2 convict tang in a 55??????

[dragonfli]

yes the police might flame me but i had to do this. i was out fishing and i came upon a school of these guys. and well they basically swam into my arms. dont worry im in hawaii and i was within everylaw. im trying to attach a pic of these guys. so that you can see that they do have room even in a 55.
here is my question. how big do they need to get before i need to switch them into a 120g? wait until you see the pic before you judge me. but you can flame me just for fun.

 

[dragonfli]

THEY ARE THE SIZE OF A QUARTER.

 

[dragonfli]

NOBODY HUH. well i guess ill wait until those police can help me out

 

[zoocrazy]

cool...i wish i could catch my own fish....lol

 

[dragonfli]

me too........ the buggers are always too quick for me! the only way i got these guys was...night and a very big light. lol

 

[hermitkrab]

I can hear the sirens of the Tang Police not far away. But I assume for now they will okay in a 55 but as you know they will grow and become to big for a 55. Start saving your money for a 120, lol.
:yes:
P.S.
I just noticed that on you avatar the markings on the turtle are a map of Hawaii. I'm so slow.

 

[ophiura]

Well, one thing is this - now that you have them, you are, IMO, obligated to keep them and NEVER release them back into the wild. When they are too large, you should destroy them, assuming no more suitable home can be found.
IMO, due to their size, it is OK for the short term to have them in the 55g, but don't load it up with other fish.
Is this a standard 120? A standard is a 4' tank, so there is only so much difference between it and a 55g. We aren't talking so much volume of the tank as additional space to swim. So a 125 would be better.
IMO, once they are eating well, established and growing and can hold their own, a transfer to the 120 is in order (assuming there are no large fish in it).

 

[dragonfli]

ophiura it i sa custom built 120, but it might be a 125. im gonna ask him. but the home we are renting is on the beach and has an awesome "safe zone" for theses guys. is it safe to release them later on? i will put them into the 12? gallon. but in general would it be safe to put them back when i notice? i have done that with some moorish idols, and hawaiian spotted puffers. let me know i want to be humane about this.

 

[who dey]

hmmm. i thought there would be more sirens???lol

definately need - least the 125. hope they do well, that's pretty cool!!

 

[ophiura]

Originally posted by dragonfli
ophiura it i sa custom built 120, but it might be a 125. im gonna ask him. but the home we are renting is on the beach and has an awesome "safe zone" for theses guys. is it safe to release them later on? i will put them into the 12? gallon. but in general would it be safe to put them back when i notice? i have done that with some moorish idols, and hawaiian spotted puffers. let me know i want to be humane about this.
Well, it can depend. In many cases (especially gulf of mexico) you are keeping Caribbean fish with Indo Pacific, and this can risk introduction of foreign pathogens into the natural environment. Generally not a good plan. I suppose this could also be true of Hawaii, as it is seperated from Indo Pacific reefs. But you are also, I presume, feeding the animals unnatural diets - not allowing them to forage naturaly over a wide range, and this could easily put them at another disadvantage. So many things are different in the wild - various biological cues for example (from changes in lighting, temperature) are critical for "wild" behaviors, and they are removed from this. Can the readapt? I suppose, but quite possibly in many cases they do not.
All in all, if you are going to put them back in the wild, leave them in the wild in the first place, IMO For some of these fish you might take them into captivity, stress them out, possibly starve them for awhile (moorish idols?) and then throw them back in a disadvantaged state in many cases....not particularly humane, IMO.
All in all though, I just am opposed to release of animals kept in captivity. Keep what you can responsibly keep long term, IMO

 

[salty chee]

Originally posted by HermitKrab
I can hear the sirens of the Tang Police not far away. But I assume for now they will okay in a 55 but as you know they will grow and become to big for a 55. Start saving your money for a 120, lol.
:yes:
P.S.
I just noticed that on you avatar the markings on the turtle are a map of Hawaii. I'm so slow.

Yes.

 

[drew2005]

Nice tang. My LFS has a black hawaii tang. It was about 6 inches. They wanted $300 for it.

 

[salty chee]

Originally posted by drew2005
Nice tang. My LFS has a black hawaii tang. It was about 6 inches. They wanted $300 for it.
Geeze! Thats way to much!

 

[tankcrazy]

Dragon is most of your tank things you found in the wild or did you buy at the store! Bet you save a ton by catching things yourself rather than going to local LFS!!! Nice catch.

 

[dragonfli]

i have caught most of my stuff. i bought a bunch in the beginning and really couldnt keep them healthy. so i started wading in tide pools for sergeants(type of damsel), and ended up loving that so much that i have been sticking to that.
i have found many a cool damsels,gobies, wrasses, hermits, and all sorts of crabs.
so the tide pools hold many a "very hearty" fish for me. and i have yet to have one even get sick. i have given lots to my friends. and we only collect what we are going to keep. i dont want to mess around with nature in that way.
thanks ophiura on the tips and opinions. and my tank only has hawaiian fish in it. except the skunk clown i got him from the store and he isnt from too far from here.(christmas island)
there are some hawaiian laws that make this hobby cool but others that are horrible for the aquarist. but for nature they are a must. so we hawaiians just gotta get happy with fish only. sad for no coral, but everywhere ha its ups and downs. so all you not out here love the coral. im very jealouse!!!!!