Tang for a 50g
 

Is there any tang that will do well in 50g tank?

Survive, yes maybe.. do well I would have to say no. That's a pretty small tank for a tang.

Probably too small....but your best bet might be a Tomini or Kole Tang. But I'm not officially recommending it :)

You could get a baby Hippo tang and keep it for a year or so. But then you would have to go through the hassle of pulling him out and selling it

agree. but most tangs if you can get them small. u can keep them in that tank but i don't think u want too many other fish in there. after a year or so when they get bigger sell them or buy bigger tank?

I got a baby hippo when it was about an inch... they eat like little pigs and he's already 3 inches and it's been only 7 months!

Yes this would work because when it is too big that will be your reason for a new tank. :lol:
Gota keep the fish happy ya know.

Yah that's what I thought. What would be good for this tank then.

I seen many sites recommending the minimum size of tank is 40G for a Hippo, although some say 75G... So if you don't put many more fishes in, I don't see why not a hippo... matches your Dory sig too... :) But be prepared to take him out if he get's too big...

Hippo tangs grow way too fast for a 50G IMO, even if you get a little one. I'd stick with the zebrasoma species. I've heard that purple tangs get a bit aggressive so they might not do so well in a "confined space" but really a larger tank might be a better idea.

Yes
 

A little blue tang would be okay, but yes they do grow and they grow fast!
Levi

I advise strongly against a small Hippo Tang. I did that, before I knew better. Now I have a 4-5 inch beast who poops like a real hippo and eats all the food before the other smaller fishes have a chance. And I'm having a HECK of a time getting her out :)

He's right about the poop. Sometimes mine clouds up the tank pretty bad. Its like a poop shower. And the other fish go crazy for it. Grosses me out :razz:

I keep a yellow tang in 46 and his happy and eating very well.

The only tang you should even think about is a Kole or Tomini, and thatsprovided your 50g is a 50g long.

I am just curious as to why these two tangs are "exceptions" compared to others?? I am simply just curious. Are they not as active as other tangs??

Kole tangs are gorgeous...

One day...

I believe it has to do with the fact that these tangs stay relatively small compared to other tangs. Another option would be a lemon mimic tang. I'm getting one very soon =)

gee, the tang police are being rather low keyed

reason
 

I think the tang police are being low key for a few reasons, number one its a 50G so the tank isn't to small and second he doesn't own one, hes inquiring to own one.
Levi

I don't own one, and I'm not going to get one. I wanted to confirm my beliefs, before I bought one. Thanks everyone.

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....

Just so the Tang police dont come after me I will also clarify that I agree a Tang shouldn't be kept in a small tank, But a Scopa tang is small compared to other tangs, but still can be quite nasty...here is a link to the Tang characteristics.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/Fish.htm

Thanks for the link.

Scopas are small as tangs go but they like yellows and purple are swimmers.
They require the swimming room that longer tanks provide.
The reason many reefers here suggested the Kole is that unlike other tangs, it tends to meander about the tank searching for film algae on rocks and the glass.

And even then they need the larger rock volume to provide enough grazing opportunities.

But hey....people will do what they wanna do with their tanks....whether they should or not.

Sorry to bring an old thread back to life. My tank is bare bottom, so the bottom (10 sq ft) never gets cleaned, nor does the 100+ pounds of live rock, nor does the center overflow with 11 sq ft of glass. Based on my own personal observations I find it unlikely that my kole moved to other foods because it was being starved.