Yellow tangs small tanks

[Surfandturf]

It was sarcasm. Lol

I know lol

 

[THillPSU]

I have a yellow tang. I always wanted tangs. I have 6 now. I got a 240 gallon tank.
I have a 100 pound dog. I always wanted a 100 pound dog. I got a large fenced yard and I have a 100 pound dog.

There are horses all over the place kept in tiny mud lots. It makes the news when they are taken.

If you want to do it I am fine with that. Don't expect me to say it is okay.

Exactly.

 

[naterealbig]

That the fish in his tank are suffering a cruel fate. In re reading I may have misunderstood which tank you were referring too.

Hey @jrill - i was referencing the 2 freshwater aquarium illustrated in S2Gs post.

 

[jrill]

Hey @jrill - i was referencing the 2 freshwater aquarium illustrated in S2Gs post.

Gotcha. Thanks for clarifying. I suspected that after I reread your post. My bad.

 

[naterealbig]

Your making an incorrect assumption about me.

It wasn't a question of ethical treatment, happiness, nor JUSTIFICATION. It was health and in that regard yes it's true. A soul won't post pics anymore for obvious reasons but there was no shortage of healthy extra large fish in tanks with barely enough room to move. That's where a lot of complex filtration originated. Koi ponds were another area where that was going on. It took near constant water changes but people did it.

Here's another dirty secret. When a lot of those redtail cats got too big people ate them.

As for me i don't find that enjoyable but I've had a tank similar to the one below out of ignorance. I maintained water quality with a drip system, backflush capable bead filter, and nitrate eating plants. Most would consider the fish cramped but they reached adult size in record time with no illnesses so most would consider that healthy.

Hi @S2G - I'm sorry for making the assumption. I read your post as a rationalization.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Have one in my 93 cube, and is happy, The smallest tank I would put one in

 

[naterealbig]

I wish you would have provided some evidence.... since you are a science based reefer. Note - this is not a 'slam' - but merely a question - I've read the science - I see little evidence for anything in science - expect for the fact that perhaps we should n't own reef tanks at all.

Hi @MnFish1 - it certainly seems like a slam - as the "question" you are posing does not exist. And, "wish"ing for evidence i eluded to is not there.

There is a lot of grey area in this discussion, but i hope you would agree (and not need evidence) that we can safely draw the "line" where fish are unable to swim without touching one another, or turn around in the Aquarium without touching the front and back of the Aquarium at the same time.

 

[MnFish1]

Hi @MnFish1 - it certainly seems like a slam - as the "question" you are posing does not exist. And, "wish"ing for evidence i eluded to is not there.

There is a lot of grey area in this discussion, but i hope you would agree (and not need evidence) that we can safely draw the "line" where fish are unable to swim without touching one another, or turn around in the Aquarium without touching the front and back of the Aquarium at the same time.

If it seemed like a slam - I apologize - it wasnt meant that way. I agree with you - that where fish cannot swim without touching each other - that seems 'bad'. Nor have I ever suggested that when a fish cannot turn itself around in a tank is appropriate - or 'good'. So I'M totally lost as to the reply.

THe question I ask certainly does exist.... Its a poll.. you can reply here: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/curious-about-longevity-in-our-tanks-so-here-is-a-poll.676646/

 

[Jesterrace]

We've all read the post where folks go ballistic when someone shows a yellow tang in a tank they think is too small. I was just wondering if there have been any studies that have shown a decline in health or well being to a tang living in a well cared for smaller tank? Say a 20 long for example.
And no I'm not considering a tang purchase nor do I have a 20 long saltwater tank.

As someone who owned a Yellow Tang that was roughly 4 inches in size (considered about half it's max potential size) I cannot fathom how it would be possible to keep a tang for even a year or more in a 20 gallon long as there are just too many things working against you no matter how well you care for the tank.

1) It's max size and height exceeds a 20 gallon long in every respect (as a fish even 6-8 inches in length would have no real swimming room in a 30 inch long tank) and it's actually taller than it is long.

2) Long before it reaches anywhere near that max size, it would be cramped due to the fact that it is a very active open water swimmer by nature. Unlike many other fish, they don't stake out a set turf on a reef and stick to it, they swim miles between reefs on a regular basis.

