Tang in a Nano??

[wicked demon]

lol thats funny, I am only housing a tang in a nano, alone I might add, untill I set up the 75 gal, and he will be the only tang in that system, untill he outgrows it and then I know sombody with a 450 gal. and I am not familiar with every species, but sailfins, yellow, and purple seem to grow pretty slow, and tominis stay pretty small.

People do fine in prison.

Tangs can too.

If thats your bag and how you like to take care of your pets, go for it. I don't....I consider them all part of our family.

 

[El Camaron]

I have always wanted one and figured that if it was small and strong enough then it should be ok until it got big enough for a transfer but definitely not for adult tangs. I still do want one, just have not found the right one at the right price.

 

[stunreefer Verified Sponsor]

+1 to Ian and Sikryd posts...

 

[seafansar]

You could get a lawnmower, starry, or tailspot blenny instead to eat the algae. My tailspot in my 150 gallon keeps the algae trimmed on about half the tank! Don't let his little size fool you! lol. He's always fat as a little pig.

 

[fsu1dolfan]

How long did it take yours to get 3 inches? I just need to know how much time I have until I must upgrade?

Took about a little under a year or so for it turn from a dime to 3 inches

early pic

Just before transfered

 

[Tswifty]

People get way too upset over this topic for some reason. Tangs are the best 100% reef safe algae cleaner. Please tell me how you tell a fish is "happy?" If the fish is healthy that's about your only indicator. Any comparison to their natural environment is just ridiculous. Sure I would love to live in a mansion, but I do just fine renting a room in a small house in the suburbs. Even that comparison is dumb. The size of the fish at purchase has a lot to do with the "appropriate" size. I've owned quite a few tangs, and the only one that's ever posted noticeable growth within 1 year was my Powder Blue Tang. My favorite comment of all (which I am surprised that I haven't seen on this thread) is... that tank is too small, get a rabbitfish. LOL

It's a judgment call by the owner. That's all. Decide on a tang you like, then look for people that own that fish to get opinions on the growth rate, and activity level. Now if you were trying to stick some type of Naso or Blue Hippo in that tank... that's a completely different story. Those guys are all known to grow extremely fast and get VERY large.

I've got a 2-1/2" Eibli Mimic Tang in my nano-ish SPS tank. He's fat, healthy, free of threats from predators and disease. If he does experience mutant growth (which I highly doubt)... then I've got plenty of friends who have offered to take him, and there's certainly nothing wrong with that (it's not a puppy... it's a fish). However, the most likely solution is that it will be with me for a number of years as I upgrade and move to larger systems, never outgrowing a single one.

Opinions are like... well you know... everyone's got one, and...

 

[Tswifty]

To the OP,

If you want a tang, I would look into purchasing a small one (around 2") in the Zebrasoma (Purple, Yellow, etc..) or Ctenochaetus (Tomini, Kole, Chevron, etc...) genus.

Good luck.

 

[stunreefer Verified Sponsor]

Tangs are the best 100% reef safe algae cleaner.

No offense to you, but this is 100% false in regards to them being "reef-safe"...

Any comparison to their natural environment is just ridiculous.

Really?

So because a fish will swim in 15 + foot runs at a time before turning to head the other direction while swimming at a rate of 15 mph as they're defending their territory in nature we shouldn't take that into account in captivity?

Comparing a humans life-style to the high energy life style of a fish that's evolved to swim far and fast is ignorant.

I totally agree with your "appropriate size" upon purchase statement, but you have to take into account if your tank is appropriate size as well, which many times, it is not. Along with the rabbitfish statement; that's rediculous that someone would mention to 'not put a tang in your tank, put a rabbitfish in,' when a commonly sold Siganus puellus can attain 10+ inches easily in captivity. Most tangs are a very high energy, fast swimming fish that do not belong in our tanks.

It's a fact that tangs swim as they do, just like it's a fact that Great Whites eat seals... to me this is not a hard judgment call.

If you want a tang, I would look into purchasing a small one (around 2") in the Zebrasoma (Purple, Yellow, etc..) or Ctenochaetus (Tomini, Kole, Chevron, etc...) genus.

