blue hippo tang

[brandoncena]

Originally Posted by ophiura
What amazes me is that often it is the "anti tang police" who turn these threads so ugly.
If you can't take discussion, opinions and debate, then don't post at all.
Just because someone DISAGREES does not mean they are wrong (or right). I will have you know that "nicetry" has more experience in his pinky finger with such issues than many others, including myself.
Responsible hobbyists MUST ask themselves WHY a fish that grows so large has not outgrown a small tank. If healthy, it should outgrow it in short order.

i know what my fish is doing and thats why i said "WHEN IT GETS BIGGER GET A BIGGER TANK OR SELL IT TO THE LFS."

 

[brandoncena]

Originally Posted by SCSInet
Well aren't you off to a great start here.

While I'll agree that you had the door slammed on you pretty hard for your remarks, how does this sort of a response make you sound like a responsible anything?
Behave.
That out of the way, while it's your choice whether or not you want to put a Blue Hippo in a 29g tank, and even though minimum tank sizes for fish are subjective, IMO you should be more careful about touting this as advice to others. While often the subject of minimum tank sizes for tangs is debated on this board, it's usually something like a 90 versus a 125 or something. Your tank size is ridiculously below what is considered to be the absolute minimum tank size for this fish. Tank sizes are based on the behavior of the fish, as well as it's physical size, etc (read: real science), not abstract observations such as "he's happy."

wHATS IMO?? and for the last time thats why ii said "when it gets bigger get rid of him get a bigger tank or sell it to the lfs."

 

[scsinet]

IMO means In My Opinion.
And again chill out dude. The only reason you are repeating yourself is because like 4 posts took place in between my hitting reply and actually completing the post and putting it up there.
Getting a bigger tank or trading the fish is a valid way of addressing this problem, but it has two main flaws. First, it's very difficult to judge when the fish "outgrows the tank" and thus just when the time comes to upsize or trade the fish, and second, most people often don't do this.
This comes down to the difference between what YOU are going to do and what ADVICE you give. Your first post didn't mention anything about a plan to take it to the LFS or uptrade tanks, and that's what everyone reacted to.

 

[1journeyman]

Originally Posted by BrandonCena
i know what my fish is doing and thats why i said "WHEN IT GETS BIGGER GET A BIGGER TANK OR SELL IT TO THE LFS."
What people are trying to tell you is the fish may not "get bigger". It will just die.
I received a very small Purple Tang about a year ago. It has more than doubled in size. From day one the tiny fish swam the length of my 210 (now 180) tank. To say a Tang is "happy" in a small tank is interesting. How exactly do you measure a fish's happiness? Surviving does not equal thriving.
Tangs, in addition to needing swimming room are skittish. They need room to feel safe. Additionally to that they are prolific grazers. They NEED a lot of live rock to feed on different algaes.
If you are keeping a Tang in a small aquarium even temporaily and hope to have it survive you need to be feeding it a wide selection of fresh algaes.
As Ophiura posted, if you do not want opinions do not ask questions. There are forums that will cater to the "Sure, it's just a fish try it" crowd. This forum is not one of those places... Around here if you ask a question you will get opinions that may very well tell you NOT to do something you want to do.

 

[brandoncena]

Originally Posted by 1journeyman
What people are trying to tell you is the fish may not "get bigger". It will just die.
I received a very small Purple Tang about a year ago. It has more than doubled in size. From day one the tiny fish swam the length of my 210 (now 180) tank. To say a Tang is "happy" in a small tank is interesting. How exactly do you measure a fish's happiness? Surviving does not equal thriving.
Tangs, in addition to needing swimming room are skittish. They need room to feel safe. Additionally to that they are prolific grazers. They NEED a lot of live rock to feed on different algaes.
If you are keeping a Tang in a small aquarium even temporaily and hope to have it survive you need to be feeding it a wide selection of fresh algaes.
As Ophiura posted, if you do not want opinions do not ask questions. There are forums that will cater to the "Sure, it's just a fish try it" crowd. This forum is not one of those places... Around here if you ask a question you will get opinions that may very well tell you NOT to do something you want to do.

you can tell when a fish is getting bigger thats when u do something about it like i already said and i do feed my fish alge its in the tank on the side and my tangs go up to it all the time and eat some of it
and im not one of the "Sure, it's just a fish try it" crowd. because if i was then i would have like a thousand fish in my tank that i want to def shouldnt be there so im def not one of thse pple

 

[matt01]

i am shopin for a new tank and i want a blue hippo tank so i will buy a tank that a blue hippo could live in

 

[brandoncena]

Originally Posted by MATT01
i am shopin for a new tank and i want a blue hippo tank so i will buy a tank that a blue hippo could live in

my bad then i thought u have a tank and want to get a blue tang srry umm im getting a bigger tank just for the fact of my tangs and im getting a 125 so anything around that i think would be good

 

[1journeyman]

Originally Posted by MATT01
i am shopin for a new tank and i want a blue hippo tank so i will buy a tank that a blue hippo could live in
If money and size is not an issue I would go with a 180 minimum for a full grown Blue Hippo Tang. They get very large...

