Tang Police Query

[Tateopotatoe]

I have a quick question for the tang police. I have a 55 gallon tank that is four feet long. I thought you needed at least a 70 gallon tank for the small tanks, but the other day I was watching a video by vivid aquariums www.YouTube.com/watch?v=dzLZ6MlAf_o and in the video Dave says that you can have a tang with a 4 foot long (or longer) tank. Thoughts? Also, I figured that if anyone else has tang questions they can feel free to ask them on this thread.

 

[brandon429]

gallonage differences like that do not matter disregard what the tang po thinks

Given qt of all inputs, above average feeding, above average param controls and export, the tangs are better off in smaller tanks vs a 90 gallon of the common approaches where gallonage or feet of tank is certainly not the lifespan determining factor. They need swimming room yes but they need correct support moreso i see skinny tangs all the time in giant tank vids and pics where the po don't speak up

 

[BoneXriffic]

Following

 

[FlyinBryan]

I have a kole, sail fin, clown & 2 Bartlett Anthias, in a 4' 150d for 4 years. All seem to be doing good. The Kole though is probably going to a nice new home soon.

 

[BoneXriffic]

I have a kole, sail fin, clown & 2 Bartlett Anthias, in a 4' 150d for 4 years. All seem to be doing good. The Kole though is probably going to a nice new home soon.

the kole and sailfin are all recomended 75g and up...i find the tang popo seem to be more prevalent when it comes to hippos and yellow tang

 

[Fudsey]

I made a mistake somewhere in buying my Mimic Tang(supposed to be an orange shoulder). I read somewhere the recommended tank size for him(OS) was 75 and now after finding this site and doing more research on him I found it to be much higher. Although I am much closer on the Mimic at 120 gal, the OS is now 180 gal. These numbers according to Live Aquaria.

I have him in a 72 gal bow(4' x 12"-18") and he his getting big now, approx. 6-7 inches.

I might have to find him a new home if he gets much bigger unless told otherwise.

What do you think?

 

[Tateopotatoe]

Just found this video. Hilarious! Also, still, this video says tanks can be kept in 55 gallon tanks. An answer to my previous question would be great! Thanks! www.YouTube.com/watch?v=4427gPhXaFE

 

[markfmvl]

I have a sail fin in a 55 for over a year...... he is ding fine, but has become a bit of a bully with the other fish. keeps the chromis hiding a lot of the time. It could be the space factor because I have a fair amount of rock in the tank. That is the rub with smaller tanks, that balance between hiding space in the rocks and swimming room. I hope to up grade in the future.

 

[sawdonkey]

I made a mistake somewhere in buying my Mimic Tang(supposed to be an orange shoulder). I read somewhere the recommended tank size for him(OS) was 75 and now after finding this site and doing more research on him I found it to be much higher. Although I am much closer on the Mimic at 120 gal, the OS is now 180 gal. These numbers according to Live Aquaria.

I have him in a 72 gal bow(4' x 12"-18") and he his getting big now, approx. 6-7 inches.

I might have to find him a new home if he gets much bigger unless told otherwise.

What do you think?

Absolutely beautiful fish, however I'm betting he's feeling cramped in a four ft tank.

 

[eranschau]

Water parameters notwithstanding, tangs are open water swimmers, so it's less about gallons than it is about linear feet. I'm in the process of building a 220 gallon, and the LFS talked me into going 6' long by 30" wide by 24" deep instead of 6' x 24" x 30" just to give tangs (I do love me some blue tang.) a little more swimming room.

 

[Fudsey]

Absolutely beautiful fish, however I'm betting he's feeling cramped in a four ft tank.

Fortunately I have a lot of open space for him to swim and he was only 3" when I got him, so he grew up in there

 

[SeaDweller]

Wow, the difference between R2R and RC is night and day when it comes to tangs. Lol. I never listen to what people say anyway, especially the fools who comment on tangs and never have even had them (on RC). They spit out what they read about tangs and think they're the end all of tang authority. Lol

That said, I've had multiple tangs in multiple sized tanks: 3-4-6-8' tanks.
I agree that some do "look" uncomfortable in certain sized tanks. I had a yellow and a regal in a 36"x30" tall (70 gallon) tank for 2-3 years. They were fine, but I felt bad for my regal as it always swam vertically and I knew the tank was too small for him. Upgraded to a 6' and now I'm at 8' with a med/lrg Naso, sohal, Purple, regal, Desjardini, yellow, chevron, and Achilles. They can traverse the 8' tank in a matter of 2 seconds flat. Even then I feel it's not enough, but when does it ever become enough? Might as well leave them in the ocean.

That said, if you can keep a tang well fed and what you see as happy, then try one. Kole are very nice tangs and the zebrasoma species generally stays small... And mean.

I think it's common sense to avoid a species that gets large in the wild, but I've only seen desjardini and Nasos get large in home tanks. And the occasional regal.

Lol I think I like R2R better

 

[Tahoe61]

^Gorgeous.

 

[SeaDweller]

^Gorgeous.

Thanks. It doesn't look great in pics, but in person... Man I can't peel my eyes away. I'm sure we all feel that about our tanks.

Soon to be filled even more with Indo acros!

 

[donnievaz]

I made a mistake somewhere in buying my Mimic Tang(supposed to be an orange shoulder). I read somewhere the recommended tank size for him(OS) was 75 and now after finding this site and doing more research on him I found it to be much higher. Although I am much closer on the Mimic at 120 gal, the OS is now 180 gal. These numbers according to Live Aquaria.

I have him in a 72 gal bow(4' x 12"-18") and he his getting big now, approx. 6-7 inches.

I might have to find him a new home if he gets much bigger unless told otherwise.

What do you think?

That's a beautiful mistake! Not sure I've ever seen one before.

 

[Trex]

For years I had a yellow tank in my 75. Was a very "darty" fish, actually made me nervous to watch it. Not the calming swimming nature I had seen in other yellow tangs (( in larger tanks )).

When I finally set up a 210 (( 6 feet long )) and moved it over it was like I had purchased a new fish. It was effortlessly glide from one end of the tank to the other, and gently swim b/t the rocks. When I gave that fish away (( was moving, and taking down the tank )) I made sure it went into a properly sized tank.

Personally, I will never put a tang in a 4 foot tank again.

 

[Tateopotatoe]

If I were to get a tank with my 55 gallon (build thread coming soon!) What type of tang should I get? By the way, I'm moving in a year, so right now basically any juvenile, I know, but I'm setting it up again after I move.

 

[Trex]

If I were to get a tank with my 55 gallon (build thread coming soon!) What type of tang should I get? By the way, I'm moving in a year, so right now basically any juvenile, I know, but I'm setting it up again after I move.

Personally, I wouldn't. 2 reasons -- tank size and with you moving in a year, I would stick with small and easy fish --- easier to move them.

 

[Tateopotatoe]

Personally, I wouldn't. 2 reasons -- tank size and with you moving in a year, I would stick with small and easy fish --- easier to move them.

It's a move from the U.S. to China, so I'm selling all livestock.

 

[LadAShark]

gallonage differences like that do not matter disregard what the tang po thinks

Given qt of all inputs, above average feeding, above average param controls and export, the tangs are better off in smaller tanks vs a 90 gallon of the common approaches where gallonage or feet of tank is certainly not the lifespan determining factor. They need swimming room yes but they need correct support moreso i see skinny tangs all the time in giant tank vids and pics where the po don't speak up

This.

Still, I'm sure bigger is still better, but I don't think it should be TOO big of a problem.