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the annoyance of this hobby

One problem with this hobby is finding out what works in your tank and how many and what fish to put in your tank as the bigger fish almost always look much prettier but think of it from the fishes point of view... an overstocked undersized tank stresses the fish out a lot. Here are a few fish that are commonly put in undersized tanks.

 

KEY: fish- minimum tank size


Sailfin tang- 180 gallons long
Emperor angel- 220 gallons
Regal blue tang- 140 gallons long
Yellow tang- 140 gallons long
Copperband butterflyfish- 140 gallons
Naso tang- 240 gallons long
Clown tang- 260 gallons long
Panther grouper- 260 gallons

 

**If you wonder what "long" means, keep reading**

 

You should also keep in mind that it is not just the gallonage of the tank but dimensions as well because tangs are are open water swimmers, so as result need a lot of open swimming space in the aquarium.You could have a ridiculously tall 700 gallon with little width and it still would not be okay for a tang of any kind.  This is why tangs need *long* tanks more than anything... most require a tank of at least 6'. 

 

Also, if you are considering tangs, an ideal rock work structure is a long structure of rocks in the middle of the tank so they have lots of room to swim behind and get away from anything when they are scared or frightened and then show themselves if they feel like it and are comfortable with coming out. 

 

Most of all, do your research before anything because some tangs, such as the Achilles, need a ridiculously long tank because they are some of the most swimming room demanding tangs in the hobby. Also keep in mind that Achilles tangs have *extremely* low survival rates in home aquariums.


Please try to remember that these are just my opinions. Some people say they need bigger others say you can have them in a smaller tank. This is just what I think is ideal for these fish.

 

IMPORTANT one of the most important things to remember when getting a tang is as stated before they can swim for miles and so need AMPLE swimming room which means a good clear pathway in the tank for your viewing pleasure at the front but ideally at the front and back.

 

 

Comments (26)

travelerjp98 9/11/11 at 3:26pm
I added proper grammar, mechanics, and spelling to the article.. I made it easier to read since you didn't even have any periods. Even though I disagree with some tank sizes, I did not change that because this is your article.
rainbow grouper 9/15/11 at 10:34am
yes well did you read the bottom part change it if you like i just want the best for the fish entering hobbyists tanks
rainbow grouper 9/15/11 at 10:38am
i also need to change the title and remember all the grammar spelling and punctuation believe it or not i was the best at english at school, but the annoyance of this hobby P- lease
travelerjp98 9/15/11 at 4:56pm
Yep, I corrected the bottom part, too. Good job all in all.
BTLDreef 9/19/11 at 12:07pm
Can you elaborate on the tank sizes you placed for some of these fish?
mpgt 9/21/11 at 1:25pm
Nice article. At least it will make people think twice about putting a panther grouper and such, in a 55-gal. Happens every day.
BTLDreef 9/21/11 at 3:56pm
It's more than just how many gallons the fish tank should be, it also has to do with swimming room, especially the length of the tank. Many of the larger tangs and angels, for example, need 6 feet or longer tanks, which usually means 180G or larger.
rainbow grouper 9/24/11 at 7:54am
why i put long tank for some of the sizes i only made the article because i have seen huge fish in ridiculously small tanks
travelerjp98 9/24/11 at 9:29am
We saw how you put "long" on some of the tank sizes, and that's really great, but it would be nice if you could elaborate more as to why the tanks need to be long. (Like explain how some fish, like tangs, are open-water swimmers).
rainbow grouper 9/25/11 at 1:21am
I have done that now.
travelerjp98 9/25/11 at 1:36pm
Good job.... can I edit it and re-arrange the article a bit?
rainbow grouper 9/26/11 at 8:25am
what do you need to do
travelerjp98 9/26/11 at 1:31pm
Just some grammar... and re-arranging of some things. Nothing big. I just want your permission, since it is your article.
travelerjp98 9/27/11 at 12:33pm
I changed some stuff. Do you like what I did? I think it's just easier to read and has more of a "flow" this way.
rainbow grouper 9/28/11 at 7:43am
yes i do thinks its better
rainbow grouper 9/28/11 at 7:58am
And if there is anything wrong with my new paragragh please correct it traveler.
rainbow grouper 9/29/11 at 10:48am
Traveler anything wrong with the Paragragh
travelerjp98 9/29/11 at 7:35pm
I honestly don't think that the new paragraph serves a purpose... I don't get what you are trying to say with it... and I strongly disagree with it too.. I think that a tank should have as much rock as possible for fish to establish their territories.. the less rock, the more likely they are to fight... etc... sorry but it's my true opinion on it. But don't take it personally.. I am VERY proud of you that you wrote this article..
travelerjp98 9/30/11 at 2:52pm
I see that you deleted it... I hope that you didn't take my critique too personally..
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