What Size Should Naso Tangs Be Kept In At Minimum?

[NC122606]

I was wondering the real Minimum in which Naso tangs should be kept at, there is always debates I see whether 180 is the Minimum or 200+. So let's see what Reef2Reef has to say about this.

 

[Mike.P]

I was wondering the real Minimum in which Naso tangs should be kept at, there is always debates I see whether 180 is the Minimum or 200+. So let's see what Reef2Reef has to say about this.

In my experience, it's the swimming room that's more important than volume, when it comes to tangs... As long as the tank is at least five feet long, I would say that you're fine.

 

[NC122606]

Nice to hear some opinions!
Keep them coming!

 

[pcon]

Well lets start by admitting that Nasos are big fish, they get up to a foot and a half, 18". Additionally minimum tank size is, less about volume, as it is foot print. So a 2ft by 6ft footprint tank is only 1.3x4 times an adult body length. I think thats reprehensibly small for a fish that swims miles and miles a day.
While there are problems with this analogy it helps put some perspective: imagine living in a small spare bedroom 10'x24' (okay maybe 2 walk in closets end to end, it would be a weird bedroom) your entire life. or even just most of your childhood? that wouldn't be okay.
So go out to 8-10ft by 3-4ft to get to 2.5 x 6 ish for body length, thats still pretty small, like a master bedroom for whole life.

I sorta think with a open water swimmer notorious for covering miles a day, you want to have minimum, 3-4 times body-length front to back, and 8-10 body lengths long wise. (compare 7" yellow tang 72" x18" minimum footprint ~10x3) And with a monster fish like a Naso you are talking 4.5-6ft front to back and 12-15ft in length. this gives a minimum of 12ft x 4.5ft

Liberally we might nock some off of that theoretical minimum, your still talking a 10ftx4ftx2ft tank, thats a hair under 600gal. and thats 6.6x2.6x1.3 body length thats not terrible but thats also not great.

 

[TARHEEL78]

Plenty of people live in smaller quarters than 10'x24', we call them prisoners.

 

[pcon]

Plenty of people live in smaller quarters than 10'x24', we call them prisoners.

Certainly but there are some due process issues for tangs. For one a jury of peers, it is going to be hard to get a unanimous decision out of. I have never seen a group of tangs agree on something.

 

[NC122606]

Certainly but there are some due process issues for tangs. For one a jury of peers, is going to be hard to get a unanimous decision out of.

Agreed, the hardest part about this.
Of course, there is going to be that one person who keeps a Yellow tang in a 20 gallon and states it is happy.

 

[Hemmdog]

Well lets start by admitting that Nasos are big fish, they get up to a foot and a half, 18". Additionally minimum tank size is, less about volume, as it is foot print. So a 2ft by 6ft footprint tank is only 1.3x4 times an adult body length. I think thats reprehensibly small for a fish that swims miles and miles a day.
While there are problems with this analogy it helps put some perspective: imagine living in a small spare bedroom 10'x24' (okay maybe 2 walk in closets end to end, it would be a weird bedroom) your entire life. or even just most of your childhood? that wouldn't be okay.
So go out to 8-10ft by 3-4ft to get to 2.5 x 6 ish for body length, thats still pretty small, like a master bedroom for whole life.

I sorta think with a open water swimmer notorious for covering miles a day, you want to have minimum, 3-4 times body-length front to back, and 8-10 body lengths long wise. (compare 7" yellow tang 72" x18" minimum footprint ~10x3) And with a monster fish like a Naso you are talking 4.5-6ft front to back and 12-15ft in length. this gives a minimum of 12ft x 4.5ft

Liberally we might nock some off of that theoretical minimum, your still talking a 10ftx4ftx2ft tank, thats a hair under 600gal. and thats 6.6x2.6x1.3 body length thats not terrible but thats also not great.

+1

 

[pcon]

I must admit this isn't an easy issue, Nasos are a common fish in the trade however tanks that can house a full grown adult, pretty rare.

There is a disconnect here between, information we know about appropriate husbandry, and the fish collected, sold and eventually bought by the consumer. Freshwater seems to have similar issues.

 

[NC122606]

I must admit this isn't an easy issue, Nasos are a common fish in the trade however tanks that can house a full grown adult, pretty rare.

There is a disconnect here between, information we know about appropriate husbandry, and the fish collected, sold and eventually bought by the consumer. Freshwater seems to have similar issues.

Yes, the freshwater fish that seem to go through this same thing are,
Oscars (Most people but these it little tanks not realizing they get a foot long.)
Goldfish (Bowls... They need 30 - Pond Gallons depending on the type.)
Common Pleco (People do not realize these get over 2 ft and put them in their 20 gallons.)

 

[Mike.P]

Well lets start by admitting that Nasos are big fish, they get up to a foot and a half, 18". Additionally minimum tank size is, less about volume, as it is foot print. So a 2ft by 6ft footprint tank is only 1.3x4 times an adult body length. I think thats reprehensibly small for a fish that swims miles and miles a day.
While there are problems with this analogy it helps put some perspective: imagine living in a small spare bedroom 10'x24' (okay maybe 2 walk in closets end to end, it would be a weird bedroom) your entire life. or even just most of your childhood? that wouldn't be okay.
So go out to 8-10ft by 3-4ft to get to 2.5 x 6 ish for body length, thats still pretty small, like a master bedroom for whole life.

I sorta think with a open water swimmer notorious for covering miles a day, you want to have minimum, 3-4 times body-length front to back, and 8-10 body lengths long wise. (compare 7" yellow tang 72" x18" minimum footprint ~10x3) And with a monster fish like a Naso you are talking 4.5-6ft front to back and 12-15ft in length. this gives a minimum of 12ft x 4.5ft

Liberally we might nock some off of that theoretical minimum, your still talking a 10ftx4ftx2ft tank, thats a hair under 600gal. and thats 6.6x2.6x1.3 body length thats not terrible but thats also not great.

I agree 100% for a full grown one. My comment was for ones of the typical small size at which they're sold... They would take years to mature but, at that point, yes they would need to be rehomed.

 

[NC122606]

Ok, so I just thought about it, one of the biggest issues.
Captive Bred Fish...
Of course, they are going to know nothing about the actual area that they are supposed to in the wild, they will think that the tank they are kept in is their ocean. So biggest issue they might even know they swim that much.
Not arguing but just saying the argument to all of this.

 

[Bbfishb81]

Plenty of people live in smaller quarters than 10'x24', we call them prisoners.

A cell that big would belong to Pablo Escobar.

 

[NC122606]

Also, people watching this thread please vote and comment if you would like.
Just voting will be fine!

 

[Peach02]

can someone please explain your measurement system to me like when people say 15x20 15 by 20 inches, cm, meters, feet???

 

[NC122606]

can someone please explain your measurement system to me like when people say 15x20 15 by 20 inches, cm, meters, feet???

Basically L x W x H
So Length by Width by Height
Like 5 Gallons are 16" x 6" x 8"

 

[Peach02]

Basically L x W x H
So Length by Width by Height
Like 5 Gallons are 16" x 6" x 8"

yea but 16 what?

 

[NC122606]

yea but 16 what?

This " is Inches
This ' is Feet
This cm is Centimeters
This m is Meters

 

[Peach02]

This " is Inches
This ' is Feet
This cm is Centimeters
This m is Meters

I know the metric system and thanks for the ' " thing

 

[NC122606]

Disclaimer: I am going to be choosing other because I will not have a say in this.