This is good advice assuming you know that they'll outgrow a 30" tank, in which I agree with Ian's statement about puppies, but yes, that is MO.

 

[inactive]

This thread is 100% fail. I can't believe some of these replies.

 

[BlazinNano]

I did not want to start a fight. I was just noticed a lot of smaller tangs. I will be getting a bigger tank in about 6-8 months. Plus I do have friends with 150-220 gallon tanks. I also have an awesome LFS who will give me store credit or hook me up with someone they know. I was just asking if you could not do it because of the swimming room. Did not want to start a fight that is why I asked here instead of RC because you can not get an honest answer. Now the last question if I where to get a small Tomini Tang just a inch or 2 will he be good for 6-8 months in the smaller tank till I can get a bigger tank setup?

 

[justin_freebords]

it sounds like the only way to tell if a fish is happy or not is whether it gets a disease. Now im guessing since ich is brought on by stress and i mean the slightest stress and some fish get ich that if you keep a tang in a smaller tank say 40+ gallons if its a normal tank or maybe as low as 20 if you have like a custom made super long tank the fish is most likely not upset if it doesn't ever get diseases and is eating and active in the tank. You dont need a lot of room to get good activity. Yes the fish may not get to its full speed zipping around the tank but you cant say that a fish would do that in a 6 or 8 foot tank either because technically it ends at one end so it isnt like the ocean. I would never keep a tang in a small tank just because everyone has made it sound so in human to do and people that do are so stigmatized in this hobby that its similar to being like michael vick. If you want to keep a tang in a small tank go right ahead (keep it at least reasonable so it can move around i dont mean put one in a 10 gallon) but if you notice the fish is in ailing health dont look for every other reason that it could be sick. Assume the fish is stressed due to its living environment and take the fish to your LFS for some store credit. When taking a chance like this you have to remember you may have to get rid of the fish and may lose some money in the process. The same is true if you buy an angel hoping it won nip at corals and it does. But its really stupid to say a fish is like a dog. It proves absolutely nothing except that you can compare to animals

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Let's keep it cool!

Keep the info coming, just keep it cool!

 

[inactive]

I guess it's always the same story everywhere.


Everyone either has a bigger tank(why not put the tang in there?), Is starting a bigger tank "down the road" or whatever. This is hilarious, it's like nano-tang-cliche.

 

[JR's Reef]

If if was me I'd save the money that you would be spending on the tang for a new tank if your wanting a bigger tank in the future. As far as a tang in a small tank yes just get a real small one but still say save the money for a new tank. I have a small yellow tank in a 30long but thats only because someone give me a 75 and had the 30 running so put everything in there til I could get the 75 backup and running. I will say that he really dont seem to be real happy in the smaller tank but he only has about 2 more weeks to go until he gets a bigger home

 

[mgdmirage]

I honestly wouldn't recommend putting a tang in anything under 4 feet long.

 

[Blackhawk Fan]

Which tang are the bristletooth ones?

Tomini, Chevron, and kole.

 

[Blackhawk Fan]

The OP asked about a 30" long tank. If he asked about something smaller I would have given a different answer, but 30" for a small tomini, kole chevron, or scopas is plenty of room.

 

[Tswifty]

but yes, that is MO.

That's the problem with these threads, they are ALL opinion, and most people feel the need to voice them strongly. As for using a minimum length as a stipulation... Length, depth, height, as well as aquascaping all play roles in determining how much "open" swimming room is available in the tank. Just because your (not meaning you personally) tank may be 13" or 18" wide, it certainly doesn't mean others aren't larger. For example, a 36" x 36" footprint is massive, but since we can't keep tangs in tanks less than 4'... I guess that person better watch out.

There is no 1 rule fits all (with anything in this hobby). All you can do is make the bet informed decision based on the knowledge you have gained, and these types of threads are not where you want to do your research.

In my experience, "most" tangs spend the day drifting grazing on the rocks. Not doing laps, or bouncing off the panes like a ping pong ball.

 

[Tswifty]

Comparing a humans life-style to the high energy life style of a fish that's evolved to swim far and fast is ignorant.

So is thinking one has insight into the emotional state of a fish.

 

[Zoacrazy]

a baby hippo anything that are small.