how much is a powder blue tang?

[hamsik97]

Love this fish, never seen one in stores. I've only been to Big Al's though where can I find one and how much are they? don't have a tank yet, but want this fish
and how much is a blue tang?
jenna

[Chaloupa]

Hey Jenna...Powder Blue Tangs are tough to keep happy......I'm not saying that you can't keep them but their survival rate just coming here is not very good...then if you find a good one...you're a step ahead...I know that OA has some GORGEOUS big ones, that just came in and that Hidden Reef had some little guys but I think after the big sale they may be gone. There are some excellent reefers that will chime in with their success stories...I love them myself, they are gorgeous! You need a large and LONG tank....6 foot plus to keep them happy!

[WuHT]

Originally Posted by hamsik97

Love this fish, never seen one in stores. I've only been to Big Al's though where can I find one and how much are they? don't have a tank yet, but want this fish
and how much is a blue tang?
jenna

Big Als usually sells 2.5-3.5 inch specimens for around 50-60 bucks.
J&L aquatics has a pretty adamant pricing so you can check out their website.
You might get better prices with smaller stores but thats not always the case.


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to further conversation : Hard to decide which tang "looks" better .... powder blue vs purple tang.

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Mine is big & getting bigger & extremely healthy. However, mine seems more the exception than the rule. Many reefers I know have had one or more Powder Blues die on them. They are ick-magnets and so beware of that. Getting a healthy one that is already eating is key (as with most fish). And yes, a small one might do ok for a short while in a smaller tank but they really are much better off in a 6' tank or bigger. Mine is now in my 220g reef.

Anthony

[niloc16]

i have one that is very healthy, and if i can catch the bloody thing i would give him to you. he is a bastard. beats the hell out of anything that goes in the tank whether it be another tang or not. i've wasted a few hours already trying to net him with no luck. beautiful fish though, but a bugger

[Mik_101]

OA has some i was hter a yesterday they have a few large ones and i belive one smaller 1.

[hamsik97]

I knew that! Everything I like is hard to keep happy What about lion fish? I bet that one needs lots of space too? Is there anything that would stay happy no matter what?

[hamsik97]

Are all tangs hard to keep happy?

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

In a small to med. size tank, yes, most tangs are harder to keep happy since they are great swimmers & like more than 3 or 4 feet to zip across. Lionfish are fairly easy to keep, but they have their own disadvantages. They have a very potent poison in their dorsal spines (as someone who once had two "needles" of poison injected into his finger can bear witness to). They are big eaters & will need a high powered skimmer to keep the water quality high.

If you are really interested in keeping med. to large fish, and space is an issue (ie. have only 4' to play with), consider getting a 120g with a good size sump underneath. The 120g is 4' by 2' by 2' and is big enough to house a tang (like a yellow or Powder Blue) if you do the aquascaping properly and leave lots of swimming room. Ideally, most tangs should have a 6 footer, but I would be comfortable putting one in my 120g fowlr.

The big question you have to decide is whether you're looking to do a fish-only (much easier & less expensive) or a reef (can be more interesting, but much more challenging & more expensive side of this addiction).

Next week, if you have time & are in the Burnaby area, feel free to drop me a line & come on over for a visit. I have both fowlr & reef setups so you can see the differences & discuss your ideas.

Anthony

[skylord]

Hamsik97...do you have a couple of friends with new tanks? What got you thinking about starting reef tanks?

Scott