Sailfin

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Salt H20 victim

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Aug 1, 2014
Messages
34
Location
North Dakota
Im working on a 75 gal, obvi saltwater, i really love sailfin tangs! liveaquaria says 180 gal min but in my opinion they always say more than actual min. What is the smallest you'd keep a sailfin and what kind ??


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Experts recommendations for an appropriate size of tank is for a long term keeping of fish that it will feel comfortable when it reaches adulthood. If you can just imagine a 16 inch long sail fin, you can ask yourself if it can be kept in a 75 gal tank.
 
I knew it :,( just needed to here it from someone else to stop my irrational thinking


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Ya live aquaria has pretty accurate min tank sizes. If you are looking to order fish you should use them. Instead of that fish I would get a tommini tang.


-The Reeffantic ??
 
I do love the tomini was thinking one of those or possibly a squirreltail they dont get as big


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Any of the bristle tooth tangs other than a chevron should do ok


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Agreed. Leave the sailfin alone and try a Kole or something that doesn't get too big.

I think LA has very optimistic tank sizing. Save yourself from the age old issue of my tangs have Ich and buy livestock sized properly for their environment. You'll save money and pain.


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I wouldn't want a chevron anyway, too expensive and idk not the coolest tang to me


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WHOA!!! I just looked and relized it says 180 gal for sailfin ! For some reason i thought it said 90. Whydid you even answer such a stupid question?!


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It wasn't stupid at all!
I just had a argument with another guy with a hippo in a nano tank. That tang grows from 1" to 3-4" in about 6 months, then rapidly gets bigger from there. If he starts out tiny he can probably keep him in there 6 months to a year. Sailfins get just as big.

My hippo is in my 300 gallon reef and he is getting too big for that tank IMO. The sailfin is already 5"


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WHOA!!! I just looked and relized it says 180 gal for sailfin ! For some reason i thought it said 90. Whydid you even answer such a stupid question?!


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Yeah, I don;t think people realize just how big those cute little sailfin tangs grow to. I once got one in from my supplier that was too tall for a standard 5' long 100 gallon tank. When it opened it's fins full it stuck out of the tank. :blink: It was so big that we didn't have a net big enough to take the fish out of the acclimation set up. We had to use a large garbage bag to move him. It wound up quickly being donated to the Miami Seaquarium because back then, nobody was keeping big tanks in their homes. ( It was originally ordered for a 300 gal tank for the store but that tank was redecorated because it took months for the fish to finally get caught and shipped to me so it no longer could go in there. :()
Needless to say, a 180 is probably marginal for a fully grown Sailfin. :nono:
 
Bass Pro Shop in Springfeild MO has a 4-5000 gallon FOWLR tank. It has a sailfin that's the size of a small garbage can lid. That also have a red lion fish the size of a spaniel.


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Bass Pro Shop in Springfeild MO has a 4-5000 gallon FOWLR tank. It has a sailfin that's the size of a small garbage can lid. That also have a red lion fish the size of a spaniel.


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Said aquarium:

ImageUploadedByAquarium Advice1406947484.711053.jpg


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Sad i really like those lil guys but they now seem so far outa reach


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If you want tangs, all it takes is a bit of swimming room. They also like rock work that provides hidey holes and safe places to sleep or retreat. Sometimes they can't stand the sight of each other, so it's best there are places out of sight. Constant swimmers, the longer the tank the better. For example, a generic tang will do better in a 200 gallon long tank, than a even bigger high tank that was shorter. They are very easy to raise, even some of the difficult ones. You just need to follow some basic rules and know your tangs. Especially the environment they evolved in. Deep water vs surge zone tangs can make a big difference in how you need to care for them.

Keep at it, that glorious tang is waiting for you.


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If you want tangs, all it takes is a bit of swimming room. They also like rock work that provides hidey holes and safe places to sleep or retreat. Sometimes they can't stand the sight of each other, so it's best there are places out of sight. Constant swimmers, the longer the tank the better. For example, a generic tang will do better in a 200 gallon long tank, than a even bigger high tank that was shorter. They are very easy to raise, even some of the difficult ones. You just need to follow some basic rules and know your tangs. Especially the environment they evolved in. Deep water vs surge zone tangs can make a big difference in how you need to care for them.


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+1 for sure.
So many fish we keep in tanks, in nature, grow way larger than the tanks we try to keep them in. You need to be selective or have a big room for a really big tank. :) (y)
 
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