3) Yellow Tangs can be quite aggressive and if there aren't other fish of similar temperament and size to keep their attitude in check they can be nasty bullies to other fish, and given the extremely cramped size of the 20 Long, it is highly likely to be cramped and not have room for another fish to keep it's attitude in check

4) Tangs poop like crazy and even 1 would be a very high bioload for a tank that small. My 4 inch YT could fill an entire corner of my 90 gallon with poop 3-4x per day and my system has the benefit of a 29 gallon sump, large filter sock and good sized in sump protein skimmer to help deal with this. Unless you are adding a sump of roughly the same size as the 20 Long (or larger) you aren't going to get anywhere near that level of filtration to be able to deal with something as dirty as a Tang of any kind.

5) As mentioned I had a Yellow Tang about 4 inches in size in my 90 gallon tank and for the first month it was fine. After the first month however I noticed a torn fin on my coral beauty dwarf angel and periodic white "scratch" marks on the Coral Beauty. I couldn't figure out what was going on until one day I noticed my Yellow Tang back up to it and slap it with it's tail scalpel and BAM a new white scratch appeared on the Coral Beauty. I also observed it doing shadow and intimidation behavior on my Melanurus Wrasse (never dared slap the Melanurus though as the Melanurus was not afraid to go after it's tail). Was the Yellow Tang stressed? I can't be certain. Were it's tank mates stressed with it in there? ABSOLUTELY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The point is that if was my experience with a Yellow Tang that wasn't especially large in a 90 gallon, how on earth is someone going to keep one of any size for even a year in a 20 gallon and hope that neither it or it's tank mates are going to be stressed?

 

[Heath Biggers]

Hi, good question would also like to know if there is anyone out there that’s still or had a lipstick tang or hippo tang in a 400 litre (about 88 gallons) reef tank it measures 4ft x 22” x 2ft ( LxWxD) successful without going bigger, I hear that the minimum tank length would have to be 6ft. It would be a shame when they reach their full size you would have to replace them again.

I’ve had a fairly large regal in a 90 gallon for 4 years. Seems happy and health.

 

[MnFish1]

As someone who owned a Yellow Tang that was roughly 4 inches in size (considered about half it's max potential size) I cannot fathom how it would be possible to keep a tang for even a year or more in a 20 gallon long as there are just too many things working against you no matter how well you care for the tank.

1) It's max size and height exceeds a 20 gallon long in every respect (as a fish even 6-8 inches in length would have no real swimming room in a 30 inch long tank) and it's actually taller than it is long.

2) Long before it reaches anywhere near that max size, it would be cramped due to the fact that it is a very active open water swimmer by nature. Unlike many other fish, they don't stake out a set turf on a reef and stick to it, they swim miles between reefs on a regular basis.

3) Yellow Tangs can be quite aggressive and if there aren't other fish of similar temperament and size to keep their attitude in check they can be nasty bullies to other fish, and given the extremely cramped size of the 20 Long, it is highly likely to be cramped and not have room for another fish to keep it's attitude in check

4) Tangs poop like crazy and even 1 would be a very high bioload for a tank that small. My 4 inch YT could fill an entire corner of my 90 gallon with poop 3-4x per day and my system has the benefit of a 29 gallon sump, large filter sock and good sized in sump protein skimmer to help deal with this. Unless you are adding a sump of roughly the same size as the 20 Long (or larger) you aren't going to get anywhere near that level of filtration to be able to deal with something as dirty as a Tang of any kind.

5) As mentioned I had a Yellow Tang about 4 inches in size in my 90 gallon tank and for the first month it was fine. After the first month however I noticed a torn fin on my coral beauty dwarf angel and periodic white "scratch" marks on the Coral Beauty. I couldn't figure out what was going on until one day I noticed my Yellow Tang back up to it and slap it with it's tail scalpel and BAM a new white scratch appeared on the Coral Beauty. I also observed it doing shadow and intimidation behavior on my Melanurus Wrasse (never dared slap the Melanurus though as the Melanurus was not afraid to go after it's tail). Was the Yellow Tang stressed? I can't be certain. Were it's tank mates stressed with it in there? ABSOLUTELY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The point is that if was my experience with a Yellow Tang that wasn't especially large in a 90 gallon, how on earth is someone going to keep one of any size for even a year in a 20 gallon and hope that neither it or it's tank mates are going to be stressed?

most people here (I dont think) are talking about keeping tangs in an 20 gallon tank(long or not).

 

[Terri Caton]

Nope, no one on here has opinions on Tangs in small tanks.
LOLOLOLOL

 

[Terri Caton]

Folks are going to justify in their minds that their tang(s) are happy in whatever size tank they have them in. You're not going to change their minds.

Tangs are open water fish and need the room to swim.

