Help me get a Tang

[BoomCorals]

I use yellow tangs in my frag tanks sometimes. Even when I get them small, about 1.25" in size they zip back and forth the full length of 4' like mad. Even the small ones need a lot of room.

 

[GHsaltie]

Id just wait until your 250g is fully set up.

The reefer 250 is actually a 65g, I always wonder why they number the tanks the way they do, it's confusing at first glance.

 

[BoomCorals]

The reefer 250 is actually a 65g, I always wonder why they number the tanks the way they do, it's confusing at first glance.

250 liters. :)

 

[shrimped]

Red Sea Reefer 250 is a 55g display... I wouldn't put any sized tang in a 55g even a 1" tang as I've seen small 2" in a 200g already bumping their snoot on walls and stuff. Minimal tank size for small tangs imo is at least 300g

 

[BoomCorals]

Red Sea Reefer 250 is a 55g display... I wouldn't put any sized tang in a 55g even a 1" tang as I've seen small 2" in a 200g already bumping their snoot on walls and stuff. Minimal tank size for small tangs imo is at least 300g

Slight correction, its a 65g

 

[4FordFamily]

Alright the tang guy is here...

I agree with what's being said, a tang is not an appropriate choice for a 20 gallon tank except perhaps as a quarantine. These fish graze over vast distances of water in the ocean and it's understandable that the more they can mimic their natural behavior, the "happier" they will be. While we cannot measure stress in fish (or at least at the moment its cost prohibitive and senseless due to harm to the fish), the best we can do is go by their behavior in the wild and their different behaviors in different sized tanks in captivity and draw inferences from these observations.

One thing I can tell you for sure, is that a happy tang will love to slowly cruise their territory in what is hopefully, a long tank. IME the minimum size for small zebrasoma tangs is 55 gallon. This is 4 feet of swimming room. A happy tang will have great color, feed well, etc.

An unhappy tang will often zip around the tank side to side, make quick, abrupt movements up and down, and may even show color loss or "stress colors". They're more prone to disease in a smaller tank due to stress as well.

With all of that being said -- while I agree with many of the posters, this is not how I envision us as a forum communicating with one another. I disagree with many things I see on here, and many probably disagree with my assertions as well. Part of what makes this forum so great is that we DONT patronize and demean people that we disagree with. Some people simply don't know. I'm very passionate about tangs and in many cases have been called the tang police but I try to approach people from a point of understanding and helpfulness rather than belittling and sarcasm. Let's all try to keep personal attacks and rude comments at bay and discuss facts or even conjecture in a professional and kind manner.

To the op, I'm sorry, this is not how this community generally treats questions. It is, however, something that many aquarists are very passionate about and so it is more likely to elicit this type of behavior than other threads, hence the "tang police" jokes many have heard.

Happy reefing!

 

[Mark Waltermire]

What sort of tang are you looking for? How big is your tank? 1" is small for a tang, most grow much larger and will outgrow lots of tanks. The kole tang is a good smaller tang that should work in around 70 gallons. A yellow tang can squeak by in a 120. What are your goals with the tang?

So the fact that Sanjay Joshi has a Gem Tang in a 40 gallon breeder and hasn't done a water change in 5 years is unacceptable? Is is because the gem tang is like 8 years old or something?

It's cruel. These are our pets. I wouldn't leave either of my dogs trapped in a crate 100% of the time.

So do you take your fish out and put them in the ocean from time to time so they can get out and swim just like people take their dogs to the park?

Oh my I dislike reading post like this. When someone says its only temporary and when I get a bigger tank set up, I'll move it to there. UGH. If you do this, I'd expect to see another thread by the OP asking for help with a sick dying fish. Its' your choice though, to each its own I suppose.

I had a yellow tang in a 30 gallon long tank for about 3 years before poor tank husbandry killed almost the whole tank. Mauna Loa lived a happy life and was my favorite fish in that tank.

