A tang suitable for a 55 reef
- Thread starter carlos413
- Start date
ophiura
Active Member
IMO, no tang is really suitable for that size system long term. They all really get quite large. Thing is with a 55 is that it is relatively narrow so when you stack rock you lose a fair amount of space. Not to mention tangs are pretty messy fish in a reef.
I would personally reconsider adding a tang to a 55g reef tank. There are plenty of great fish that would be suitable in their as adults.
I would personally reconsider adding a tang to a 55g reef tank. There are plenty of great fish that would be suitable in their as adults.
globaldesigns
Member
I have to agree with the others, 55g is too small for any tang. Even if you buy very small or a baby, it will grow to fast but more importantly tangs like swimming the length of the tank, so no tang would be that happy.
If you are wanting beautiful fish that will work with your tank look at:
- Potter's or Flame Angel
- McCloskers or Mystery wrasse
Have Fun!
If you are wanting beautiful fish that will work with your tank look at:
- Potter's or Flame Angel
- McCloskers or Mystery wrasse
Have Fun!
novahobbies
Well-Known Member
If you must have a tang in your 55, I would suggest one of the smaller bristletooth species...the kole tang, tomini tang, or chevron. Bear in mind that all of these species grow large, but the Kole tang, for instance, doesn't get TOO large in captive systems usually. As Ophiura said, the problem isn't just the 4 foot length, but the narrow width (13 inches) as well. I know there are plenty of people who have yellow tangs in their 55 tanks, but I truly think the kole tang is the only species that has a long-term chance in this size tank.
N
nihoa
Guest
wet web media say 50/55g is the bare min for a kole tang, they stay smaller than the yellow. as others mentioned you would want to keep your rockwork open for it to have room to move around.
matth2181
Member
im going to go against the grain on this one and say its doable. my lfs does custom tanks of up to 2000 gallons in homes all over the country (usually LA and san diego for tank that big), and they have been setting up salt water tank of their own and selling fish for 21 years. they have a 1200 gal reef display in their store and it has a clam in it that they had when they started the store, it is 2 feet long now. id rather go to this store and look around then go to any aquarium honestly, so needless to say they are experienced. well they have had a 30 gal tank with a small yellow tang in it for a year now, he does amazingly. and they even tempted me to try a tiny one in my 30, but i held off cause i didnt have the 40 bucks. but the "fish will grow to its full size no matter what the tank size" rule has its exceptions. they said there are fish such as lion fish and eels that will grow no matter what but there in, but some fish really do only grow as large as the tank allows them. the yellow tank they said is excellent for this. so i would say you could go with a yellow tang, but hes gotta be small... like silver dollar sized, thats the one they have in their nano reef, and hes been doing great. so i would say, give it a shot...
reefjunkiee
Member
Originally Posted by MattH2181
http:///forum/post/3147920
im going to go against the grain on this one and say its doable. my lfs does custom tanks of up to 2000 gallons in homes all over the country (usually LA and san diego for tank that big), and they have been setting up salt water tank of their own and selling fish for 21 years. they have a 1200 gal reef display in their store and it has a clam in it that they had when they started the store, it is 2 feet long now. id rather go to this store and look around then go to any aquarium honestly, so needless to say they are experienced. well they have had a 30 gal tank with a small yellow tang in it for a year now, he does amazingly. and they even tempted me to try a tiny one in my 30, but i held off cause i didnt have the 40 bucks. but the "fish will grow to its full size no matter what the tank size" rule has its exceptions. they said there are fish such as lion fish and eels that will grow no matter what but there in, but some fish really do only grow as large as the tank allows them. the yellow tank they said is excellent for this. so i would say you could go with a yellow tang, but hes gotta be small... like silver dollar sized, thats the one they have in their nano reef, and hes been doing great. so i would say, give it a shot...
i am going to have to agree here, most people seem to think 6 ft tank is okay for a fish that is used to schooling and swimming miles in the wild. it's like adding a closet to your kitchen your living in. no matter if its a 55 or a 125 the fish is cramped in captivity, so the tang police need to learn. i say go for it and enjoy the fish.