Here are two mini stories of my experiences that helped me realize:

1. A local reefer had a 12 foot tank, and I sat there in amazement watching the tangs zoom back and forth at full speed, and thought to myself, "there's a happy tang." Once you see tangs in open water (long tanks), you can appreciate their need and enjoyment to swim with speed.

2. I was involved in knocking down a 450 gallon tank that had a full grown sailfin (enormous) and three of the largest yellow tangs I ever saw. As we prepared to pull out the fish, I commented to the others there that that tank is too small for that sailfin....and we all agreed. The tank just looked small in comparison to the size of the fish.

The 139 gallon I just bought/rescued had so many Tangs in it!
1 Black Longnose
1 Sailfin
1 Yellow
1 Blue
1 Powder Blue
1 Powder Brown
2 Purple

Plus many more other fish.

They were fighting. The yellow one was super skinny and hiding in the corner. A Mess!

I only kept the Yellow, Powder Brown and 1 Purple. Even then I feel bad for the Powder Brown because that fish is a SWIMMER! I did remove a lot more of the rock so now it's doing acrobatics all over the tank. But, I'm sure it would love 40X as much room.

Since they were rescue fish and finding someone to take it in Western, CO, it is what it is.

 

[boacvh]

I agree. I wish we could all have a tank like @Hedgedrew !

His tank is still way too small for tangs.

 

[DSEKULA]

I find these posts interesting. I have no issues with rehoming fish or keeping large fish in a more minimal size tank. I do believe we should all research the animals we plan to purchase and attempt to give them the best chance to live though. Obviously different people will draw this line at different points. The times I find it quite annoying are when you see a fish that will litterally grow to the size of the tank it's in. for instance I knew someone who had put a hippo (tiny nickel size) in their tiny 10gal all in one and they were confused when I asked what they planned to do with it down the road. Anyway, there will always be a few people that are successful keeping a fish in a smaller than recommend tank. There is alot to consider like what the other tank mates will be and what the layout is and filtration. I don't feel like there is a hard number to the right size but there are definitely going to be some difinitive bad sizes where you will find noone seems to have success. Regrettably I haven't come across auctual scientific proof of tank size, happy fish, etc it's just antidotal. For me personally I try first use some common sense searching the maximum size of the prospective fish and it's normal behavior. Then I search for that fish with the prospective tank mates to see if any red flags pop up. Last I search to see if others have had success keeping the prospective fish in a similar size aquarium. There's always some odd situations where people are unsuccessful or successful dispite the odds but for me by searching in this way I try to give myself the best likely hood of success. If someone else wants to try to beat the odds it's their choice but I'd prefer to stick with a high percentage of success.

 

[najer]

Boy are the tang police going to hate me!
Convict (I know right) in a 13.5 G.
I like buying baby or small juvenile fish, they go in here to fatten up, yes it is that grubby and yes it grazes all day as it should.
It is getting 3 or 4 small feeds a day and once it cleans that up it is back to grazing, is this cruel, no?!
It doesn't swim laps and has only been in there for about a week.
It is already putting on weight after shipping and it is not wasting energy from being harassed by other fish.

This is where it will be going 5' 5" x 2' 2" x 18", the tank is dived at 3' 3" with a swim through hole for the fish and creatures.
Due to the design a fish has to swim 7 or 8 feet to get from one front corner to the other.
The right side is a display refugium so there is grazing available constantly and I am over stocked with LR, there are lots of caves.

I have a scopas, yellow scopas and a black and blond naso, the convict needs to be fit when it goes in, just in case!
There is a new tank coming later this year, just waiting for the funds to become available, it will be bigger.

 

[ruskimax]

I have several tangs in a Poland Spring dispenser at work, when the water turns brown I empty it into the coffee maker and refill w water from the Gowanus. One is depressed, but his father was an angry drunk which I think is a big part of it. The others are too busy fighting over impeachment to stake any territorial claims. Mostly we all just hate when Jeff brings Greek food for lunch. We brought up the onions and he thinks hiding them under the feta is fooling everyone. Just, obnoxious...

 

[Juice780]

I know lagoon tanks are normally longer tanks vs regular tanks with same water volume. Can you put in a tang in a lagoon that maybe be less water volume? I want to put a kole tang in a 50 gallon lagoon. I know that is one of the smaller tangs.

 

[jrill]

Does anyone else find it interesting that folks will give all the reasons why a tang will be happier in a large tank then give you 10 ways to kill an aiptasia?

 

[WVNed]

What?