Tangs.

[Masoniac]

I know most people say no tang should be in 6ft tanks. I want to say I absolutely hate that rule and don't like whoever came up with it. Now I'm not saying you can keep one in a 20 gallon. I'm going to be adding a sailfin that isn't no bigger than a 50 cent coin into a 75 gallon. You can keep one in a smaller system till it eventually grows out of it. Just provide as much swimming room and as much places to hide as you can. I'm no expert when it comes to saltwater tanks. This is just my 2 cents because I hate when people say tang police and blah blah.

 

[Masoniac]

Sorry no tang should be in anything less than 6ft.

 

[herp_mommy]

Many people grow out young tangs in smaller tanks. The rule refers to adult and larger tangs.

 

[Masoniac]

I've just been looking around on here and just see people post sadly tangs need a 6ft tank but don't tell them but the smaller the tangs can live happy in a 4ft.

 

[carey]

But if you start with a small tang they will not stay small forever. You have a couple months at max until they will be too big. I don't buy fish just to trade them in for another fish, I buy them with the intention that they will live out their lives in my tank.

I happen to have a 6 foot tank and trust me, mine cant certainly be the most active tangs in the world but they utilize every inch of those six feet. I feel bad cause it's not an 8 foot tank.

There are dozens of horror stories of tangs going into too small of a tank and getting sick and dying. Or tangs that get stunted in their growth and never get big like nature intended. Putting a fish into your home requires that you do your very best for the fish and not be selfish when purchasing and caring for them.

There are many tangs that can go safely into a 75g tank and live their life in that tank and grow to their full size, an example is a tomini or bristletooth tang. But the tangs that get to a dinner plate size should not be in a small tank. just common sense.

 

[Mr. Crabs]

There's a double standard out there. I've seen people with incredible 4 feet reef tanks on another very popular site, that slip in big tangs and do not receive any grief for it.

But if someone posts a pic with a yellow tang in a 75 that doesn't have the street cred, all heck breaks loose.

The problem is that the saying "I'm getting a bigger tank...." usually never pans out that way and the fish eventually shows some ailment related to the size of it's home; ie. HLLE or tattered fins.

 

[jeffaquarius]

I have a 5 in yellow tang in a 4 ft tank for about a year now and so far she is healthy and happy. I just keep a very minimal number of fish though. She shares the tank with a flame angel and a damsel. The rests are corals. As long as you know the sign of when they are stressed and know what action to take to treat them and medicate them it should be okay. Everyone use a 10 gal to treat them to relieve them from stress so why can a 60 or 75 gal can't?

 

[Masoniac]

I just hate when people will tell a newbie it can't be done. It can be done with the right size fish.

 

[jeffaquarius]

It's just very critical to first introduce them into your tank cause that's when they get stressed and get sick.

 

[Masoniac]

That's what QT is for.

 

[Psychocircus91]

Of course smaller tangs can go in smaller tanks. As mentioned, is it really right to have it grow in that tank, and then just get rid of it later? Would you do this with a snake? a cat? a parrot? a dog? If you have another tank lined up in your own home, I see no problem with it, but many people "plan" on a larger tank and it never happens.

This issue is just most popular with tangs, but it happens with larger wrasse, triggers, rabbitfish, etc.

 

[Bige]

It's bad husbandry to buy a fish to keep till its too big for your tank. Carey said she has a 6 foot tank and feels bad its not 8. I'm assuming she said that because she sees how fast they swim and dart around the tank. Sailfins get very large fast. We should be stewards of the hobby. A yellow tang in a four foot tank is do able. A kole in a four foot tank is do able. This statement is also based on stocking and rock scape. Sailfin, hippo, and most of the others are not do able in a four or even 6 foot tank. It's like keeping your dog in cage. But my local reef club works with sea world in a husbandry program and I have been to many classes that made me form this opinion.

 

[huma-huma]

Back when i first started down this journey that is the saltie world, i felt the same way about tangs. "clearly they can manage in my tank, ill worry about it when they get bigger"... This is a thought process that we all encounter at some point and we must learn to help ourselves and others truly understand that this same thought is wrong. Anyone that sits down and closely watches a tang in a bigger size tank can see that they do dart around the tank with the slightest of movements. I personally Have had a couple tangs (2 yellows, powder brown, tennanati) and they all have expressed unique requirements. I currently have the tennanati tang ( leautenant tang) and he is constantly making laps from one end to the other. When we advise people of the important requirements that tangs have, we dont do it to be vicious or mean, we do it because we care.