http:///forum/post/3147920
im going to go against the grain on this one and say its doable. my lfs does custom tanks of up to 2000 gallons in homes all over the country (usually LA and san diego for tank that big), and they have been setting up salt water tank of their own and selling fish for 21 years. they have a 1200 gal reef display in their store and it has a clam in it that they had when they started the store, it is 2 feet long now. id rather go to this store and look around then go to any aquarium honestly, so needless to say they are experienced. well they have had a 30 gal tank with a small yellow tang in it for a year now, he does amazingly. and they even tempted me to try a tiny one in my 30, but i held off cause i didnt have the 40 bucks. but the "fish will grow to its full size no matter what the tank size" rule has its exceptions. they said there are fish such as lion fish and eels that will grow no matter what but there in, but some fish really do only grow as large as the tank allows them. the yellow tank they said is excellent for this. so i would say you could go with a yellow tang, but hes gotta be small... like silver dollar sized, thats the one they have in their nano reef, and hes been doing great. so i would say, give it a shot...
i am going to have to agree here, most people seem to think 6 ft tank is okay for a fish that is used to schooling and swimming miles in the wild. it's like adding a closet to your kitchen your living in. no matter if its a 55 or a 125 the fish is cramped in captivity, so the tang police need to learn. i say go for it and enjoy the fish.
sanchoy
Member
Say what? Here comes the tang police force!!!!
Like stated above, it is your money. You do what you want with it. If you feel like putting a shark in a 10 gallon tank thats up to you, however the shark might not last too long. It does not matter what you have, if you don't have at least a 300 gallon tank the tang police will come for you.
Do what makes you happy. If the fish survives, at least its better in your tank, than the 10 gallon tank at the local fish store..
ophiura
Active Member
Originally Posted by sanchoy
http:///forum/post/3148914
Say what? Here comes the tang police force!!!!
Like stated above, it is your money. You do what you want with it. If you feel like putting a shark in a 10 gallon tank thats up to you, however the shark might not last too long. It does not matter what you have, if you don't have at least a 300 gallon tank the tang police will come for you.
Do what makes you happy. If the fish survives, at least its better in your tank, than the 10 gallon tank at the local fish store..
Sigh.
No one here was outrageous or said you have to have a 300g tank!
Just because someone says it isn't a good idea, all of a sudden people throw up that overused image to try and shut people down.
It was a good thread, IMO. No need for this.
While it "can" be done...it doesn't mean it is the best plan. Yes, it is up to the owner. Do what you want. But if you ask, is there one suitable (which is what the OP asked...), I will answer. Not really. If it is a 90g tank it is a bit different because it is wider, and something like a Kole would be great. Even a yellow. It is the TOTAL footprint of the tank that is important, even width, not just length.
The idea of keeping a yellow tang in a 30g long term..sure it can be done. But I consider stunted growth a problem. It is a sign of stress, IMO. You can do a whole bunch of things. It is up to you, truly. Especially if you don't care. I had people come into an LFS to buy fish "for the big game" around super bowl time, and didn't care if they lived after the weekend.
But I prefer tanks that I know are "good to go" that I don't have to worry if the fish is too big, do I have to remove it...do I have to take it all down. There are loads of fish PERFECT for this size tank, long term.
IMO, if you have your heart set on a tang, and only have 4 feet, at least go for a 120. If you only have the 55g, and must have a tang, get a bristle tooth tang species.
http:///forum/post/3148914
Say what? Here comes the tang police force!!!!
Like stated above, it is your money. You do what you want with it. If you feel like putting a shark in a 10 gallon tank thats up to you, however the shark might not last too long. It does not matter what you have, if you don't have at least a 300 gallon tank the tang police will come for you.
Do what makes you happy. If the fish survives, at least its better in your tank, than the 10 gallon tank at the local fish store..
Sigh.
No one here was outrageous or said you have to have a 300g tank!
Just because someone says it isn't a good idea, all of a sudden people throw up that overused image to try and shut people down.
It was a good thread, IMO. No need for this.
While it "can" be done...it doesn't mean it is the best plan. Yes, it is up to the owner. Do what you want. But if you ask, is there one suitable (which is what the OP asked...), I will answer. Not really. If it is a 90g tank it is a bit different because it is wider, and something like a Kole would be great. Even a yellow. It is the TOTAL footprint of the tank that is important, even width, not just length.
The idea of keeping a yellow tang in a 30g long term..sure it can be done. But I consider stunted growth a problem. It is a sign of stress, IMO. You can do a whole bunch of things. It is up to you, truly. Especially if you don't care. I had people come into an LFS to buy fish "for the big game" around super bowl time, and didn't care if they lived after the weekend.
But I prefer tanks that I know are "good to go" that I don't have to worry if the fish is too big, do I have to remove it...do I have to take it all down. There are loads of fish PERFECT for this size tank, long term.
