Growth yellow tang in a 30g

[Aquajan]

Hi there,

I have a yellow tang for about two years now in a 30g tank but it does not seem to grow as mutch as he should.
I think he barely gwown an inch in 2 two years and he was I think two inches when I got him.

I feed it flakes and frozen food every day and a 1.5x1.5 Inc piece of nori every other day.
I don't put the nori on a clip becouse the tang is scared of the clip so I shred the nori in bite ready pieces and let it soak in a bit of tank water for 30 mins before feeding it.

The tang does not seems stressed as far I can tell.. It just swims around the tank picking at the rock all day and is peaceful against the 2 clowns and the wrasse.

Now I wonder why it won't grow?
Do I feed enough?
Is it the tank size?
Or do they really grow this slow?

I have a 75g cycling atm so in a month or to he wil have a lot more space.

 

[PatW]

A 30 gallon tank is not considered big enough for a yellow tang. A tank with a 4’ long dimension is pretty much the minimum for any tang. Tangs pretty much swim all the time and the more room the better.

 

[Aquajan]

Hey

Thanks for your reply,

I I know 30g is to small, that's why I bought it when it was very small with the intention on either giving it away to some 1 with a big tank or upgrade my own tank.
It is gonna be the latter but I wonder if the growth rate is normal and if not.. Why is he growing slow?

Eaven if the tank is to small.. that shouldn't make any difference in growth or size of the fish as long as he eats enough right?

 

[4FordFamily]

A 3” yellow tang has already outgrown your tank. It wouldn’t be suitable even temporarily for any tang larger than 2”.

They usually slow their growth around 4 inches depending on how well they’re fed and how otherwise healthy they are.

 

[Aquajan]

Wow ok that's a lot faster than I expected.

So it is true that fish tend to stop growing or grow a lot slower when the tank is to small?
I always thought this was true until a lot of people on Dutch forums here said fish would grow regardless of tank sise.

 

[Tamberav]

Wow ok that's a lot faster than I expected.

So it is true that fish tend to stop growing or grow a lot slower when the tank is to small?
I always thought this was true until a lot of people on Dutch forums here said fish would grow regardless of tank sise.

I'll be honest, I don't know the answer but if it IS true, I don't think it is healthy to basically 'stunt' an animals growth by confining it to a small space if it were to be true.

The tang looks healthy too me but so do zoo animals and I see them kept in smaller spaces than they should be at some zoo's and it makes me sad regardless of how physically healthy they appear. I know grow out tanks are important sometimes too but I hope you upgrade someday.

 

[Ebslinger]

Fish grow for 2 major reasons, food and environment.

It sounds like your fish is stressed by its environment and has stopped growing.

 

[Aquajan]

Ok that's clear.

Thanks for repplys all.

I have a new 75g tank cyceling right now so the tang will have a more appropriate home in a month or two.

And a question about food for a tang..
How mutch and how often should I feed him nori?
And do people have the same expiriance with tangs being scared of feeding clips?

As I said I feed him a piece of 1.5 by 1.5 inch every other day and he just won't eat more nori.
If I feed him nori every day he is a lot less interested in it and he eats less of it than if i feed him every other day.
Every other food he does eat any time espesialy the two flake formula flakes.

 

[Bryson.bobby]

I’m not sure how true this is, but I’ve heard that when a fish is in a tank too small, it will stunt the growth of the fish, however, the organs will continue to grow causing the fish to slowly die over time.

 

[TvanB1]

Hey

Thanks for your reply,

I I know 30g is to small, that's why I bought it when it was very small with the intention on either giving it away to some 1 with a big tank or upgrade my own tank.
It is gonna be the latter but I wonder if the growth rate is normal and if not.. Why is he growing slow?

Eaven if the tank is to small.. that shouldn't make any difference in growth or size of the fish as long as he eats enough right?

