Talk me out of a naso

[paphater]

A blonde naso is one of those fish that I've always wanted. When I set up my current 8' 220g (two years ago ) it was easy to come to terms that a naso wouldn't be right. But this fall the tank is getting bumped up to about 320 gallons. It's still only 8' long but the width will now be 34". I still feel like it'd be pushing it once you fill it with rocks. The other factor is that while they are still small, I already have some big bodied fish in there with a red tail trigger, quoyi parrot, and a blue hippo.

Go for it or no?

 

[Flippers4pups]

@4FordFamily, that's iffy.

 

[4FordFamily]

I think you’ll be fine with the upgrade coming up, honestly.

 

[saltyhog]

Dang @4FordFamily! You're gonna make me consider upgrading to an 8' tank. I just love Naso's!

Not a blonde but this one in Kona made my heart go pitter patter.

 

[paphater]

I think you’ll be fine with the upgrade coming up, honestly.

 

[nereefpat]

As long as it's "the" Naso or blonde Naso, I think you'll be fine too.

I would still stay away from vlamingii and the unicorns.

Edit: I don't know how I missed "blonde Naso" in the first sentence. Force of habit to always clarify which Naso, I guess.

 

[Halal Hotdog]

8' is fine for a naso IMHO. Also nasos grow relatively slowly, with a baby you will think he is too small for your tank for the first few years.

 

[Sailfinguy21]

Honestly i have a Naso in my 135g... If he gets too big ill trade him in to a fish store or just use it as an excuse to get a bigger tank.

For now my blond naso is only like 5 or 6 inches long and ive had him for maybe 3 months and hes grown maybe half an inch ? I also have a larger sailfin tang.. but i wasnt expecting him. A friend gave me him as he was getting out of the hobby... but still both tangs are small compared to my 135.. and this sailfin tang he gave me is 4 years old and came from a 320g tank i doubt itll get any bigger and if it will its sure taking a very long time.

Tbh though its your money your tank.. and same with me.. i could careless what ppl think about what i do with my stuff.. Its not like youre putting him in a 3 foot tank.. and i can almost garuntee you that the Naso you buy will have a better life in your 8 foot tank then what the average person will put him in. Most peoples tanks in this hobby are only 4 feet long.. and you know im right lol.. This forum is such a small percentage of whos actually in the hobby.

Here isa pic of my tank.. this 4 year old ssilfin tang has no issues swiming in it lol. Hes always sailfin down which means he isnt stressed.. and he has plenty of front to back room even in my 18 inch 135... Havent once seen him go nuts... And the naso is smaller then him.. You also habe to remember most fish in captivity dont get to full sizes you read about..

Take discus for example they can get 10 inchs long... but the average discus owner never sees that... the average adult discus size is 5 to 6 inches tops. Look at yellow tangs.. most never get to full maximum size.. My yellow tang i have is maybe 5 inches TOPS and hes 5 years old and was in my friends 320g tank... So think about that for a secong.


Im sure ill catch flak for this post.. but i dont care lol

 

[McPuff]

i could careless what ppl think about what i do with my stuff..

Here is a pic of my tank..

Im sure ill catch flak for this post.. but i dont care lol

Your tank is way too small for those dolphins!

 

[Sailfinguy21]

Haha NO IT ISNT they love it

 

[AbnormalReefer]

I think you'll be fine personally. Naso elegans (blonde naso) and Naso lituratus (normal naso) are pretty slow growers. It's the Naso vlamingii (vlamingi tang) that grows really fast. Mine started off 3 inches 3-4 months and now is nearly as long as my 8 inch sailfin tang! (About 6 inches). Regardless though I think you'd be fine to keep basically any Naso sp. tang/unicornfish in a tank that size minus the really huge ones like Naso annulatus...

And finally, I'm sure I'll get flak for this, but I truly don't believe that tangs in the tank sizes we keep them in will grow to max size. That isn't justification to keep 3 in a 20 gallon, but it's just something to consider in bigger tanks. Take the purple tang for example, which reportedly gets 10 inches max. I don't think I've ever seen or heard or read about one in an aquarist's tank that big. I know a guy who's had a yellow tang for 10 years, barely past the 5 inch mark, and he has a 300 gallon display!

Though a fair disclaimer, this is the average from what I've seen, not the norm. This does not mean that your Naso will not end up being some sort of genetic monster that reaches 2 feet plus. Obviously a naso tang with a potential of 2 feet will end up bigger than say, a kole tang with a max potential of 6 inches regardless of whether it will get to its max size. I am not justifying putting a tang for life in a 20 gallon just because it "may not reach full size".

 

[Jon Fishman]

Honestly i have a Naso in my 135g... If he gets too big ill trade him in to a fish store or just use it as an excuse to get a bigger tank.

For now my blond naso is only like 5 or 6 inches long and ive had him for maybe 3 months and hes grown maybe half an inch ? I also have a larger sailfin tang.. but i wasnt expecting him. A friend gave me him as he was getting out of the hobby... but still both tangs are small compared to my 135.. and this sailfin tang he gave me is 4 years old and came from a 320g tank i doubt itll get any bigger and if it will its sure taking a very long time.

Tbh though its your money your tank.. and same with me.. i could careless what ppl think about what i do with my stuff.. Its not like youre putting him in a 3 foot tank.. and i can almost garuntee you that the Naso you buy will have a better life in your 8 foot tank then what the average person will put him in. Most peoples tanks in this hobby are only 4 feet long.. and you know im right lol.. This forum is such a small percentage of whos actually in the hobby.

Here isa pic of my tank.. this 4 year old ssilfin tang has no issues swiming in it lol. Hes always sailfin down which means he isnt stressed.. and he has plenty of front to back room even in my 18 inch 135... Havent once seen him go nuts... And the naso is smaller then him.. You also habe to remember most fish in captivity dont get to full sizes you read about..

Take discus for example they can get 10 inchs long... but the average discus owner never sees that... the average adult discus size is 5 to 6 inches tops. Look at yellow tangs.. most never get to full maximum size.. My yellow tang i have is maybe 5 inches TOPS and hes 5 years old and was in my friends 320g tank... So think about that for a secong.


Im sure ill catch flak for this post.. but i dont care lol

I am putting 3 tangs in my 8’ that is MUCH smaller than his, and Blonde Naso is one of them...... If I get a few years out of it and have to rehome it, so be it......

 

[tehmadreefer]

Go for it, I've kept one in a 180 for years.

Also, most of fthe larger type fish we keep in our tanks never achieve their max sizes.

 

[ca1ore]

Elegans is fine in a tank that size. I have one, along with a brevirostris unicorn, and neither has yet come close to outgrowing the tank. Agree to avoid the Vlamingi though.

 

[paphater]

Well I got my juvenile naso in today from divers den. The only thing is they sent me lituratus instead of elegans. I contacted LA customer service but my wife put it in the QT tank before taking any pictures, so I'll see if they tell me to go pound sand or not.