Should I return my blue tang?

[rippleon]

I have a 5 gallon 21 inch wide tank (you’re probably shuttering gearing this when I have blue tang in the title), which has about 6 pounds of live rock, and 1 clown fish. I had the clown in there for 2 weeks and it seemed to be doing really good but I wanted to add in one more fish. I went to my LFS 4 days ago to get an anemone and saw a small tank filled with a bunch of small blue tangs, I asked the man who runs the store if I would be able to put the blue tang and clown fish together in my tank (he knew the size because I told him while talkig about the tank and then later when looking at anemones he told me one was too big for my tank) so I went ahead and bought the tang for 40 bucks with an anemone. I bring him home and do all the stuff to initiate him into the tank and then put him in, he starts swimming around immediately, going through rocks, and swimming with the clown. So I thought he was going to do good. He’s still acting fine, swimming, eating. But it wasn’t until after I got him that I did some online research and you could imagine my SUPRISE when I found out they grow up to 12” and need atleast 6’.


So getting to it, I can afford to get the IM Nuvo 30 within the next 2 weeks to move him too but it will probably be more like a month for me to set it up and actually move him into it. The Nuvo 30 is 36” and I think a big improvement but obviously, not enough for his whole life. I would then be able to upgrade to a 100+ gallon tank in 1 1/2 - 2 years. He is only an inch rn and I read they grow an inch per year so I thought it would be too bad to keep him in a 36” tank until he’s 3 inches, even my clown fish is bigger than him. I’d love to keep this fish but let me know how bad it would be to keep a 1 inch blue tang in a 36” tank for up to 2 years.


TLR: didn’t know anything about blue tangs, bought one for my 5g, learned about em, planning to upgrade to a 36” Nuvo 30 for 2 years until I can buy a 100+ gallon tank, or forget all that and bring him back to the fish store.

 

[Deinonych]

I would rehome the fish. Best to buy fish suitable for the tank you have now, not the tank you may (or may not) have in the future.

 

[HB AL]

I would return it, it's best for the hippo, and they are always available when your ready for one.

 

[Daltrey]

Can you post a pic? Where are you located? Maybe another member can rehome him.

 

[hybridazn]

I wouldn't return it, find a suitable home for him from a fellow hobbiest who can take care of it. Returning it back to the store will just make the same salesman sell it to the next unsuspecting customer who ultimately wouldn't be educated enough to rehome it like you are trying to do.

 

[K. Steven]

Bring it to a local with a suitable tank and never go back to that store again. The owner is clearly just trying to make a buck with no consideration of the livelihood of the animals he is selling or the experience level of the customer.

 

[rippleon]

I don’t have a pic on my phone right now and the lights are off right now so I can’t take one but I am located in Orange County, CA. So make sure to follow this thread if you’re in the area and interested (or I can ship him? But that might be a lil dangerous as I have never done it and have no clue how), I’ll post some pictures of him/her (I’m actually not sure on it’s gender maybe you guys will be able to tell by my pics) tomorrow if I’m sure on my decision which I think I am.

 

[reef lover]

Sorry but I think you should return him and give the LFS a piece of your mind for allowing it....and please always research your animals before purchasing...

 

[rippleon]

Here are some pictures. He’s active and friendly, gets along really well with the clown and the clown used to love him but is now a bigger fan of his anemone sorry I couldn’t get any clear pics of him out in the open but he’s camera shy. I’m still planning to upgrade my tank whether I keep him or not, but if I can’t find a new owner for him there’s no way I can take him back to the shop so how long could he stay in that tank? I’ll post on Craigslist and a few other sites but I’m not comfortable shipping him so someone will have to come pick him up so it might take a minute to find a new owner with an appropriate tank.

**”that tank” was referencing the IM Nuvo fusion 30L not my 5g

 

[Daltrey]

I wish I was closer and I would buy him from you. He looks healthy just keep a close eye on him for ich in case he gets stressed.

What are you feeding him?

 

[rippleon]

I wish I was closer and I would buy him from you. He looks healthy just keep a close eye on him for ich in case he gets stressed.

What are you feeding him?

I switch between mysis shrimp and cyclops 1/4 a cube twice a day.

 

[Daltrey]

I would pick up a seaweed clip and some nori or seaweed also. I would at least call the lfs and explain the situation and maybe even just ask for store credit. I know it's a hard thing to do but these fish really do need 6' tanks. Good luck in whatever you decide to do.

 

[KTownReefer]

My Hippo is now two years old and is about 6 or 7" so I wouldn't go by the 1" a year growth average. For the fish’s health and well being I would definitely try to rehome him.

 

[liveround69]

I raise baby maroon clownfish and that clown you have looks to be a Goldstripe Maroon. If it is....you DEFINITELY need to get that little fella out of there. The maroons have teeth....and they use them without hesitation .....

 

[Jesterrace]

5 gallon really isn't appropriate for anything but a few corals and maybe a shrimp and hermit crabs

 

[KTownReefer]

I raise baby maroon clownfish and that clown you have looks to be a Goldstripe Maroon. If it is....you DEFINITELY need to get that little fella out of there. The maroons have teeth....and they use them without hesitation .....

+1 on that statement and it definitely is a gold stipe maroon.

 

[eatbreakfast]

5 gallon really isn't appropriate for anything but a few corals and maybe a shrimp and hermit crabs

There are fish appropriate for a 5g, just not a maroon clown and hippo tang.

 

[Phlynamjax]

You should sell your blue tang locally to fellow reefer who has suitable home for your blue tang. Now that being said, your blue tang is tiny. It is not like you will have to go out of your way to sell the fish tomorrow. I would acclimate the blue tang to your tank for few weeks, then find him a new home.

 

[rippleon]

Thank you guys, the clownfish won’t be staying either, well not in the 5g. I’m just waiting for a check to arrive and I’ll be buying either a 30g or 40g and he’ll go in there then idk what I’ll do with the 5g from there on, I don’t really like the look of shrimp.

 

[Pongo]

The 5 gal tank will be a good start for place to QT fish properly before you put them in a display tank.

You should go to the fish forum and read a lot.
There is a ton of excellent information there on selecting and caring for your future little finned friends.