just don't know what to do next????

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Will my protein skimmer help out any as far as inches per gallons?
 
Not really. The protein skimmer will help keep the water parameters good, but the inches per gallon rule is more along the lines for how much space the fish have. They're like people. You don't want to pack 10 people into a two bedroom house.
 
The inches per gallon rule is very helpful in freshwater but it breaks down quickly in saltwater. Some fish require more space based on activity rather than size. Consider a 3 inch goby and a three inch wrasse. The goby would be fine in a five gallon tank because it will spend most of its life in or near a burrow. The wrasse will be constantly moving and exploring.
Tangs are very energetic fishes that swim great distances every day. They need large tanks to accommodate this lifestyle.
It is also a common fallacy that a young fish is just fine in a smaller tank because you can move it once it reaches a certain size. Fish growth is poorly understood, but we do know that the most rapid growth occurs in the first few years of life - the years when it is small. Sticking a fish in a small tank "because it's small right now" is a recipe for disaster. The fish will naturally tend to grow very rapidly, but cramped quarters will lead to extreme stress and various other factors that will contribute to growth stunting. Stunted fish have shorter lifespans and are more prone to disease.
Then there's always the human equation. If you look at a fish every day, you won't notice the small growth that occurs until one day you suddenly realize its doubled in size, and you meant to give it a bigger home "three inches ago."
A juvenile fish should be housed in a tank appropriate for its adult size. No disrespect intended to anyone, but suggesting a tang of any age is ok in a tank half the minimum recommended size is encouraging a slow and painful death for a beautiful animal.
 
Seems to me that the lady just wanted a sale. Do Lfs normally take back or trade out. Surely so after only a couple days right? I definitely want happy habitats. My girlfriend wants something active. The goby hardly shows his face? They didn't have but one clown. Ay other suggestions? I'm going to add clowns but I want a frog spawn frag and my hammer I just got to grow first.
 
Chromis are easy starting fish and very active. They swim in groups too so it's fun watching them move around a tank. Most LFS will take stuff back. Mine let me trade in a damsel for a peppermint shrimp and I have given them a damsel as well that I got from a buddy. Goby's aren't great fish if you want to sit there and watch them. He'll move around but they prefer to stay hidden in the rock. And Goby's aren't good starter fish. Tanks should be up 6-9 months and supplied with copepods before getting one.
 
The most active fish I have are wrasses. The six line is very active and stays small enough for even a thirty gallon IMO. But be warned any small wrasses will devastate pod populations. If you aren't interested in any obligate pod eaters, should be fine.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. The Lfs has been closed for the holidays. I'm going to call them this week and try to replace my tang with something else. Thanks for the suggestions. When should I start my refugem? Now or later?
 
Personally, I think there are so many benefits to a refugium that the sooner the better. Plus it can be interesting in its own right. I've got all sorts of critters in mine.
 
How do I need to transport it. I still have the bag it came in when I bought it.
 
When I've brought fish in, I used a five gallon bucket. But the bag should be fine too. Just puff the top with air so it doesn't collapse and trap the fish immobile.
 
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