Getting them ‘small’ makes virtually no difference in a tank that size. Almost any tang would be heavily stressed in a 30 gallon.
Buy fish that are appropriate for the tank you own now, not the one you wish to own eventually.
Definitely a good idea to do research on any fish or livestock that you want to buy. Liveaquaria is a good place to start. They list minimum tank sizes on all of their fish.

 

[OrionN]

IMO, fish (tangs) should be fed as much as they can eat. If the food is gone late afternoon, they you should add more food the next day. After a few trials, you know the amount of food needed and added just the right amount. I have multi feeding stations for my tangs in term of Nori clips in addition to the algae in the tank and automatic pellets though out the day. Frozen and flakes in AM and a variety of different thing in the evening when I get home, when the light still on.
Below is my Yellow tang, I got him when he was about 1.5 inches. The body without the tail is about the size of the quarter. Now, about 3 years later, he is about 5 inches. He slow a lot in growth the last year. I consider him to be at optimal health. He always have a full stomach, which I rarely see in aquarium fishes.

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

To answer OPs original question - no, that is not normal and no they are not slow growers when well fed and given space. They should get to about 4” (at least) within about 18 months.

 

[Aquajan]

Wow that's a nice fat fish!

I will try to up my feedings than.
Im gonna glue my feed clip on the suctioncup so it stays still and hope the tang overcomes it's fear for the clip.

Would it be a good idea to put another tang like a bristeltooth or a one spot foxface together with the yellow tang in the new 75g tank?
Or do these fish do better on their own.
I always have the idea these fish like to swim with other fish.

 

[AiKkz]

IMO, fish (tangs) should be fed as much as they can eat. If the food is gone late afternoon, they you should add more food the next day. After a few trials, you know the amount of food needed and added just the right amount. I have multi feeding stations for my tangs in term of Nori clips in addition to the algae in the tank and automatic pellets though out the day. Frozen and flakes in AM and a variety of different thing in the evening when I get home, when the light still on.
Below is my Yellow tang, I got him when he was about 1.5 inches. The body without the tail is about the size of the quarter. Now, about 3 years later, he is about 5 inches. He slow a lot in growth the last year. I consider him to be at optimal health. He always have a full stomach, which I rarely see in aquarium fishes.

That YT is stocky!!! He looks good!!!

 

[OrionN]

I tied the clip on a fishing line and suspend it just under the water surface. That way my Urchin, snails does not get to it. They have to earn their living by eating algae on the rocks.

I do feed my fishes more than most reefers.

 

[OrionN]

Took this picture with my iPhone just now.

Hang it there and he will get use to eat off of it soon enough.

 

[Tamberav]

IMO, fish (tangs) should be fed as much as they can eat. If the food is gone late afternoon, they you should add more food the next day. After a few trials, you know the amount of food needed and added just the right amount. I have multi feeding stations for my tangs in term of Nori clips in addition to the algae in the tank and automatic pellets though out the day. Frozen and flakes in AM and a variety of different thing in the evening when I get home, when the light still on.
Below is my Yellow tang, I got him when he was about 1.5 inches. The body without the tail is about the size of the quarter. Now, about 3 years later, he is about 5 inches. He slow a lot in growth the last year. I consider him to be at optimal health. He always have a full stomach, which I rarely see in aquarium fishes.

Very nice looking fish! I don't even like most tangs but fatty tangs could change my mind!

 

[Aquajan]

Ha that's a nice solution!
No hands in the tank or a rusty magnet holder.
Im gonna try that first before I start gluing things together.
dang you could even make an auto nori feeder with a fishing rod an little motor

 

[Aquajan]

Is there a fish that's a nice addition to the tang btw for in the 75g?
Like a bristeltooth or a foxface?
Or is it better to just leave it with 1 yellow tang?

I always get the idea that tangs like to swim with other fish.

 

[Aquajan]

Oh cool I asked that already..
Tought I didn't post that ;Facepalm