Possible to keep a tang in a 55 gallon?

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I have kept individual yellow tangs alive for 10+ years in 55's....my last tang that died a few years ago was like 12 years in my care...been keeping them in 55's ever since I started keeping marine tanks over 20 years ago. Remember kids....don't try this at home!:lol:

MikeS
 
If you look at the body type of the yellow tangs they are very suited for a four foot tank. When I was diving on the reef in Hawaii I had the chance to see them feed and move about. Yellow tangs pick and probe the rock work for any available algae. They will sometimes team up in small groups (or even large) on occasion to raid a turf patch of algae. They spend all the daylight hours picking at the algae growths they can find. They may have a territory of only a few hundred square meters in which they spend their entire life. The compact and round nature of the yellow tang make them paticularly suited for the aquarium due to their high manuverability in small spaces. They are probably more satisfied in a small confined space with plenty of of food than in the wild where they face competition and starvation. the amount of space is not an issue but food definitely is! They need to feed allmost constantly so leave some romaine lettuce in the tank to nibble on.

That being said the other tangs like the Achilles or long bodied tangs need much more swimming room than can ever be provided in an enclosed environment. Again though the isssue is feeding as that is the most important issue to any animal. I saw a group of hundreds of Achilles tangs ripping along the side of a cliff as a huge group swimming at full speed so they abviously school but try to recreate a 50 foot cliff that drops thirty feet in the water for about a thousand yards and you have your scenario for keeping Achillies tangs in groups. I saw it with my own eyes so I know they school.

As far as what is best for the fish: I am of the school of thought that we do not keep pets for their well being. We keep pets for our well being.
 
aquariumdebacle said:
As far as what is best for the fish: I am of the school of thought that we do not keep pets for their well being. We keep pets for our well being.
Click to expand...


i totaly agree we will most always keep fish becauce it's what we like to do.that being said most people are going to do whatever they want to do anyway.there is no sienctific data that says keepng a tang in any size tank is good or bad. it's just what has been reckemended for years and years in this hobby, but with ever changing advances in food, lighting, & equipment I think alot of things could be done now that couldn't be done 10-15 years ago. What works for one person may not work for anyone else.If you want to spend the money and take a chance then go for it , just don't say that you haven't been warned by several people!
 
i know a tang can survive in a 55g, but i think there is a big difference between surviving and thriving...
you could keep a dog alive and healthy just by leaving it in a cage and feeding it/cleaning up after it, but most people wouldnt dream of doing that to an animal, they realize how cruel it is...
also, i dont need any scientific proof to know that a tang would really be alot happier in a tank with enough room to move around, all i have to do is use my powers of observation.
stewartship, people... not dominion...:idea:
 
Too me, all you really need is a ruler to tell you that a tang doesnt belong in a 55. A standard 55 is 13 inches wide. Now, within that 13 inches of width is going to be about 2.5+ inches spereating your rock work from the back wall. Your rock work and corals are going to take up the middle 5 to 7 inches, leaving 5.5 to 3.5 inches in width left in the tank for a fish that grows to 8+ inches to turn around in. Just doesnt work. Do the same figures with a 75 which is 18 inches wide, and you are left with 10.5 to 8.5 inches for the fish to turn around in. Thats a little more like it, and only one of the reasons why people recomend 75+gallon tanks.
 
Can I keep a tang in my 525 gal tank?:D For the record I never said you could not keep a tang in a 55. I said if you did you need to pick smart. Sohal, naso, sailfins, etc are def no no's in a 55. Yellow, kole, convict etc should not be a problem.
 
Can I keep a Tang in a 20 gallon nano???:D It's been cycling for a week so i think i am ready.:p
 
Brenden said:
That is one I would not suggest for a 55. I am guessing you got it from liveaquaria since they have them on sale for $35. Did you notice the minimum tank size they have posted? "minimum tank size 100 gallons"
Good luck
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Well they recommend the same size tank for a powder blue as they do a yellow tang which are frequently in 55s. Sailfins, nasos, etc they recommend 125+. I think I should be fine. Like I said, most of the time when I see a tang, it is eating. As long as I can provide enough algae for it, it should be fine.

The comparison of fish in a tank to dogs in a cage is a bad one. In a cage, a dog can't even walk in there. In an aquarium, the fish have just as much to do as they would in their natural habitat. And even the largest of aquariums are nothing compared to their old homes in the ocean.
 
"an aquarium, the fish have just as much to do as they would in their natural habitat. And even the largest of aquariums are nothing compared to their old homes in the ocean."

My ruler theory disagrees with that =P
 
Well they recommend the same size tank for a powder blue as they do a yellow tang which are frequently in 55s. Sailfins, nasos, etc they recommend 125+.
Click to expand...
exactly, it recommended "at least 100g" ,so why would you do that to that poor fish??? why did you even ask if it was ok if you were going to do it anyway??? Poor fish!!!!!!!!!!!
 
aquariumdebacle said:
I am of the school of thought that we do not keep pets for their well being. We keep pets for our well being.
Click to expand...


oh boy, the stupid newbie with 2 posts is commenting.


You are correct, we keep pets for our well being HOWEVER you should respect the power and control you are given to keep a pet. With this power and control you are obligated to provide a good life for your pets. Not cram them in a box because they are pretty.

This is no different than having the freedom to go anywhere or do anything you want for a 1/4 of your life then one day you are put on house arrest for no reason and end up spending the rest of your life confined to the inside of your house with no chance of going back to the life you once had AND remember.

Having said that we are all guilty of this, whether we are within the "thumbrules" of fishkeeping or not all of us are robbing them of the natural habitat they once knew, but you should at least give them the best life you can for all the happiness they provide YOU!
 
I, nor any of us, could have said that better :D

That statement is not pointing fingers at anyone person....but reef keeping in general.

thanks Jakes

-augustus
 
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