 

[shobby]

I have a yellow tang and a blue tang in my aquarium. I have had both for over two years wit out a problem. The yellow tang did chase my naso tang around but never bothered the blue one, but then again the blue tang was there first. But no problems with either.
Shelley

 

[mace]

 

[soldier0117]

a 55 gal. is fine for a blue tang as long as it is not full grown. My friend with 25 years experience kept a blue tang in his 55 gal. and it lived for 13 YEARS! He said the fish seemed to always be in good mood and would play and splash when fed. Also fish will never achieve maximum size in an aquarium. Why? because of the smaller space thier bodies will somewhat adapt. They can get really big but only in a big tank like 125 gallons. My friends tang was 13 years old and didn't outgrow the tank. Also he was NOT stressed.

 

[ice4ice]

This isn't getting anywhere ...
Everyone knows that Tangs need at least 6 feet of swimming space because they are ACTIVE swimmers. Anything 125 G and larger are suitable for tangs as well as triggers. Obviously those who thinks otherwise never did their research on the species and never really want to come to terms that these fish do need these requirement to survive. I'm having a really hard time believing those who "claimed" to kept one in smaller tanks for 13 years or whatever and are happy and healthy.

 

[ophiura]

The PC term for having their growth stunted is "adapt."
Stunted growth is NOT normal, and NOT healthy.
Why is it that some individuals of that species WILL CLEARLY outgrow the tank? Only some can "adapt?"
Oftentimes we don't recognize a problem. I had people bring in fish to the LFS they thought were in beautiful condition and I was horrified. They just didn't know better. Sad, really.
People can live in very small spaces - say prisoners of war - and survive. And the probably jumped at food! But they were stressed...yes.

 

[stanlalee]

I do believe MOST tangs will EVENTUALLY need a 6ft tank but I am not convinced most 2.5" ancathurus (and hippo's), zebrasomas or Ctenochaetus (bristle toothed) need a 6ft tank. they are just not swimmers like everybody says. I have em in a 6ft tank and stopping 10 times to graze in a 6ft span is NOT my example of a clinic in swimming. You want to see a need for swimming room watch a lunare or bird wrasse. Rarely if ever do my tangs go

[hr]
the full six ft just for the hell of it like everybody claims. I do think they need sizable room for grazing, territorial boundaries and the sheer amount they eat and poop but there are many sizable 4ft tanks (standard 120g with adequate live rock for example) that can at least provide adequate grazing area and water volume if not the territorial needs which mostly apply to mulitiple tangs or those with greater territorial traits like powder blues/sohals. There are some exceptions that I would only put in a 6ft or greater tank (sohal, powder blue, clown, achillis given its need for optimal conditions, any ancathurus/hippo much over 3"s). Zebrasomas and bristtle tooth I feel perfectly fine with those in less than 6ft until they are large. All Naso/unicorn belong in 6ft or greater tank.

 

[1journeyman]

Stanalee, I see what you are saying but...
The very fact that a Tang will graze back and forth across the entire length of the tank imo leads credence to the fact that they need the room. If they didn't they would graze on one rock.

 

[cgj]

Will a maroon clown and a tank-raised percula clown coexist peacefully?
Also, will a maroon clown eventually outgrow a 36 gallon tank?

 

[nicetry]

Originally Posted by CGJ
Will a maroon clown and a tank-raised percula clown coexist peacefully?
Also, will a maroon clown eventually outgrow a 36 gallon tank?
I wouldn't attempt the two different species in a tank of that size.
The maroon will be fine in your tank for the duration.

 

[myrtle beach]

I like when these discussions get heated, I can almost see you wackos pounding your keyboards and I get a bit nervous, like is this guy gonna go get his gun and shoot his computer cause he can't express himself?
I actually got some good advice from this, cause my blue tang is happy and he never swims the whole length of the tank, and I'm sure someday he may outgrow it, but I can enjoy him for years and then sell him back or upgrade someday. All the conflicting advice can be taken either way. And maybe some people like to live in the closet and maybe some people we wish would have stayed there, like Rosie O'donnell.
So relax, get a beer before you start bickering to someone you don't know about something you don't know and remember why you're even on the computer. To learn about your tank and how to not make mistakes.

 

[dragonzim]

Originally Posted by BrandonCena
my bad then i thought u have a tank and want to get a blue tang srry umm im getting a bigger tank just for the fact of my tangs and im getting a 125 so anything around that i think would be good
You said "tangs" in the sentence above. So, how many tangs do you actually have in that 29?

 

[1journeyman]

Originally Posted by Myrtle Beach
I like when these discussions get heated, I can almost see you wackos pounding your keyboards and I get a bit nervous, like is this guy gonna go get his gun and shoot his computer cause he can't express himself?
I actually got some good advice from this, cause my blue tang is happy and he never swims the whole length of the tank, and I'm sure someday he may outgrow it, but I can enjoy him for years and then sell him back or upgrade someday. All the conflicting advice can be taken either way. And maybe some people like to live in the closet and maybe some people we wish would have stayed there, like Rosie O'donnell.
So relax, get a beer before you start bickering to someone you don't know about something you don't know and remember why you're even on the computer. To learn about your tank and how to not make mistakes.
A Tang should QUICKLY outgrow a small tank. If it is not then it is due to poor diet and living conditions.
Good advice comes from research, observation and experience. Bad advice typically comes from people wanting to go against research, observation and experience...