Help picking out new fish

[eatbreakfast]

Yellow tangs have been kept in 55 gallons since the 80's when it was considered decent sized tank. as long as you have good flow they are fine. my buddy kept his for 13 years in a 55 with no issues and mine lived in a 75 for 15 Years before I moved him to a 150. they are extremely hardy fish and most don't get above 5-6 inches. I wouldn't put one in anything smaller than a 55.

If you have a yellow tang for over 5yrs and it's size is only 5-6", then something is stunting it's growth. It should be attaining close to 8" in that time. Stunted growth is not a sign of a healthy fish, even though it may not be showing signs of disease.

High flow can help mitigate against smaller tank sizes. But just because others have kept fish in a small tank doesn't mean it is a good idea.

 

[Bdog4u2]

If you have a yellow tang for over 5yrs and it's size is only 5-6", then something is stunting it's growth. It should be attaining close to 8" in that time. Stunted growth is not a sign of a healthy fish, even though it may not be showing signs of disease.

High flow can help mitigate against smaller tank sizes. But just because others have kept fish in a small tank doesn't mean it is a good idea.

I have a 16 year old yellow tang that's barely over 6 inches and I've always been heavy feeder. yellow tangs rarely get 8 inches in captivity. they rarely get above 5-6 inches in captivity not saying they can't but usually don't.

 

[eatbreakfast]

I have a 16 year old yellow tang that's barely over 6 inches and I've always been heavy feeder. yellow tangs rarely get 8 inches in captivity. they rarely get above 5-6 inches in captivity not saying they can't but usually don't.

It's not a matter of feeding. It's a matter of conditions stunting the growth. Whether it's hormones from tankmates, limited swimming space, cortisol production from stress, higher nutrients, or combinations of any of these. If a yellow tang has not reached over 6" in 5yrs something has stunted it's growth.

The yellow tangs that I've had or taken care of over the years have all reached over that size in 5yrs. If you have them living longer than that, but stopping at 6" very definitely something has stunted it's growth.

If conditions are correct they will reach their full size.

 

[Roy 9121]

My wife and I have a 55 gallon fish only tank. So far we have a pair of clowns, a blue spotted puffer, and a pair of cardinals. We had a flame angel but she started going after one of the cardinals so we took her back. Now were in the market for another fish or two to complete our tank.

With the fish we have so far, and the fact that it's only a 55 gallon, I was wondering what fish you guys think would be a good fit. We want something colorful, but something thats peaceful and moderately easy to care for.

So far we're considering a fox face, a yellow tang, a handful of different wrasses, and some dwarf angels, but we're just looking for someone with experience to help us out. We just want our fish to be happy!

Thanks!

Dont know if you've seen liveaquaria.com, but ours a great site tho help you evaluated new tank inhabitants. You can search different fish, inverts and corals, and see there needs and care requirements.

 

[Gator Boyz]

I'm a fan of the dwarf angelfish. I would say to go with a Coral Beauty.

 

[Engloid]

Red Cori's wrasse

 

[eatbreakfast]

Red Cori's wrasse

Red Coris wrasses reach 15". One will eventually outgrow a 55g.

 

[Engloid]

I don't think I've ever seen one near that size in captivity. Maybe in a very large public Aquarium.

 

[eatbreakfast]

I don't think I've ever seen one near that size in captivity. Maybe in a very large public Aquarium.

They do get that size. I had a customer with one that reached 11" in a 120g and got moved to a larger tank and continued to grow.

If fish aren't reaching their top sizes something is stunting their growth. Life expectancies should be longer in captivity, as there is no predation. Captive fish should always be at the top of the size chart, not below it.

 

[Engloid]

Very few animals get larger in captivity than they do in their natural habitat... unless you want to count domesticated dogs and cats, which frequently are overweight in captivity

 

[eatbreakfast]

Very few animals get larger in captivity than they do in their natural habitat... unless you want to count domesticated dogs and cats, which frequently are overweight in captivity

For the most part fish should be getting larger than their wild counterparts. No predation and longer lifespans are why. If they are not reaching their full size than there is an adequacy with the husbandry. Period. Likely due to fish too often being kept in too small of an environment for too long.

This is especially evident if starting out with species that are smaller to begin with. In captivity nearly all gobies and blennies get larger than wild counterparts while seen diving. Older fairy wrasses are often oversized and disproportionately larger than wild counterparts. Longnose hawkfish are another one that gets larger than wild ones. Why is it that smaller species get bigger in captivity, but when dealing with larger species aquarists are content to chalk it up to captive specimens don't get as large? It has to do with stunted growth. Every single specimen of even larger species that was properly cared for has managed to achieve it's proper size. If it doesn't, something is not being adequately provided.