Convict tangs?

[Mugg1977]

I have not seen much information on this forum regarding convict tangs. Does anyone have any experiance with them?

 

[Scooterman]

From what I've read they are great tangs to keep If I remember right.

 

[shallowreef]

I have kept them before and i am not going to lie. They have a low succes rate. All the ones i ever had luck with were from someone elses tank. All the ones i ever tried from the LFS never made it past a month. Even the one i have now that i have kept for almost 3 months is looking bad. I say to try it but just be advised that you may have trouble trying to keep it healthy.

 

[Mugg1977]

Thanks!

I still have some time before I see fish in this tank. the stand is currently being built, then I have to get the sump/fuge done and plumb/wire everything. I don't plan on having water in it until likely May, and then it will be September/November before the 1st fish goes in.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Maxx]

My experiance with Convict Tangs is completely different that Shallowreef's...

I've currently got a small one, (about 1.25 inches from nose to tail) in my tank. He/she is a perfect tankmate to my Regal Angel and a pair of Onyx percula clowns.

Fast facts:

Acanthurus triostegus
10 inches max length in the wild
One of the most peaceful of Acanthurus genus tangs, but can still get fiesty when need be. Known to form lare congregations in the wild to "overwhelm" other tangs, (Powder Blue's etc) or other territorial fish in order to graze on algae they couldnt get to otehrwise due to the damsels or tangs in question.


Mines pretty much bulletproof in my system....little guy just runs around and nibbles on the rockwork and sides of the tank. Cute little fish...

Nick

 

[Mugg1977]

Thanks for the reply!

In your experience or knowledge, should I expect full "in the wild" size tooccur in a home aquarium? Do you know a "typical" growth rate for this species or family?

I am trying to determine what initial size to purchase, if I decide on this species.

Thanks again!

 

[Maxx]

Thats a tough one. Marine fish dont grow to fit the size of the tank their in. I dont think they will reach their full max size in the vast majority of home aquariums......but I take the max size as a rule when choosing fish for my tank. So if a fish has been reported to reach 9-10 inches in the wild, I plan for that to be able to reach that size in my tank. Overcrowding in home aquariums is a real problem. Fish, (Tangs and Angels especially) get real snotty real quick when they feel crowded. Remember, its all about available resources. In the wild, those that dont or cant defend what theirs, (food/shelter) have to go elsewhere to look for it. And while their busy doing that, its quite possible they become food for someone else.....so their behaviours are hardwired into their brains for survival. You feeding them three times a day, and them learning to associate you with dinner, doesnt erase the million or so years of genetic imprinting on behaviour for them. Too many fish in the tank or too small a tank for a larger fish means hostilities will erupt....

Not trying to sermonize to you, but its something I see here fairly regularly...

Nick

 

[Mugg1977]

Great! Thanks for the help.