Will a Blue Tang be okay

[kiwis]

I've got 2x Yellow Tail Damsels, 1x Royal Dottyback and 2x Percula Clowns...

Will a Blue Tang be okay and not aggressive if I put him in there?

 

[408Dartfish]

There usually not on the aggressive side for tangs. They do need a large tank.

 

[Potatohead]

Are you referring to a Hippo, Powder Blue or Atlantic Blue?

 

[Pbh-reef]

None of those fish should be specific targets for a tang. But adding a tang early on can make it harder to add tangs, angels and butterflyfish in the future (any laterally compressed fish). What blue tang do you mean? Hepatus (dory), powder blue, or Atlantic blue?

How big is the tank? All the fish commonly called blue tangs need pretty big tanks with 6 feet or more horizontal space. The pacific blue (dory) and Atlantic blue need tanks of around 180 gallons. The powder blue is very aggressive. The Atlantic blue gets big and mean. The pacific blue is more peaceful but can be aggressive in smaller tanks

 

[kiwis]

who critical is the tank size thing? if I get a smaller Tang would it be okay for a year or two before I move it on and get another new smaller one?

 

[Pbh-reef]

which tang and what are the dimensions of the tank?

 

[kiwis]

which tang and what are the dimensions of the tank?

Hepatus
What's the smallest tank i could put a 3-5cm one in?

 

[Hemmdog]

who critical is the tank size thing? if I get a smaller Tang would it be okay for a year or two before I move it on and get another new smaller one?

Would you do that with a dog or cat? Saltwater fish aren’t as clueless as you think.

 

[kiwis]

Would you do that with a dog or cat? Saltwater fish aren’t as clueless as you think.

Yeah probably

 

[jsvand5]

Never a good sign when the OP won’t admit the tank size. Just don’t do it. They are really nice fish but there are so many other nice options out there for smaller tanks.

 

[kiwis]

Never a good sign when the OP won’t admit the tank size. Just don’t do it. They are really nice fish but there are so many other nice options out there for smaller tanks.

It's called getting a second tank set up and not having the confirmed dimensions! Assumptions can embarrass you.

 

[jsvand5]

It's called getting a second tank set up and not having the confirmed dimensions! Assumptions can embarrass you.

Lol. I’m far from embarrassed. You should be though for asking if a tang can go into a 30g tank.

 

[JoshH]

So, to keep this thread on track and going off of your what I can only guess is your now current tank you mentioned in another thread (60cm x 45 cm x 45cm).

I would personally skip on the tang.... yes tangs "can" be kept in smaller tanks for a temporary time. But a blue tang of any genus will outgrow that tank in less than a year. Rehoming large fish can be a huge problem in the long run, especially if your not in or near a large city with a large salt water presence where you can find a new home for them easily (And these homes will not be in endless supply).

It may sound like some are being harsh, but we are looking at the long term ramifications of housing a large fish in a smaller system. Your tang will be much more susceptible to illness being in a smaller tank and stressed out which could wipe out your entire tank quickly. We are offering advice (which is what you came for) and it may not be exactly what you want to hear but you need to hear it...

We all want the best, for you and your fishy friends and are just trying to prevent a difficult and stressful time for you.

And trust me, my BRAND new tank is only 5' long and I do plan on having one or two tangs. But even I don't want to put myself through the struggles of having to rehome a fish so even I'm skipping some of the tangs I REALLLY want because I know I can't provide them with the proper home long term. We grow attached to them over time and it becomes more and more difficult to send them away to a bigger tank somewhere else. You have plenty of fishy friends in your current tank, enjoy them, and plan ahead to build them a larger home down the road where they can share it with a blue tang in peace.

 

[Pbh-reef]

I may have missed it but I don't see your tank size listed. I guess my advice is to not get a hippo tang in a tank smaller than 5 feet, and that adults really need a 6' tank at least because they are very big and active. Most people here will tell you not to get a fish until you have the tank for its adult size. I think that is the best advice/practice, but you get to decide. The thing with the hippo tang is that they are one of the more difficult tangs to keep. Very small ones need lots of food because they have fast metabolisms and grow fast. They are also very susceptible to ich and velvet and so are likely to bring those diseases into your tank.
If you have a tank that is too small for a tang and want to do the upgrade thing I would encourage you to consider a yellow, scopas or purple tang, or a tang from the Ctenochaetus genus (like the kole or tomini). Zebrosoma tangs are much hardier than the hippo and swim less.

edit: what @JoshH said

 

[Jesterrace]

As mentioned above just avoid the tang for now. Much better to just wait until you have the larger tank and then just put it in there where it can live out it's life long term. Each transfer is very stressful on the fish (almost more stressful on the owner).

 

[kiwis]

Lol. I’m far from embarrassed. You should be though for asking if a tang can go into a 30g tank.

No, you don't know what you don't know. Arrogance, however, that's a personality and choice.

 

[Pbh-reef]

my advice for everyone on this thread is let the grumps go and focus on building community by helping one another.

 

[kiwis]

So, to keep this thread on track and going off of your what I can only guess is your now current tank you mentioned in another thread (60cm x 45 cm x 45cm).

I would personally skip on the tang.... yes tangs "can" be kept in smaller tanks for a temporary time. But a blue tang of any genus will outgrow that tank in less than a year. Rehoming large fish can be a huge problem in the long run, especially if your not in or near a large city with a large salt water presence where you can find a new home for them easily (And these homes will not be in endless supply).

It may sound like some are being harsh, but we are looking at the long term ramifications of housing a large fish in a smaller system. Your tang will be much more susceptible to illness being in a smaller tank and stressed out which could wipe out your entire tank quickly. We are offering advice (which is what you came for) and it may not be exactly what you want to hear but you need to hear it...

We all want the best, for you and your fishy friends and are just trying to prevent a difficult and stressful time for you.

And trust me, my BRAND new tank is only 5' long and I do plan on having one or two tangs. But even I don't want to put myself through the struggles of having to rehome a fish so even I'm skipping some of the tangs I REALLLY want because I know I can't provide them with the proper home long term. We grow attached to them over time and it becomes more and more difficult to send them away to a bigger tank somewhere else. You have plenty of fishy friends in your current tank, enjoy them, and plan ahead to build them a larger home down the road where they can share it with a blue tang in peace.

Thanks, please don't go off my other post. I'm looking at a second tank, I've not confirmed its size. It won't be the 6" mentioned but it's going to be bigger than my smaller office tank (size listed in other thread). Reason for this thread is to work out if they'll go together once in this new tank

Reason for that post is to get ideas of what could go in there if it's too small for a tang.

 

[Musovski]

It's called getting a second tank set up and not having the confirmed dimensions! Assumptions can embarrass you.

Getting a second tank, and having a second tank are two different worlds.

I will say that putting a hippo in anything smaller than a 90g is not the way to go. Id fully avoid it until you have a newer bigger tank cycled.

 

[MSB123]

Thanks, please don't go off my other post. I'm looking at a second tank, I've not confirmed its size. It won't be the 6" mentioned but it's going to be bigger than my smaller office tank (size listed in other thread). Reason for this thread is to work out if they'll go together once in this new tank

Reason for that post is to get ideas of what could go in there if it's too small for a tang.

What are the dimensions of the new tank? In centimeters.