29 gallon suggestions....

[richie822]

i just set up a 29 gallon reef tank. right now i have no fish but was trying to plan out what i might want to get. I was thiking about getting a tang, an anglefish, and maybe a pair of clowns. i was just wondering if anyone can tell me what they have in their 29 gallon tank, just so i can get an idea of how many fish i can have and how big they are, etc....has anyone had success with a tang in a 29 gallon? is that totally out of line? anyone have success with a powder blue or powder brown or naso tang in a 29 gallon? any feedback wiht help.

 

[pitlife79]

WOW!! I think you need to scale down your fish a bit. A 29 gallon tank is way to small for just about all tangs, even in their juvenile stages. The clowns would be fine, but I would use this rule of thumb. 1 inch of fish for every 10 gallons, unless they are gobies, in which case you can most likely get by with a few (like 4 or 5 of the smaller species). I had a successful 29 gallon tank up and running for more than a year. The reason it was successful was because I kept the fish load light, had a lot of rock with efficient biological and mechanical filtration, and I did a 5 gallon water change every week. With bigger fish like tangs and angelfish, you need to be able to support a big bio load. The 29 gallon tank just isn't big enough to support that kind of waste production long term. I hope that helps you. I didn't mean to shoot your hopes and dreams down, but just trying to help you be as successful as you can with that size tank.

 

[returnofsid]

As mentioned above....Any tang is going to be way too much for that tank...even if it were the only fish in the system. Also, as stated above, the pair of clowns would be fine, unless you get Maroon Clowns, the female can get very large. A couple clowns, a couple of gobies, a few shrimp and you'll about at your bio-capacity for that tank.

 

[SueT]

a powder blue or brown would never work in a system that small. Even a centropyge angel would be pushing it. I'd stay with a clown pair and some of the smaller type fish. Blennies, goby, etc. There are some very cool smaller fish for tanks just like this.

 

[scytale]

Putting a tang in a tank that small would be like putting a wild Mustang on a 1 acre lot! Tangs are very strong, powerful swimmers--they need room to run!!!

I have 2 (2 tangs, not 2 mustangs )--a yellow and a hippo tang-- and I worry that even my (80 gallon) tank is too small for them.

Like everyone else said--Look at blennies, gobies, etc. They're much smaller in size--but can have BIGGER personalities!

 

[ilektrik22]

Hey
I have a 30g ( with 20g fuge)

2 false clowns (Ocill.) ( roughly 1.5 inches right now)
2 High-fin gobies (2 inches)
1 Hector's goby (2 inches)
2 small peppermint shrimp
1 pistol shrimp
I cleaner shrimp

You would be surprised how full and busy the tank seems now. Originally when I started my tank I wanted the same type of fish your intersted in, until I did some reading etc. I've seen tangs in 100g tanks and I feel bad for them, their so large and active and really do need space.

Now after having my little gobies, who kinda hangout more then swim( convenient in a small tank), I have to say even if I get a larger tank I'll be sticking with them, they have tonnes of personality, and their really cute

 

[treny]

as everyone said tangs shouldn't go in a tank that small...a naso needs at least a 6 foot tank as they can get 18" long.. I have a pair of clowns in my 30g right now and they are as happy as can be... get that tank up and going and then upgarde to a bigger tank if you like tangs...