Tang police question?

PurpleMonsterSlayer · May 19, 2020

Honestly it doesn’t really matter kind of tang you get as long as it’s small by the time it out grows your tank you’ll be either upgrading it or giving up on reefing. I have a Powder blue, Powder brown, and Flame fin tang in my 50 gallon but that being said my 50gal (48x30)also has almost twice the swimming room as your 75 and a much larger tank will be here in two weeks.

ApoIsland · May 19, 2020

fishbulb said:
I find these larger fish (tangs and rabbitfish) to be exceptionally easy to catch in a trap. I use the Aqua Medic trap and as large aggressive feeders, they swim right in and I trap them with ease. They are also not fish that will be difficult to rehouse. Large healthy yellow tangs will always be in demand.

This is exactly right. Very easy to catch aggressive eaters. And any ad on craigslist "Free xxxxx Tang to a good home" will be answered multiple times in the first day. Potential rehoming years down the road should not discourage you from getting a tang. Just don't buy one that's already 5 inches

Tuffloud1 · May 19, 2020

Tomini all the way.

Had mine in a 48x18x25 for 6 years. He could have stayed there and been fine but I upgraded to a 262 gallon.

Ribo15 · May 19, 2020

I sure hope so.. but he sure doesn’t sound like it. More so he’s proud of it. Poor fish if it’s true is all I can say.

GrandmaRaff · May 19, 2020

Fishbird said:
Since humans and fish can not communicate using spoken or written language then we have to use behavior in order to tell if a fish is happy. A tang that spends all day every day lying on its side under a rock (even if it comes out at feeding time) is not a tang that is behaving as a tang “should”. It is behaving like a very stressed tang, whether or not it has ever had ich. Why don’t you put it into your 100 gal tank and see if its behavior changes? (Keeping in mind of course that a 100 gallon tank is still going to be seen as waaaay too small for a hippo tang long term by almost everybody.)

When the time comes that if it out grows the 100g I will bring it to the House of Refuge in Stuart, Fl to finish out its life. Their aquariums are over 1000g and I have given them many of my out grown fish in past years. By the way I've been in this hobby for more than 51 years starting in 1969 so I'm no newbie and I can tell if a fish is stressed or not. Unlike other tangs, Hippos like to lie on their sides even in 500g tanks once they find their spot. A friend of mine in Pompano Beach has a 500 with a Hippo and it acts exactly the same as mine. If my Sailfin or Yellow tang acted like this there would be room for concern but Hippos are completely different. I'm sure most of the Tang Police have less than 20 years experience in this hobby and wouldn't have a clue what to do with an undergravel filter and air stone bubble tubes instead of powerheads. Sure I would love to have a 500g tank but at my age I can no longer do 50 to 100 gallon water changes. My 20, 29 and 100g tanks are more than enough for me.

OrionN · May 20, 2020

GrandmaRaff said:
When the time comes that if it out grows the 100g I will bring it to the House of Refuge in Stuart, Fl to finish out its life. Their aquariums are over 1000g and I have given them many of my out grown fish in past years. By the way I've been in this hobby for more than 51 years starting in 1969 so I'm no newbie and I can tell if a fish is stressed or not. Unlike other tangs, Hippos like to lie on their sides even in 500g tanks once they find their spot. A friend of mine in Pompano Beach has a 500 with a Hippo and it acts exactly the same as mine. If my Sailfin or Yellow tang acted like this there would be room for concern but Hippos are completely different. I'm sure most of the Tang Police have less than 20 years experience in this hobby and wouldn't have a clue what to do with an undergravel filter and air stone bubble tubes instead of powerheads. Sure I would love to have a 500g tank but at my age I can no longer do 50 to 100 gallon water changes. My 20, 29 and 100g tanks are more than enough for me.

Just because something is old does not mean it is good just as some one been at keeping fish for 51 years does not mean a darn thing when that person think that a blue tang laying on his side all day other than when he eat is normal or a 4 year old blue tang that is only 4 inches does not mean stunted growth.
There is no crime been old like us. We can set up a large tank the right way so back breaking hauling water is not needed or else keep a 10 or 29 gal tanks, but we should not keep a Blue hippo tang in a 29 gal tank, other than on QT situation.
What you posted above is what give us old timers a huge black eye.
BTW just because a Blue Hippo tang live in a 500 gal tank does not in any way shape or form mean that it cannot be stressed out.