 

[aKlevans]

I feel like everyone is taking this out of proportion.
In my opinion, there is no reason to keep a tang in a tank as small as a 20 gallon.
People are saying that the difference between, say, a 20 gallon tank and a 120 gallon tank are tiny compared to the ocean. Not trying to make fun of anyone, but I think that makes no sense. A fish isn't going to swim across the whole ocean in one day. I know that blue tangs can swim for miles every day, but I think that two feet of swimming room is a lot different that four feet. A tang can barely swim at all in only 2 feet of space. Have you ever heard of long term success with a tang in a 20 gallon tank?

I always want what's best for the fish. I have a hard time justifying keeping wild-caught fish (even though I have been really tempted), let alone keeping them in tiny tanks. Not taking anything away from people with wild-caught fish, I get that it is usually sustainable, and that I have eaten many fish from the ocean.

My point is, if there is no "need" to keep a tang in a 20 gallon (rescue, etc.) then you shouldn't keep one. Why would you want to keep a pet in less-than-favorable conditions when you could keep fish that are much more suitable for that tank size? Not mentioning that a tang's bioload is probably too big for a 20 gallon tank.

Not getting mad at you for asking, we were all beginners once...some of us more recently than others:)

 

[DSC reef]

So the fact that Sanjay Joshi has a Gem Tang in a 40 gallon breeder and hasn't done a water change in 5 years is unacceptable? Is is because the gem tang is like 8 years old or something?



So do you take your fish out and put them in the ocean from time to time so they can get out and swim just like people take their dogs to the park?



I had a yellow tang in a 30 gallon long tank for about 3 years before poor tank husbandry killed almost the whole tank. Mauna Loa lived a happy life and was my favorite fish in that tank.

Good for you at keeping a full size tang in a 30 gallon. Taking the fish to the ocean is a bit excessive and I think you miss the point. There's nothing wrong with giving the OP many opinions but it's also a good idea for him to be warned of possible issues he could face with keeping a tang in a small tank. You kept a tang in a 30 gallon, no one said it can't be done and not everyone can do it. You mentioned poor husbandry killed the tank, with a fish that big husbandry is keeping him alive. What if the OP puts a tang in a 20 and decides to skip on husbandry? In a larger tank there's more wiggle room, in a 20 gallon with the amount of waste that single fish produces won't leave much room for error. It's good for the OP to have opinions to be prepared for the challenge ahead.

 

[Mark Waltermire]

Good for you at keeping a full size tang in a 30 gallon. Taking the fish to the ocean is a bit excessive and I think you miss the point. There's nothing wrong with giving the OP many opinions but it's also a good idea for him to be warned of possible issues he could face with keeping a tang in a small tank. You kept a tang in a 30 gallon, no one said it can't be done and not everyone can do it. You mentioned poor husbandry killed the tank, with a fish that big husbandry is keeping him alive. What if the OP puts a tang in a 20 and decides to skip on husbandry? In a larger tank there's more wiggle room, in a 20 gallon with the amount of waste that single fish produces won't leave much room for error. It's good for the OP to have opinions to be prepared for the challenge ahead.

I wasn't recommending that a tank in a 20 gallon tank is necessarily a good idea, but was more wanting to comment to the tank police. I only think I managed to get away with the yellow tang because it was a 3ft tank and a 20 gallon would not be that long. I currently have a 72g and only plan on putting either a Blue tang or powder blue in their.

 

[A Toadstool Leather]

The reefer 250 is actually a 65g, I always wonder why they number the tanks the way they do, it's confusing at first glance.

Oh my bad. I dont really think a tamg would be good. Not that I know since I dont keep tangs. Wouldn't a flame angel be a good fit?

 

[shrimped]

Slight correction, its a 65g

Total System Volume = 65g
Just Display = 54g

 

[Mark Waltermire]

Oh my bad. I dont really think a tamg would be good. Not that I know since I dont keep tangs. Wouldn't a flame angel be a good fit?

