Saltwater sunbeam: Do you have a Yellow Tang?

[Tamberav]

Yea, the day the ban was posted, I went to the LFS and bought one for $60 and a Kole for $50. Didn’t keep the Kole cuz it was a jerk but the Yellow is still with me.

 

[Bob E]

If I had a bigger tank I would eventually get one

 

[ScubaFish802]

In just a few months my captive bred yellow has grown and colored up to to a deep, bright yellow. I don't notice a difference in color compared to the wild caught now that mine has matured a bit.

It's sad to picture the lone pair you saw I'm Hawaii. I'm glad I went with captive bred.

I’ve never understood the hate on the CB tangs. I’ve never seen a post about a mature one that is deformed or faded

 

[14 foot reef]

My Collecting station in Hawaii in the mid 90's - 1 dive on an 80 cub air tank at about 60 feet - South point Big Island

 

[Ron555ng]

Yellows are great fish - eat algae constantly, not aggressive, great color. well not as great as it used to be. I have a biota and it is definitely paler yellow than the wild caught. That said I have been to hawaii several times since the 1980s (wow I'm old) and mutiple isalnds several times - oahu, maui, kauai, hawaii. In the 80s you could see vast schools of yellows fairly commonly. Adults get as big as a dinner plate; I have never seen one that large in captivity. On recent trips to Hawaii (I snorkel every day) I saw 2 adult yellows total, just a one pair swimming along a reef. It's my own experience but I feel absolutely sure the wild population in way down. So go biota guys. I'll give up a shade of yellow to know they're getting a shot to recover out there.

Maybe you got lucky. My YT is very aggressive and he is the big boss in my 160g tank.

 

[David S]

I just celebrated my 11th Anniversary, last month of my Yellow Tang.
I got it from "Petsolutions", an early online store that is, unfortunately, no longer with us.
I paid $18.99 for him.
In that same order, I got a Helfrichi Firefish which lasted about 3.5 years.
Also got a Brittle Star and 3 scarlet red crabs, at least 2 of which, along with the starfish, are still with me.

 

[1979fishgeek]

Mine from a few years ago, I got him from a tank he had outgrown and he unfortunately had HLLE which took years to sort out and left him with scarring.
I gave up the hobby for a couple of years and went back to fresh water and rehomed him (huge regret!). If they ever come down in price I’m def getting one. I’ve got a Scopas Tang for the time being.

 

[Aspect]

Yellow Tang

Difficulty - beginnerTemperament: Peaceful in general, but aggressive (territorial) towards conspecifics Latin Name: Zebrasoma flavescensCommon Names: Yellow Hawaiian TangAdult full size: 7”Minimum Tank Size: 55gallonUV Required: YesProtein Skimmer: NoFoods: Live, Frozen & DryReef Safe...

absolutelyfishnaturals.com

Get yourself a Yellow Tang for an absolute steal

 

[Ferlando]

I have had on since April 2013. I only paid 20 dollars at LFS.

 

[Ferlando]

I have had one since April 2013. I only paid 20 dollars at the LFS. Very peaceful

 

[rarisbeck]

I don’t think that anyone proved that they were over collected…

just scuba off Maui coast and see tons of them

 

[albano]

I’m just scuba off Maui coast and see tons of them

Exactly…. On multiple trips to there and Oahu and big Island.

 

[Techno10]

I have one for about 17 years now. Jump out one night and hit the hard tile floor, scooped him up and stuck him back in the tank with out a problem. He’s quite a character, likes to come to the top and have me rub his side. I would have a hard time paying $500 or whatever ever there going for!

 

[DarfrogDojo]

I bought mine days leading up to the ban, I had no idea it was coming and neither did the LFS owner.
Next time I went in he said I owed him $200 I said for what, he said for the yellow tang.
I laughed and said timing is everything.
We both got a huge laugh out of that.

Same here. Got mine a few days after the ban for $90 bucks. The kid working the shop said if I didn't buy it, he would have!

 

[Mark Bradley]

I have one and it’s the star of my tank

 

[Aspect]

I got lucky someone was getting out of the hobby and sold me a fully grown healthy YT for $100. Had him for about 6 months now. Beautiful fish and not aggressive.

 

[CHAOS79]

I've been dying to get a few yellow tangs, but I also hear they can be trouble with aggression the older they get. I inherited one when I bought my current tank but it was really beat up almost no fins on its head. I didn't realize how bad it was until I saw a regular yellow tang online.

 

[icedearth15324]

I have two, used to have three but I lost one to ich. I got them right before the ban went into effect from a local person that was taking their tank down. Paid $50 each and all three were already used to each other.

 

[intertazz]

Saltwater sunbeam: Do you have a Yellow Tang?

There was a time when yellow tangs seemed to be everywhere. It seemed as if they were nearly as ubiquitous as clownfish in fish stores and in home aquariums. Collecting restrictions were then put in place, prices went way, way up, and yellow tangs are…well…they are no longer everywhere. Yes, captive bred yellow tangs are available, but not at the same level and some would suggest that they do not have the same look. Please share your thoughts on the availability and desirability of Yellow Tangs in the discussion thread.

PRO TIP: A healthy diet is crucial for maintaining the bright coloration of a yellow tang. Offer a varied diet that includes high-quality foods and algae strips to snack on during the day. Make sure to feed your yellow tang small portions throughout the day rather than one large meal.

Photo by @Reef Pro


This QOTD is sponsored by: www.dinkinsaquaticgardens.com

"Our mission is to help save the reefs by providing the highest quality live reef foods for every aquarium - from small biocubes to mid-sized reef aquariums, to giant aquaculture facilities"

 

[intertazz]

I do have a Biota Yellow Tang and he is 8 months old and healthy.