Upgrade from a 55 to a 90-120gallon?

[kingkapoor]

Hey folks my girlfriend and I have a 55 acrylic that I really love. Im a fan of tall and deeper tanks vs really long and short.

If we upgrade to a 90 is that enough for most fish? Really want a hippo tang. Also should I do acrylic or glass?

 

[nereefpat]

The glass vs acrylic thing will be up to you. There are advantages and disadvantages to both.

Glass is cheaper and doesn't scratch as easily. But scratches can't be fixed (within reason), there are seams to potentially burst, it's heavier, and it's not as clear.

As to the upgrade and potential stock, a standard 90 or standard 120 is a Way better tank than a 55. You open the door for many more fish, including certain tangs. The hippo will still outgrow a 90 or 120 though.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

The Hippo Tang should be kept in a 180G or larger. They grow quickly and need the room to swim. I’m sorry this isn’t what you wanted to hear.

 

[kingkapoor]

The Hippo Tang should be kept in a 180G or larger. They grow quickly and need the room to swim. I’m sorry this isn’t what you wanted to hear.

Thats okay man i can always just buy one and sell it 1-2 years down the road

 

[RIreefGuy]

My advice is to go as big as u can fit lol. There are many advantages and the cost difference isn't that much between say 120 and 180.

 

[kingkapoor]

My advice is to go as big as u can fit lol. There are many advantages and the cost difference isn't that much between say 120 and 180.

Well the issue I am having is the 120-180 are mega expensive online, lfs dont carry them so I am limited to craigslist in the Portland, OR area. Right now theres a couple of 75s, 90s, one or two 120s, nothing bigger than that

 

[nereefpat]

There has to be a lfs in Portland that can get a 120 or 180. That is a really standard tank

 

[Mariette]

Bigger bigger BIGGER!!! I have a 55. 120 on the way. Fish options go up a notch at 180. Just sayin. The bigger the better in this hobby.

 

[RIreefGuy]

Well the issue I am having is the 120-180 are mega expensive online, lfs dont carry them so I am limited to craigslist in the Portland, OR area. Right now theres a couple of 75s, 90s, one or two 120s, nothing bigger than that

Gotcha. Patience is a super power in this hobby (says the guy with hardly any at all haha) I had a 120 for years and it was a great tank. Make sure u do a build thread when u get the new tank =)

 

[kingkapoor]

There has to be a lfs in Portland that can get a 120 or 180. That is a really standard tank

Well petsmart has this, but I dont like the design very much. The stand is very low. https://www.petsmart.com/fish/tanks...-led-aquarium-ensemble-48563.html?cgid=300129

The cost is unbeatable though

 

[nereefpat]

Well petsmart has this, but I dont like the design very much. The stand is very low. https://www.petsmart.com/fish/tanks...-led-aquarium-ensemble-48563.html?cgid=300129

The cost is unbeatable though

Come on, man. When I Google fish store Portland Oregon, there are a half dozen places that show up.

Call them and ask for quotes on standard 75, 90, 120, 125, 180 gallon glass tanks. Common manufacturers would be aqueon (all-glass), marineland, deep blue. They will all be able to get you a tank.

 

[kingkapoor]

Come on, man. When I Google fish store Portland Oregon, there are a half dozen places that show up.

Call them and ask for quotes on standard 75, 90, 120, 125, 180 gallon glass tanks. Common manufacturers would be aqueon (all-glass), marineland, deep blue. They will all be able to get you a tank.

Let me guess you called Wet Spot, Cayes Aquarium, Cuttle Fish and Coral, World of Wet Pets, CB's aquarium, and maybe Salt Water obsessions?
Wetspot: Pretty much freshwater fish only and doesnt carry ANY tanks larger than 29. Cayes has the same 120 gallon petsmart does for like 1 grand, cuttlefish and coral only special order the RedSea Max tanks which are expensive, World of Wet Pets, I was there two days ago, they had the same 120 gallon petsmart had, CB's aquarium I dont go to because its incredibly over priced and the guy is a complete butt.

 

[Jesterrace]

Hey folks my girlfriend and I have a 55 acrylic that I really love. Im a fan of tall and deeper tanks vs really long and short.

If we upgrade to a 90 is that enough for most fish? Really want a hippo tang. Also should I do acrylic or glass?

Sorry to say 180 gallon minimum is what you want for a Hippo Tang. Very big and active and can be very aggressive when cramped.

 

[kingkapoor]

Sorry to say 180 gallon minimum is what you want for a Hippo Tang. Very big and active and can be very aggressive when cramped.

What I want to ask is: I see petco have the small hippo tangs in 10 gallons all the time (Yes I am 100% aware this is messed up). But I also watch these guys hang in the tanks for 2-3 months without ich or anything. If I gave a tang 90 gallons, maybe 120, wouldnt they be MUCH happier?

 

[Jesterrace]

Well petsmart has this, but I dont like the design very much. The stand is very low. https://www.petsmart.com/fish/tanks...-led-aquarium-ensemble-48563.html?cgid=300129

The cost is unbeatable though

There is a reason for it. The tank is not setup at all for saltwater. It isn't drilled and no room for sump, skimmer, return pump. All of which are pretty much a must when you are talking about a tank of this size range and if you have any ideas about a Tang of any kind you definitely want all that. They poop like crazy. I had a Yellow Tang about 4 inches in size that could fill an entire corner of my 90 gallon tank 3-4 times a day with a poop storm and that was just one Tang that was only about half it's full size potential. If the LFS isn't an option for a used reef ready setup (which will save you tons of money and work) then check your local craigslist.

https://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/fuo/d/portland-aquarium-70x-18x-24-full-setup/6859450523.html

https://portland.craigslist.org/clk/for/d/180-gallon-aquarium/6869295651.html

Too short in length for the Tang but it is good sized:

https://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/for/d/banks-oceanic-tech-120-gal-fish-tank/6873727652.html

 

[Jesterrace]

What I want to ask is: I see petco have the small hippo tangs in 10 gallons all the time (Yes I am 100% aware this is messed up). But I also watch these guys hang in the tanks for 2-3 months without ich or anything. If I gave a tang 90 gallons, maybe 120, wouldnt they be MUCH happier?

You are talking about a temporary holding tank and this is Petco we are talking about after all (more often than not a bad joke in the hobby). Just because they don't show visible signs of ich doesn't mean they don't have it. As for them being happier for a time in a 90 gallon or 120 gallon? Sure. Here is the question though, what do you plan on doing with that fish after a year or two when it outgrows your tank? Trapping and removing/rehoming fish isn't an exact science and it's often stressful on both the owner and the fish. Blue Tangs also aren't the cheapest fish. Not super spendy by the hobby standards but they still generally run $60 or more. Do you plan on selling and recovering the investment or simply flushing that money away after a year or two? Furthermore where do you plan on taking it? Petco probably won't give you much of anything for it and by the time it gets that big it won't last in their holding tank for even a few days. These are the reasons why the best practice is to buy the fish that can live out it's life comfortably in your tank, rather than simply buying a fish that looks cool just to get rid of it when it gets too big. I will say this, many folks get a Blue Tang based on the color and a couple of movies that made the fish look cool. The fact remains that the actual "Dory" often isn't as fun or interesting as the move portrays them to be.

As a final note my LFS recently took a "Rehomed" Blue Tang that outgrew a tank roughly about the size you are talking about as it became aggressive. This vid is focused on the PJ Cardinal but you can see the Blue Tang in the background just lying on the bottom of the tank and just gasping with no where to go and this holding tank is much bigger than the ones at Petco.