GrandmaRaff · May 20, 2020

OrionN said:
Just because something is old does not mean it is good just as some one been at keeping fish for 51 years does not mean a darn thing when that person think that a blue tang laying on his side all day other than when he eat is normal or a 4 year old blue tang that is only 4 inches does not mean stunted growth.
There is no crime been old like us. We can set up a large tank the right way so back breaking hauling water is not needed or else keep a 10 or 29 gal tanks, but we should not keep a Blue hippo tang in a 29 gal tank, other than on QT situation.
What you posted above is what give us old timers a huge black eye.
BTW just because a Blue Hippo tang live in a 500 gal tank does not in any way shape or form mean that it cannot be stressed out.

1. I wasn't talking about a Blue Tang and if you don't know the difference that explains a lot.
2. 51 years keeping marine fish is called experience.
3. I never said being old is a crime. i'm just smart enough to know my limitations.
4. I would love for you to show me how you can set up a 500g tank containing 2 1/2 tons of water the easy way. Oh my bad, I forgot the easy way is to pick up your phone and call an aquarium service to handle it.
5. Have a great day.

Mark Novack · May 20, 2020

Hepatus, Zebrasoma Flav or Xanth, would be perfect in there. A small Naso could stay long time but might need moving in a few years. I'm not bothered by moving fish that outgrew their home. I don't sell them, I give them to the fish store for their benefit in hopes that they remain in business another day.

BillFish Coral Lover · May 20, 2020

GrandmaRaff said:
I have found that the best tang for a small aquarium is the Hippo Tang. Mine is about 4" long now and when I got it, it was barely an inch. That was more than 3 years ago. It is very happy in a 29g Biocube and only swims around during feeding time. It spends most of its time laying sideways under a rock. If you should get one or any other tang for that matter, keep Nori attached to a rock at all times as a baby tang is a voracious eater. I have found that since using Nori, it seems that their immune systems get really strong, preventing ich and other diseases. Should my Hippo get too big I have a 100g just waiting for him. Good luck in your quest to find the perfect tang.

BillFish Coral Lover · May 20, 2020

GrandmaRaff said:
I have found that the best tang for a small aquarium is the Hippo Tang. Mine is about 4" long now and when I got it, it was barely an inch. That was more than 3 years ago. It is very happy in a 29g Biocube and only swims around during feeding time. It spends most of its time laying sideways under a rock. If you should get one or any other tang for that matter, keep Nori attached to a rock at all times as a baby tang is a voracious eater. I have found that since using Nori, it seems that their immune systems get really strong, preventing ich and other diseases. Should my Hippo get too big I have a 100g just waiting for him. Good luck in your quest to find the perfect tang.

Please put

GrandmaRaff said:
Hippo tang more than 3 years old. Well fed and no ich in a fish that is notorious for coming down with ich and dying. Have a 100g to move him to when he gets too big. Hmm, not sure what I'm doing wrong.

Were the fish happily swimming around most of the time, I might agree that it's okay for now. I don't see reference to its current size....
However, merely the fact that it stays under a rock all day, which is what it should be doing only at night time (its night time, based, on your lighting schedule), means it is very stressed and unhappy. Please put it in your 100g tank and the fish should be much healthier and happier and it likely will swim around and follow you or your finger back and forth to let you know that it's happy, too. That is, as long as the tank is fully cycled and the water quality and parameters are good.
The fish and everyone else will be relieved. Best to you and all of your watery friends.

RtomKinMad · May 20, 2020

Ike said:
My thoughts are based on 35+ years of keeping tangs and seeing how they act in various size tanks, both mine and fellow hobbyists. I've never had a large system that doesn't have multiple tangs.

Zebrasoma seem to be generally better at adapting to smaller aquariums, they will outgrow your tank eventually and they can become aggressive, but they seem to be less outwardly stressed by having less swimming space. Ctenochaetus would be my second suggestion and I think the suggestions for Tomini is a good one, keep in mind that they're known the be detritivores in addition to herbivores and seem to do a little better in tanks that don't have extensive mechanical filtration. Anything in the Acanthurus genus are best avoided in all but large 6'+ tanks as they seem to often act almost claustrophobic or stressed in smaller systems.

Thank you for sharing this information! I agree.

