Tang police question?

Lonelyreef · May 17, 2020

Are there any range that would be ok for a 75 gallon tank 48” long 18 wide 20 deep. Like a bristle tooth or something

MelReefer · May 17, 2020

Maybe a kole tang. Don’t @ me

User1 · May 17, 2020

Kole / Yellow Eye Tang would get too big for that tank. Several will tell you don't worry about it, put what you want, and catch to rehome later. Others will say yeah, you can buy why when you have to catch it. Catching it could be simple, could be difficult, could cause removal of some rock and corals, or all, to capture and remove all the while stressing tank occupants and hobbyist.

I'm really not going to get into should you or could you. I'll just ask have you considered other fish be it for looks or utility? Plenty of others to choose from. Have a great day.

Lonelyreef · May 17, 2020

Yea I know a 75 is where it gets borderline I also know kole tanks can be kind of jerks

acan-man · May 17, 2020

Stick with the bristle tooth tangs, but be prepared to rehome if necessary.

Alot of people will get tangs that will outgrow their tank and then rehome when they get to large. Other option is to upgrade tank size in a year or two. There is alot of debate on this, but as long as you actually have a plan to rehome the fish when needed its doable.

Lonelyreef · May 17, 2020

saf1 said:
Kole / Yellow Eye Tang would get too big for that tank. Several will tell you don't worry about it, put what you want, and catch to rehome later. Others will say yeah, you can buy why when you have to catch it. Catching it could be simple, could be difficult, could cause removal of some rock and corals, or all, to capture and remove all the while stressing tank occupants and hobbyist.

I'm really not going to get into should you or could you. I'll just ask have you considered other fish be it for looks or utility? Plenty of others to choose from. Have a great day.

Yea basically a carpenters wrasse,chromis, clowns, and some kind of algae eater maybe a goby or blenny that’s about it. Tangs are just unmatched in there algae eating but I will probably skip one it seems like it could be an issue. What’s another good fish to pick algae. I probably won’t do shrimp they seems to pick at soft corals which is what I’m after mostly pls and softy’s.

Lonelyreef · May 17, 2020

acan-man said:
Stick with the bristle tooth tangs, but be prepared to rehome if necessary.

Alot of people will get tangs that will outgrow their tank and then rehome when they get to large. Other option is to upgrade tank size in a year or two. There is alot of debate on this, but as long as you actually have a plan to rehome the fish when needed its doable.

Can’t go bigger so I will most likely skip it what’s a viable option as an algae eater for a fish besides a tang in a 75 then

MelReefer · May 17, 2020

Lonelyreef said:
Yea basically a carpenters wrasse,chromis, clowns, and some kind of algae eater maybe a hobby or blend that’s about it. Tanks are just unmatched in there algae eating but I will probably skip one it seems like it could be an issue. What’s another good fish to pick algae. I probably won’t do shrimp they seems to pick at soft corals which is what I’m after mostly pls and softy’s.

If your thinking about a blenny go for the starry blenny. Quite pretty and nice personality.

Reef man 89 · May 17, 2020

I have a yellow tang in my reefer 250 he is just a baby and when he out grows my tank I will just swap him at fish store for another baby.

ryan265 · May 17, 2020

I would say get a tang...just don’t get many. That’s where people get into trouble. They try to cram too many dudes into a tank that’s too small.

X-37B · May 17, 2020

I have a Tomini and Convict tang in my 120. The Tomini is what I would go with. The convict is still small but getting thick. The 120 is to small for him in my opinion. Tanks almost 11 months old and alreadt working on a upgrade thats at least 3x the current 120.
Only reason I got the convict was that it was super skinny but eating at a lfs. Friends said they all die in captivity and it wont last long.
The only issue is they never stop. Always on the move so I can see why they need the largest possible tank you can get for them.
The Tomini is alway on the move too but the convict makes it look like its sitting still lol.

ryan265 · May 17, 2020

Convict tangs are awesome...like lil zebras of the sea.

X-37B · May 17, 2020

ryan265 said:
Convict tangs are awesome...like lil zebras of the sea.

Yep. Mine is getting green yellow marking and eats like a pig.
Here it is when I brought him home so skinny.
I feed 3-4 times a day too.

Spieg · May 17, 2020

Tomini FTW!

User1 · May 17, 2020

Lonelyreef said:
Yea basically a carpenters wrasse,chromis, clowns, and some kind of algae eater maybe a goby or blenny that’s about it. Tangs are just unmatched in there algae eating but I will probably skip one it seems like it could be an issue. What’s another good fish to pick algae. I probably won’t do shrimp they seems to pick at soft corals which is what I’m after mostly pls and softy’s.

If it was me I would look at a blenny. Lawnmower blenny has a lot of personality and are great utility. Starry is also utility but has a lot better colors. Personal preference between those but they would obviously help.

Small wrasse such as a yellow or trio of them if you have a net / cover. Also a possum wrasse would be nice although a bit more reclusive. Both of these would help utility wise vs some pests. I am partial to 6 lines personally but wouldn't recommend them to folks. They carry a lot of dislike by hobbyist because they can be a bit aggressive.

I also like the neon yellow or gold gobies. Pairs if you can get them. They are great little fish and also act as cleaners.

I believe you have a lot more options but in the end what it sounds like you are looking for is a utility fish like a tang that fits in your tank size. So herbivore is what I'd be searching and reading and see what happens from there. I also like Coral Beauties and damsels.

OrionN · May 17, 2020

Tomini and most of the Ctenochaetus tangs other than the Chevron tang, would be OK in a 75 gal tank. They tend not to get very large. If you look at LiveAquaria.com, they often give reliable, conservative estimate of tank size required. At least following LA guide line, you won't get arrest by the Tang Police.