question regarding tangs and tank size

[Aquattro]

Wayne should be along any time now, if his macro is working properly

I agree. A 6ft tank with 300 pounds of rock isn't any more suitable than a 36 inch tank.
Of the two you've mentioned, the YT would, IMO, be more suitable. The PBs tend to like really blasting around the tank.
Another point to consider is that while yes, Yellows can get to be the size of dinner plates, I've never actually had one grow much beyond the size I purchased it. I feed a lot.
So if you have a smaller tank with tons of swimming room, add a YT. Keep the water clean and feed it well to ensure good health. While there are tons of rules about this online, Tangs don't read a lot online and don't know the rules.

Get a smaller to mid size, make him the primary large fish for the tank, keep him healthy and you're doing fine.

[Rice Reef]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

Tangs don't read a lot online and don't know the rules.

I have the following in a 120... Sailfin, regal, purple, yellow and a kole. They are always in their best behaviour and gets along with the other fish in the tank. I am planning to go with much less rocks in the 120 soon to allow more swimming room for them.

[naesco]

Thanks for the post op.
Conscientious reefers start with the premise that we want to provide the optimum conditions for the tangs we decide to remove from their sea home. I believe you are one of us.

Tangs are swimmers. They spend their whole day swimming from one end of the tank to the other. Those who have kept tangs in a small four foot tank and mived them to a larger tank have really noticed the difference.

The solution is to simply wait until you have a suitably sized tank. Some reefers try to justify their purchase because it is a small immature tang. The poster who has a sailfin in his small tank will soon see exactly how fast that tang grows. Because it is an easier tang we often see it grow to pie plate
Unfortunately yellow tangs are often seen in small tanks not because it is large enough. We see them because they are common, cheap and often a reefs first tang.
The kole tang, very beautiful and very personable is suitable because the kole kind of hangs around rather than actively swimming.
No acanthrus species should be placed in a tank smaller than six feet because of their size and very active swimming behaviour.

The above information is shared with you not for the purpose of creating a dump on the tang police thread but for the purpose of sharing with you my own experience of 20 yearsthe experience of tang keepers, and what I have learned and read. And, as was pointed out, I read every tang thread everywhere

Grizz when you get a 300 try a vlamingi.

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by naesco

Thanks for the post op.

There you are, I was getting worried

[naesco]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

There you are, I was getting worried

I try to post within 24 hours

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by naesco

I try to post within 24 hours

sorry. I panicked.

[The Grizz]

Originally Posted by naesco

Grizz when you get a 300 try a vlamingi.

But minimum tank size is a 360 gal

[naesco]

Originally Posted by The Grizz

But minimum tank size is a 360 gal

Get a small one lol. Or build a bigger tank

[asylumdown]

In my newb days, I had an 8 inch sohal tang in a 90 gallon tank. Bought it as a 4.5 inch fish, had no idea how fast it could grow

I vividly remember the conversation in the fish store

Me: "wow, that's a beautiful fish, how big of a tank does it need?"
LFS guy: "How big of a tank do you have?"
Me: "90 gallons"
LFS guy: "It needs a 90 gallon".


It started going crazy around 7 inches long. Would have these little freak outs that lead to the carpet surfing of probably 2 grand in rare wrasses. At that size, I couldn't give the thing away. Eventually ended up giving him to Red Coral when they were in their old location, but I'm pretty sure he bit it after the move. I literally still feel guilty about that fish.

Even now that I have a tank that's 6'X3', I still feel like it's too small for a larger tang. You rarely see a full grown PBT or achilles in a fish store, but when you see one that's hit it's near max size, even in a 180, they look outrageously large for their environment. Who knows what the subjective emotional experience of the fish is, but from a design point of view, huge fish in small tanks just looks wrong to me.

[The Grizz]

Originally Posted by naesco

Get a small one lol. Or build a bigger tank

Wife put her foot down on anything bigger, this WILL be the last big tank unless I win the lotto