I would hesitate away from flame angels. I got one at petco for $20 because it was covered in ich, velvet, and other diseases that I've never seen photos of even to this day. I mean this thing looked like it has 5 cactus thorns sticking 1/8" out of. I QT'd the the crap out of that thing for like 2 months and I got it to where it was the happiest fish you have ever seen. At that point I introduced it into my 30 gal "DT" and everything went fine. One morning about 2 months later there he was laying dead on the bottom of the tank. No idea what happened to him and all the other fish, including the yellow tank, were all completely fine. He was good the night before, but dead in the morning.

They are still a beautiful fish, but maybe I just had something unlucky happen or maybe there was still some disease present on the little guy.

 

[ShaunRobinson]

How long before you are planning to get the 250? If you are genuinely planning on upgrading in the near future then why not just wait until you have it before buying the Tang. Do you have to have one now? There are plenty of stunning fish that could live quite happily in a 20g tank which would give you the same enjoyment.

That said, I have been to lfs that have multiple tangs in much smaller tanks for goodness knows how long and while they do obviously get moved on some of them can be in those small tanks for a long time.

Tangs are swimmers, no matter what size tank they are in they will use all the available swimming space. A small 1" Tang would be happy enough in a small tank for a short time. But I'm talking a few months before it outgrew the tank. If it's only going to be a few months then just wait it out. Get your upgrade up and running, then use the 20g for a quarantine tank and go for it.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[TimothyTran]

How long before you are planning to get the 250? If you are genuinely planning on upgrading in the near future then why not just wait until you have it before buying the Tang. Do you have to have one now? There are plenty of stunning fish that could live quite happily in a 20g tank which would give you the same enjoyment.

That said, I have been to lfs that have multiple tangs in much smaller tanks for goodness knows how long and while they do obviously get moved on some of them can be in those small tanks for a long time.

Tangs are swimmers, no matter what size tank they are in they will use all the available swimming space. A small 1" Tang would be happy enough in a small tank for a short time. But I'm talking a few months before it outgrew the tank. If it's only going to be a few months then just wait it out. Get your upgrade up and running, then use the 20g for a quarantine tank and go for it.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Planning on trying to get the red sea 250 and start it up, hopefully around 5 months from now

 

[cmcoker]

Total System Volume = 65g
Just Display = 54g

And it's a 36in long display as well.

I wouldn't put a tang in mine. But I decided my stocking list before buying the tank, so I knew the fish I really wanted would be appropriately house..

 

[ShaunRobinson]

Planning on trying to get the red sea 250 and start it up, hopefully around 5 months from now

Then if I'm honest in my opinion I would leave it for now. Take 2 or 3 suggestions from your what fish thread and add them to the tank. You then have a few fish ready for when you get the new tank set up and you can then get a tang and move it into a nice tank straight away.

Please give some thought to quarantining tangs and other fish though. If the livestock in US lfs is anything like the UK and I have no reason to believe they are any different then adding fish without quarantine is just running a gauntlet. Speaking from experience here currently 8 weeks into a display fallow period due to an outbreak of whitespot from an unquarantined tang.

Shaun.

 

[Dizzirn]

My lfs seaside tropical fish just got in around 50 1 inch yellow tangs, maybe they will ship.

I don’t think Seaside ships and they tend to talk to their customers and discourage things like a tang in a 20g
The owner cares about fish...

 

[Dizzirn]

I thought this was a good read.

http://clearwatersaquarium.com/article_stocking.htm#.WdarbZ8pDqA

That is an awesome article!!!

 

[Stigigemla]

I dont like that article at all.
First. Oxygen content in the water is not a problem since we began with protein skimmers 50 years ago.
Fish are different. A freeswimming Anthias or Chromis has a much faster metabolism than a goby or blenny lying with only its head out of their burrow.
It would be much better to count how much food the tank can handle. Or better: Your care.