Tank sizes for tangs: Help us create a list!

revhtree

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Let's put our heads together and come up with a good general rule of thumb for tanks sizes for specific tangs in gallons and in feet.

Here is a list of tangs: (please let me know if I missed any)


FISH - Minimum Gallons - Minimum Tank Size in Feet
Achilles Surgeonfish - 180g - 6 ft
Atlantic Blue Tang - 180g - 6ft
Black Tang - 80g - 4ft
Blochii Tang
Blueline Tang
Bluespine Unicornfish - 400g - 6ft
Bristletooth Tang - 80g - 4ft
Brown Tang - 125g - 5ft
Chevron Tang- 80g - 4ft
Clown Surgeonfish - 180g - 6ft
Convict Surgeonfish- 125g - 5ft
Gem Tang
Indian Mimic Surgeonfish -
Indian Ocean or Red Sea Sailfin Tang- 180g - 6ft
Kole's Tang - 80g - 4ft
Lavender Tang
Mimic Surgeonfish
Naso Tang - 200g - 6ft
Orangeshoulder Surgeonfish - 180g - 6ft
Pacific Blue, Regal or Hippo Tang - 180g - 6ft
Powder Brown Tang - 125g - 5ft
Powder Blue Tang - 125g - 5ft
Purple Tang - 80g - 4ft
Sailfin Tang - 180g - 6ft
Sohal Surgeonfish - 200g - 6ft
Spotted Unicornfish- 400g - 6ft
Tomini Tang - 80g - 4ft
Vlamingi Tang - 300g - 6ft
Whitecheek Surgeonfish - 125g - 5ft
Yellow Tang - 80g - 4ft
 
Last edited:
I'll start this out. Also include a picture if you will.

Achilles Surgeonfish
min: 180 gallons
min: 6 foot tank


acanthurus-achilles.jpg

http://saltwater.tropicalfishandaquariums.com/Tangs/AchillesTangPhoto.asp
 
Atlantic Blue Tang
min: 125g
min: 6ft

coeruleus.jpg

http://www.mycoralfish.com/product.asp?P=360&C=1&SC=26
 
Thanks for the contribution. We'll change what we need to according to what the masses agree is the best size.
 
How about we add Chevron Tang. Can't miss that beauty!
 
Imo no tang should go into anything less than a 75 gal 4 ft long tank and this is for the smallest possible tangs. Even the Tomini and the kole tang attain max size at 7". I have an 11" vlamigi tang in my 6 ft 220 and he looks kind of cramped in there

bob
 
I wouldn't put our 6.5" Spotted Bristletooth in a 3 ft tank. He would completely spazz out. We call him Eemo as he is the most emotional fish we've ever had, lol. Very active, great workhorse when it comes to cleaning rocks, a little high strung at times and can dart from one end of our tank to the other w/a couple of flicks of his fins.
 
These are strictly my opinions but here are my feelings. I am not saying I havent broke any of these myself :)


Achilles Surgeonfish - min: 180 gallons - min: 6 ft
Atlantic Blue Tang - min: 180g - min: 6ft
Black Tang - 80g - min: 4ft
Bluespine Unicornfish - 400g - min: 6ft preferably longer
Bristletooth Tang - 80g - min: 4ft
Brown Tang - 125g - min: 5ft
Chevron Tang- 80g - min: 4ft
Clown Surgeonfish - 180 - min: 6ft
Convict Surgeonfish- 125 - min: 5ft
Indian Mimic Surgeonfish - ? not familiar with this one
Indian Ocean or Red Sea Sailfin Tang- 180 - min: 6ft
Kole's Tang - min: 80g - min: 4ft
Mimic Surgeonfish? not familiar with this one
Naso Tang - 200g - min 6ft
Orangeshoulder Surgeonfish - 180g - min: 6ft
Pacific Blue, Regal or Hippo Tang - 180g - min: 6ft
Powder Brown Tang - 125g - min: 5ft
Powder Blue Tang - 125g - min: 5ft
Purple Tang - 80g - min: 4ft
Sailfin Tang - 180g - min: 6ft
Sohal Surgeonfish - 200g - min: 6ft
Spotted Unicornfish- 400g - 6ft preferably longer
Tomini Tang - 80g - min: 4ft
Vlamingi Tang - 300g - min: 6ft preferably longer
Whitecheek Surgeonfish - 125g- min: 5ft
Yellow Tang - 80g - 4ft
 
These are strictly my opinions but here are my feelings. I am not saying I havent broke any of these myself :)


Achilles Surgeonfish - min: 180 gallons - min: 6 ft
Atlantic Blue Tang - min: 180g - min: 6ft
Black Tang - 80g - min: 4ft
Bluespine Unicornfish - 400g - min: 6ft preferably longer
Bristletooth Tang - 80g - min: 4ft
Brown Tang - 125g - min: 5ft
Chevron Tang- 80g - min: 4ft
Clown Surgeonfish - 180 - min: 6ft
Convict Surgeonfish- 125 - min: 5ft
Indian Mimic Surgeonfish - ? not familiar with this one
Indian Ocean or Red Sea Sailfin Tang- 180 - min: 6ft
Kole's Tang - min: 80g - min: 4ft
Mimic Surgeonfish? not familiar with this one
Naso Tang - 200g - min 6ft
Orangeshoulder Surgeonfish - 180g - min: 6ft
Pacific Blue, Regal or Hippo Tang - 180g - min: 6ft
Powder Brown Tang - 125g - min: 5ft
Powder Blue Tang - 125g - min: 5ft
Purple Tang - 80g - min: 4ft
Sailfin Tang - 180g - min: 6ft
Sohal Surgeonfish - 200g - min: 6ft
Spotted Unicornfish- 400g - 6ft preferably longer
Tomini Tang - 80g - min: 4ft
Vlamingi Tang - 300g - min: 6ft preferably longer
Whitecheek Surgeonfish - 125g- min: 5ft
Yellow Tang - 80g - 4ft

+1

Sent from my Vortex using Tapatalk
 
How about the Gem Tang, Blochii Tang, Blueline Tang, and the Lavender Tang.

Lavender and Brown are the same I believe

Imo no tang should go into anything less than a 75 gal 4 ft long tank and this is for the smallest possible tangs. Even the Tomini and the kole tang attain max size at 7". I have an 11" vlamigi tang in my 6 ft 220 and he looks kind of cramped in there

bob

Im with Bob. Vlamingi, unicorns and all the other members of the naso family are some of my favorites but I honestly feel they belong in very large tanks. I personally wouldn't keep one in less that 500 gallons, just my opinion though. They are amazing fish though and so personable.
 
I'll ask the mods to help me keep the list updated with the tangs I missed and the sizes, etc.
 
It amazing how many people don't adhere to this. So many poor tangs local to me. For example I know a guy with a 65g with a yellow, hippo, sailfin, and powder blue crammed in there. When one dies, he just buys another one. I'm sure this is pretty common nationwide.

Am I missing the Hippo Tang on that list? No love for Dory? haha
 
Thread updated and new tangs added. We can debate the sizes as we go here and make changes as needed.
 

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