Tank size for Tangs

[Saladbar12]

So I have been doing some thinking and I wanted to start a discussion about the proper tank size for tangs. I know it is highly debatable but I am curious everyones' opinion. To get things going I often check live aquaria for their tank size recommendations since they seem pretty consistent with what the suggest. They say for a yellow tang that the tank size should be a minimum 100 gallons. Knowing that tangs care about swimming length of the tank why is it 100 gallons? Im assuming that would be a 4ft tank so why wouldn't something like a 55 that is also 4ft an acceptable tank?

 

[Sailingeric]

55 gallon is only 12 inches depth front to back, a 75 gallon is 18 inches. I have a yellow tank in my 75 gallon I got as a juvenile a couple years ago and has been doing fine but it is starting to get big enough I need to look for a bigger tank. I am think 180-200 gallon tank since it is a couple feet longer and 6 more inches depth front to back. Some tangs get bigger and do it quicker. A hippo Tang grows much quicker than a yellow Tang, from what I have read.

 

[Perthegallon]

over 100 gallons sadly

 

[Saladbar12]

55 gallon is only 12 inches depth front to back, a 75 gallon is 18 inches. I have a yellow tank in my 75 gallon I got as a juvenile a couple years ago and has been doing fine but it is starting to get big enough I need to look for a bigger tank. I am think 180-200 gallon tank since it is a couple feet longer and 6 more inches depth front to back. Some tangs get bigger and do it quicker. A hippo Tang grows much quicker than a yellow Tang, from what I have read.

Im totally with you there, but for the sake of playing devils advocate and hopefully having a good discussion we’re talking a matter of inches rather than feet and so it shouldn’t matter in terms of width when the big concern is length

 

[User1]

Im totally with you there, but for the sake of playing devils advocate and hopefully having a good discussion we’re talking a matter of inches rather than feet and so it shouldn’t matter in terms of width when the big concern is length

You are going to get too many opinions on this and at the end of the day every answer is going to be wrong. Why wrong? Because we are keeping a fish in a glass or plastic box when its origin in most cases unlimited. The onus is on the hobbyist to do the right thing and treat them like a pet and not a commodity. Looking at it that way sort of changes things and we stop looking for answers we want to hear instead of doing the right thing.

One way to look at it is this. Pick up your computer or phone that you are reading this forum on. Get up and now walk to the nearest closet in your place of residence. Open the door, enter, close the door, and post back here. Stay in it for a hour or so just to get comfy. Then post again.

After said hour go ahead and open door, exit, and close door. Now head over to another room say bed room or den or office, and post again. Let me know the difference between the previous hour and this one.

I bet you will enjoy the more open room. Said tang is no different. It will enjoy more room to swim around in.

 

[Saladbar12]

You are going to get too many opinions on this and at the end of the day every answer is going to be wrong. Why wrong? Because we are keeping a fish in a glass or plastic box when its origin in most cases unlimited. The onus is on the hobbyist to do the right thing and treat them like a pet and not a commodity. Looking at it that way sort of changes things and we stop looking for answers we want to hear instead of doing the right thing.

One way to look at it is this. Pick up your computer or phone that you are reading this forum on. Get up and now walk to the nearest closet in your place of residence. Open the door, enter, close the door, and post back here. Stay in it for a hour or so just to get comfy. Then post again.

After said hour go ahead and open door, exit, and close door. Now head over to another room say bed room or den or office, and post again. Let me know the difference between the previous hour and this one.

I bet you will enjoy the more open room. Said tang is no different. It will enjoy more room to swim around in.

I totally agree here. I hate the arbitrary number of gallons assigned rather than just observing the animal and knowing if their behavior is indicating stress of any kind.

 

[Letterkenny]

If you have a 6,000 gallon 15’ tank, you might be able to have one tang and that’s just a maybe.

 

[Antics]

Im totally with you there, but for the sake of playing devils advocate and hopefully having a good discussion we’re talking a matter of inches rather than feet and so it shouldn’t matter in terms of width when the big concern is length

I don't think the "big concern" is length so much that tanks come in standard sizes for the vast majority of users. Because of this, length is the recommended measurement because obviously the width in a commercially big box situation is going to max out between 18 and 24 inches.

A six foot tank that is two feet wide is not necessarily better than a four foot tank that is four feet wide. Its a matter of perspective and ultimately we're talking about fish here. Proper care and husbandry is worth more than any amount of tank size if the overall quality of life is improved. I don't recommend putting tangs in small aquariums but I also think its ridiculous for people to virtue signal over a 4" fish not having 8 feet of tank length either.

 

[Spieg]

Depends on the type of tang... I keep a Tomini in a 70 gal without issue. Wouldn't work for a mature Yellow, Purple or Blue for very long, and something like a Unicorn Tang would require a much much larger tank.

 

[Perthegallon]

Does anyone think I can put a gem tank into a 45 gallon tank that is box sized?

 

[vetteguy53081]

90-125 gallons as a starter

 

[Metalhead670]

If a tang is still a small juvenile, MAYBE a 55-75... but only when they are a juvenile, so don't get a juvenile tang and keep it long-term. On average, I recommend 125 gallons for the Yellow Tangs, Purple Tangs, Scopas tangs, Tomini Tangs... 180 for Sailfin tangs, Powder Blue/Brown tangs, and Hippo tangs, and 180+ for Naso Tangs, Clown tangs, Unicorn tangs, etc.

If you get a smaller tang for that tank though, try to have not so much fish so it can swim. Tangs should have enough swimming space to enjoy the tank. Though a dwarf angel like a Coral Beauty or Bicolor angel would be a good alternative for a tang.

 

[budsofresh]

I have maybe 3/4 inch pdb tang and a juvenile blue tang in my 75gallon with other fish clowns/firefish and they thriving no stress no ich no aggression but to each they own

 

[Nano_Tuners]

I think there are basic guidelines people should consult, but I also don’t subscribe to the ‘X gallons for X tang’ philosophy, because it’s entirely broad, unscientific, and opinionated. Kinda reminds me of the outdated ‘inches of fish per gallon’ metric.

There’s some obviously too small tanks, like Nanos... and things get very complicated if one is trying to keep more than one in anything less than a large tank, but I’ve seen many a tang prosper in 4ft tanks too.

 

[keithIHS]

I was in a LFS talking to the owner about breeding freshwater Discus. I asked what size tank would be best. I asked him if a 120 would be the thing to use. I was very surprised at his answer. He said a 30 long. He said he had been more successful breeding Discus w the smaller tank, and he speculated that the reason was that the fish were more confident that there were no predators lurking since the Discus could be aware of the entire extent of their environment. Yes, Discus are not Tangs. And yes, swimming room makes sense, and I personally plan to err on the small side for my fish, but we should try not to anthropomorphize too much. If you were afraid of being eaten, you might feel more comfortable in a closet than elsewhere.
Also the rock/coral layout is probably very important. If you have tunnels or channels and room in back and at each end as well as front, you may have more swimming room than a larger tank crammed with rock or coral.