as long as I would hope, but I'm basically wondering if the extra depth makes up for that.

 

[Alex Cataldo]

It might be ok for some small tangs, but typically they can get very territorial with each other due to lack of surface area (on the bottom of the tank). 45 by 42 by 30 inches should be enough for a few tangs and angels

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

It might be ok for some small tangs, but typically they can get very territorial with each other due to lack of surface area (on the bottom of the tank). 45 by 42 by 30 inches should be enough for a few tangs and angels

I'm assuming no to sailfins and nasos then?
Do you think some 8-10 inch tangs like the Lieutenant/Tenneti and Mimic Lemon Peel tangs would work?

 

[Alex Cataldo]

I'm assuming no to sailfins and nasos then?
Do you think some 8-10 inch tangs like the Lieutenant/Tenneti and Mimic Lemon Peel tangs would work?

Probably not long term, but you could try putting them in there to see how they do. If they seem stressed and pacing, try making an aquascape with a lot of tunnels and arches to break up the swimming space so they can swim in and out of multiple locations. I have seen people keep tangs in tanks as small as 40 gallons using this method.