IMO, if you have your heart set on a tang, and only have 4 feet, at least go for a 120. If you only have the 55g, and must have a tang, get a bristle tooth tang species.
sanchoy
Member
One thing is for sure.. The tang police squad is worst than PETA when it comes to tangs in tanks.
the truth is if you really cared about your tang, set him free in the ocean where it belongs. It does not matter, the reason why we have these tangs in our tanks is for pure enjoyment of the hobby. It's just hilarious when the tang squad comes into the boards telling people what to do. The truth is, you just rescued a tang from the local fish store, the tang probably was housed in a small 10 gallon tank at the shop. You just became a hero. Either way, the tang will never truly be happy in any tank.
Will the tang be truly happy in a 300+ gallon tank? Just ask yourself :Are prisoners happy in a enclosed jail?
sepulatian
Moderator
Originally Posted by sanchoy
http:///forum/post/3149081
One thing is for sure.. The tang police squad is worst than PETA when it comes to tangs in tanks.
the truth is if you really cared about your tang, set him free in the ocean where it belongs. It does not matter, the reason why we have these tangs in our tanks is for pure enjoyment of the hobby. It's just hilarious when the tang squad comes into the boards telling people what to do. The truth is, you just rescued a tang from the local fish store, the tang probably was housed in a small 10 gallon tank at the shop. You just became a hero. Either way, the tang will never truly be happy in any tank.
Will the tang be truly happy in a 300+ gallon tank? Just ask yourself :Are prisoners happy in a enclosed jail?
So, I take it that you have no pets at all? Otherwise, how would you justify having them?
Back on topic here. As mentioned, most tangs will not work in a 55. Are there exceptions? Sure. It isn't just the size of tangs that come into play. They are highly energetic fish that come from open waters. Some fish hang out in one area all day. Tangs are not one of them. They need room to swim. Not only that, but they need plenty of grazing area. If you pack your 55 full of rock to graze from, then he will have no place to swim because of how narrow the tank is. It is a catch 22 that a tang is not likely to win from in a 55. If you insist on trying one then be sure that your tank is lightly stocked with other fish (Tangs like high quality water), and that your rock is quite mature. They gaze all day long, no matter what algae sheets you add. If you must pick one then go for a smaller breed like a Kole, Tomini, or Scopas.
http:///forum/post/3149081
One thing is for sure.. The tang police squad is worst than PETA when it comes to tangs in tanks.
the truth is if you really cared about your tang, set him free in the ocean where it belongs. It does not matter, the reason why we have these tangs in our tanks is for pure enjoyment of the hobby. It's just hilarious when the tang squad comes into the boards telling people what to do. The truth is, you just rescued a tang from the local fish store, the tang probably was housed in a small 10 gallon tank at the shop. You just became a hero. Either way, the tang will never truly be happy in any tank.
Will the tang be truly happy in a 300+ gallon tank? Just ask yourself :Are prisoners happy in a enclosed jail?
So, I take it that you have no pets at all? Otherwise, how would you justify having them?
Back on topic here. As mentioned, most tangs will not work in a 55. Are there exceptions? Sure. It isn't just the size of tangs that come into play. They are highly energetic fish that come from open waters. Some fish hang out in one area all day. Tangs are not one of them. They need room to swim. Not only that, but they need plenty of grazing area. If you pack your 55 full of rock to graze from, then he will have no place to swim because of how narrow the tank is. It is a catch 22 that a tang is not likely to win from in a 55. If you insist on trying one then be sure that your tank is lightly stocked with other fish (Tangs like high quality water), and that your rock is quite mature. They gaze all day long, no matter what algae sheets you add. If you must pick one then go for a smaller breed like a Kole, Tomini, or Scopas.
gio28
Active Member
this is my personal thought on this...
every animal has a purpose and that is to survive...which is what its genetics tell it to do. sure tangs could be fed in a smaller tank and be kept alive but the fact that the tang is not used to this in its natural habitat is the problem. they are used to swimming actively all day long and grazing, something a 55 cant let them do. fish can't really sense happiness i would think as one of their emotions, but wouldn't it be nice if you made its life 'easier' in the sense that if you had a bigger tank to suit what it is naturally accustomed to?
every animal has a purpose and that is to survive...which is what its genetics tell it to do. sure tangs could be fed in a smaller tank and be kept alive but the fact that the tang is not used to this in its natural habitat is the problem. they are used to swimming actively all day long and grazing, something a 55 cant let them do. fish can't really sense happiness i would think as one of their emotions, but wouldn't it be nice if you made its life 'easier' in the sense that if you had a bigger tank to suit what it is naturally accustomed to?