MightyMO · May 20, 2020

I have a tommini tang in my tank... 55 gallon corner tank... it seems to like it...

Doctorgori · May 20, 2020

Yeah more votes for the Tomini ... Really tho tangs and foxfaces go on “Runs” even when not frightened ... So 4ft Of tank might just be A lil cramped .... I got a two spot that behaves similarly, those might woRk also ...just leave a lot of swimming space In front of the aquascape

Ferlando · May 20, 2020

Lonelyreef said:
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

I have a yellow tang in a 90 gallon which is 48 inches long. I have had it for 7 years. No problems whatsoever. I do believe I couldn't catch him if I had too. fish are way too fast and smart.

OrionN · May 20, 2020

As per my first post in this thread, I recommended a Tomini Tang for the OP tank.
@GrandmaRaff
I certainly make my share of keeping too large of a fish in a small tank back in my early days keeping marine aquarium fishes umpteen years ago, but I learned from my mistake. One only gain experiences if one choose to learn from mistakes.
I have keep Yellow tangs, Powder Blue tang, Hippo Blue tang in my 65 gal. I do have a 320 gal tank and these tangs were moved out of the 65 gal tank with time, usually less than 1 year.
I ordered a PBT online, he arrived thin, and sick. I have him in my 65 gal tank ad nursed him back to health. He really grew fast and was moved to my home tank.
On arrival, less than 2 inches on 4/22/2018. Now he is conservatively estimate at 7 inches.

6/24/2019

4/19/2020
at 7+ inches in a little more than 2 years

A friend broke down his tank and put a Yellow tang and a Hippo blue tang in my 65 gallon aquarium. Samll about 2.5 inches. Initially, the Blue Hippo tang did fine but he grew quickly and start to stay under the rock just as you, and many people notice, all day other than go out to eat. Unlike you, I see this change in behavior as a sign of stress and gave him to a friend. I don't like Blue Hippo tang so I did not bring him home to my home DT. IMO (only my opinion) while the color of this fish is nice, I don't like the jerky movement of his swim motion, and don't think of him as very graceful. He is doing fine. The Yellow tang also go to my friend becasue I already have a Yellow and Purple in my tank at home.
My fish are fat, colorful and healthy. I am a small and not a muscular person, 5'3'' weight 135 lbs. I really hate to haul water so I set up my aquarium so that I don't have to haul water for water change. When I change water, I just turn a valve to drain water then turn another valve to fill water to my tank. All have to do with how careful you are in setting your aquarium up.
A few pictures of my Fat fishes

You have a good day

ecexotics · May 20, 2020

in my experience tangs can get very aggressive in smaller environments in which they can dominate. i raised a purple tang in a 75 gallon and when he got about 3.5 inches he started to really be a bully. he would even attack the clownfish. then it decided to eat all my acans and my goniopora in one day. i blame myself for putting a big fish in a small tank

GrandmaRaff · May 20, 2020

BillFish Coral Lover said:
Please put

Were the fish happily swimming around most of the time, I might agree that it's okay for now. I don't see reference to its current size....
However, merely the fact that it stays under a rock all day, which is what it should be doing only at night time (its night time, based, on your lighting schedule), means it is very stressed and unhappy. Please put it in your 100g tank and the fish should be much healthier and happier and it likely will swim around and follow you or your finger back and forth to let you know that it's happy, too. That is, as long as the tank is fully cycled and the water quality and parameters are good.
The fish and everyone else will be relieved. Best to you and all of your watery friends.

I plan on moving him to the 100g tank but right now it has issues with the filtration system. Its an 80's system where everything is plumbed in pvc and cemented. I'm getting a large canister filter so I can maintain a biological filter while I tear down the current system. I don't want to increase the bio load as the filtration system is barely working.

ApoIsland · May 20, 2020

Ferlando said:
I have a yellow tang in a 90 gallon which is 48 inches long. I have had it for 7 years. No problems whatsoever. I do believe I couldn't catch him if I had too. fish are way too fast and smart.

I used think that way as well until I started feeding with a net in the tank. Do this every day and within 2 weeks every fish I have except the beta and the kole will swim into the net for food. Yellow tang, Blue tang, Sailfin tang, hawkfish, royal gramma, zebra goby...all those fish need to be constantly batted away with a stick while I feed the copper banded from the net.