Stock list for 60 cube

[PmCarbrey]

Okay, well I know I'm going to start the age old "gallons per tang" debate, but I figured I'd ask anyway; how does this stock list sound for a 60 cube?

Fish:
Powder blue tang (baby, 1-2")
Hippo tang (baby, 1-2")
Achilles tang (baby, 1.5-2.5")
Mandarin Goby (introduced 6 months or so down the road, tank will be seeded with pods regularly leading up to this)
Platinum or black onyx clown pair
and some sort of wrasse

First off, the tangs will be rehomed as soon as they it 4-4.5" to large well established tanks, yes I understand a tank this size is not good for their long term health, but I have no intention of keeping them in my tanks long enough for that to be an issue. I actually plan on donating them to the club on the condition that they are sold to someone which a large tank and the proceeds go to giving some deserving person a free year of membership.

Second: the tank will be an SPS tank, so water quality will be pristine, the tank will have a sump, which will be filled with live rock, chaeto, and which has a reef octopus skimmer in it.

third: any advice on whether this is too heavily stocked? I know it is a bit on the upper end as is, I'm just hoping it isn't too over the top!

 

[skinz78]

IMHO I wouldn't try it, the only Tang that would work in a tank that size is a Kole Tang

 

[PmCarbrey]

IMHO I wouldn't try it, the only Tang that would work in a tank that size is a Kole Tang

long term I agree completely, for all intensive purposes though this is just a grow out, I have no intention of keeping the fish or ever selling them, I plan on buying them, keeping them for a year or two, then giving them away to someone who otherwise wouldn't have one. They will be removed long before stunting or any other size related issues become possible, due to the small size of them I am hoping that my rockwork design (in the center with multiple holes cut for them to go through) will allow enough of a circular movement pattern to satisfy their behavior while also allowing them to avoid eachother should any overt aggression occur.

I've always been the first to say that the only way to judge success in this hobby in years, which is why I understand how this is such an issue to most people, realistically this tank will not succeed if I do not immediately remove the tangs once they reach a reasonable size. That is in fact the reason I wish to donate them, so that down the road I can start over. I am relatively confident that with this setup I can both promote good growth and health of all of the fish in question solely because I am going into this no only knowing that I will be giving them away at some point, but because I actually want to give them away, I enjoy raising them and watching them grow; Even if I had a 8' tank I would likely want to do the same thing.

TL;DR: Adult fish are boring! I want to grow out tangs, rehome them, then grow more out.

 

[skinz78]

Size of the Tang doesn't matter, it's swimming space that matters as most Tang's are roamers that like to have a lot of space to swim.

 

[Dashiki]

That's is way too small a tank for those tangs. They will most likely kill each other and be very stressed. Get a kole tang or learn to love some of the great other fish that you can keep in the tank for its entire life expectancy.

The Achilles tang will die and it will be your fault.

For all intents and purposes you need to read more about how these fish live its not all about how big they are.