Put my 1st fish! Temporary!

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Wow that's crazy and I have a Lionfish in my brother's tank. I think Lionfish are awesome, if you have to put your hand in the tank just make sure he's at good comfortable distance. I had no problem sticking my hand in the tank. I also had a stonefish, now that's something you should worry about. In the top 5 most poison marine animal.
 
Here's the list of my Wish Fish for my 55g. Are these capable to be in the same tank.

- Yellow Tang
- Hippo Tang
- Sailfin Tang
- Dwarf Lionfish (undecided)
- DRAGON WRASSE
- LEOPARD WRASSE

The reason I put those 2 wrasses in all caps is because I couldn't really see if the can co-exist with each other. Ill try to get them in the same size but what would happen if one of them got bigger than the other? Will there be conflict?

When I get the tank running I will put just a sump with nothing in it only a protein skimmer. I'm not going to drill the tank but there's a really cool build for a PVC overflow box build. Not the prettiest but it will do. Planning on maybe a 10 or 20 gallon tank. Here's the link: http://youtu.be/65yVr7DiDls
 
I would think that a 55 is not big enough for one of those tangs, let alone 3. I don't think that stocking would be a good idea. Just my opinion.
 
Looking at live aquaria 2 of those tangs get longer than a 55 is deep. They wouldn't be able to turn around even without rock. Have you looked into a dwarf angel, I love my coral beauty and they would be more than happy in a 55.
 
Well thats not true at all. Alot of good aquarists have yellow and sailfin tangs in 24 gal bio cubes for a few years with no problem. Get a good ratio of fish to tank. Obviously a small fish. As the fish grows, yes it will get big; but the fish will be comforable in the tank because its lived there for a year or two. Six months is a bit rediculous to be honest. No offense. If you follow some famous small tanks as they progress, fish grow slower and adapt to the smaller environment.
 
STP wellsophyllia said:
Well thats not true at all. Alot of good aquarists have yellow and sailfin tangs in 24 gal bio cubes for a few years with no problem. Get a good ratio of fish to tank. Obviously a small fish. As the fish grows, yes it will get big; but the fish will be comforable in the tank because its lived there for a year or two. Six months is a bit rediculous to be honest. No offense. If you follow some famous small tanks as they progress, fish grow slower and adapt to the smaller environment.
Click to expand...

+1 on that... It's like the whole clown debate.
 
But the point of an aquarium is not to keep fish alive, it is to have a happy healthy environment. The hippo and sailfin in my opinion get far too large for a 55 and a yellow tang is stretching it. In response to the fact that people have kept these fish in smaller tanks successfully I say: just because you can doesn't mean you should. I understand the wish to own these fish. Tangs are probably my favorite fish but I have yet to actually have one because I have never had a large enough tank. This is, of course, just my opinion.
 
So youre saying that if this young man gets a dollar-coin sized tang and puts it in his 55 gallon tank... Its going to overgrow his tank and "just survive?? I beg to differ. Yes these fish get really big over years.. But i am saying that the fish isnt going to suffer because of the fact that its been in the tank since it was so young. A hippo tang would take at least four fears to reach that size in a 55 gallon tank.. If that.. And even if it did it would still be somewhat comfortable because of the fact that the fish is WELL established in the tank. It gets used to chemistry, lighting, feeding, waterflow, all of it. The LAST thing a tang that has been living in a tank to grow that size is thinking is :OMG im running out of room! lol.
 
I'm just saying that it is generally accepted that these fish require at least six foot tanks to thrive. I checked several online vendors, all of which had minimum tank requirements for a hippo tang at 125 gallons. They don't just pull these numbers out of thin air. I'm not saying he couldn't be successful I'm just saying that these aren't adequate conditions based on a large amount of research. He could possibly succeed in keeping two one foot and one just under a foot tangs in a 55, although I would be surprised. However it would be cruel in my opinion and would set a bad example for others. I'm sorry if it sounds like I'm lecturing I'm just trying to make sure he knows the facts so he can make an informed decision.
 
Yes but that tank requirement is derived for a full grown fish!! Thats where the ratios come into play! A huge full grown hippo tang is the same as a half dollar sized hippo tang in a 30 gallon tank. My math may be a bit off on that but you get the point. How often do you see a bigger tank like a 90 or 120 with a full grown tang? Almost Never. Well established reef tanks that have a few tangs have had those tangs for years and they never get over six inches. Many types of fish adapt to their smaller environment and grow slower over a longer period of time. If you dont agree with this.. Ask around! Im sure some informed LFS employees will tell you this. And do we know what he is going to be doing with the tank? Is it a reef or a fishtank? If you are going to put rock.. How much?
 
And just on a side note.. keeping a fis or reef tank is trial and error. Yes it is tragic for livestock to not do well or die.. But it is part of the proscess. Even with forum and lfs advice, everything is trial and error. NOONE has ever had a tank that hasnt had the death of livestock. It happens.
 
It's your tank, so you obviously can do what you like, but many times people get baby fish with the anticipation of upgrading to a large tank in the future. But then life gets in the way and money is short and the upgrade doesn't happen. Then fish that are meant for much bigger tanks end up too big for their tank because they've outgrown it. I just think its best to get fish that can live their whole lives in one tank and have that be their permanent home. And tangs are already ich-prone, so having them in a tank that's too small can be inviting trouble down the road. Also, when we look at fish (or anything, really) every day, we tend to not notice growth and the change in size. So the fish could outgrow the tank and it go unnoticed for some time. But again, it's your tank, so that's your call really.
 
Beengirl said:
It's your tank, so you obviously can do what you like, but many times people get baby fish with the anticipation of upgrading to a large tank in the future. But then life gets in the way and money is short and the upgrade doesn't happen. Then fish that are meant for much bigger tanks end up too big for their tank because they've outgrown it. I just think its best to get fish that can live their whole lives in one tank and have that be their permanent home. And tangs are already ich-prone, so having them in a tank that's too small can be inviting trouble down the road. Also, when we look at fish (or anything, really) every day, we tend to not notice growth and the change in size. So the fish could outgrow the tank and it go unnoticed for some time. But again, it's your tank, so that's your call really.
Click to expand...

Well said. I would also like to add that when a fish grows slower or stays small it is not adapting but rather it's growth is being stunted, which is not only unhealthy, but in my opinion is rather cruel.
 
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