I think you would have been able to do a Yellow tang in a 50G if its a 48" tank..

My Yellow and Kole Tang are happy little fish, and I think they would do well in a 50G. My Regal Tang on the other hand is now too large for my 180G. I'm thinking about giving it to the Vancouver aquarium if they'll have it when I eventually get out of this hobby.

As I've said before, I don't think Regal Tangs make good aquarium fish in any size tank. They're just too active, and they go a little nuts in the confines of an aquarium.

Tangs require a minimum 6 foot tank because they are swimmers and need the length to swim back and forth. Anyone who moves from a smaller tank to a 6 footer can see the difference in the tangs behaviour.

The idea of buying a tiny tang is not recommended as despite the early best intentions, things like a new baby, a move, or a lack of finances keep the growing tang far too long is a small tank. Also you will never get it out unless you tear up your reef tank.

IMO, if you are dead set on getting a tang choose a kole tang. They tend to just move around rather than do the swimming thing. Make sure that you do not clean one side of the tank and provide a pile of those smooth inch size blue stones you see for freshwater tanks.
Kole suck film algae which they need to survive that settles on the glass and stones.

Thanks for asking before buying and thanks for the good advice given in this thread.

My Kole tang started with only eating film algae, but took to the nori after about a month, and recently has realized that the mysis taste good. He has also taken to flake food and spirulina pellets.

Hey Todd,take a look at her mouth. It is a sucker. She, like most fish that starting eating, will eat what they have to. Please continue to make film algae available to her.

Thank you

I have a regal in my 230g and honestly it's my least active tang out of the six I own. Maybe mines just not as active as others, I wonder?

I agree 100% There was defiantly a big difference in my tangs behavior when they were in my 120g four foot tank compared to my 230g six foot tank that they're in now. Needless to say they enjoy the extra swimming room.

Although as far as fish policing goes, I shouldn't talk. I know I'm over crowded in my tank, so really........ :redface:

Actually they are a Bristletooth, made for scraping soft algaes off rocks etc.

http://www.reefcorner.com/SpecimenSheets/kole_tang.htm

*sirens blaring* please dont put a tang of any size in a 50g. A 2" hippo is a baby and is going through his growing phase. If put in a small tank the fish will never reach its potential. The reason people say that a fish will grow to the size of the aquarium is, fish release feremones(sp?) into the water and when that feremone reaches a saturation point it triggers the fish to stop growing. I had a 68g tank and still wouldnt consider a tang. If color and algae removal is what your after than consider a centropyge angel of some sort. Will do much better in a 50g than a tang.

I rescued my hippo/regal tang from a 55g tank. He was six inches when I bought him :sad: It was sad to see such a large tang cooped up in such a small space. The problem with tangs in smaller tanks is that they will outgrow it, a lot faster then what most people think too, IMO.

Unless you're using the tang as an excuse to get a much larger tank and are willing to follow through with expense of upgrading, well... then that's a different story altogether.

What about a Scopa tang?? I dont think they get super large....