fish size?

[alyssahum]

I recently lost all of my fish to a disease. I have waited about 6weeks and purchased a QT tank and I am ready to start again. As far as fish size goes, how fast do they grow (tangs, puffers). I have a 40g tank and I will probably have a larger one w/in the next couple of years. My old yellow tang lived for over a year and he never seemed to large to keep in my 40. Also, I have been told that fish only grow to a size proportional to the tank. For example, a fish in a 30g won't grow as large as if it were kept in a 75g (even if it was supposed to be 7in). Please let me know your suggestions, but don't just say a 40g is toooo small for a tang.

 

[dragracer]

Well personally, I have a 55 gallon and was very hesitant to put a yellow tang in it. They need lots and lots of room to swim. And I made sure to set my tank up so he would have plenty of room. On the other hand, I met a freind who told me he was into SW fish and he had me over one day to see his tank. He has a Yellow Tang in an immensly overstocked 30 gallon. This troubled me, but on the other hand, that fish has been in there for a year and a half and SEEMS fine. Luckily he is in the process of upgrading to a 150 gallon. Anyway, back to your question.....you will get different responses and probably start a couple debates. As for me, I personally think a 55 is the limit on how small you can go for a Yellow Tang, and thats not just because that happens to be what i have. I thought about it for a long time and researched it, and got a LOT of input from this board.

 

[karajay]

Originally posted by alyssahum
I have a 40g tank and I will probably have a larger one w/in the next couple of years.
My advice would be to wait until then for a tang. While it may not grow to full size in a tank that is too small, those conditions will cause unnecessary stress and it will probably not live a full life.

 

[tiencvu]

If you like the Tangs so much, why not put a small one in your
tank and enjoy it. If it gets bigger you could bring it back to the
LFS to exhcnage it.

 

[lesleybird]

Hi, If I had to do a 40 gallon again I would stock it with the following fish......One pygme angelfish, either a flame angel, lemonpeel angel or a coral beauty (they say only one per tank in a small tank or they may fight). Then I would have a bicolor blenny, and a fairy wrasse or a sixline wrasse. Maybe one more fish....smallest tang that I know of is the yellow eyed tang. if I had to have a clown fish I would do that instead of the pygme angel. And yes we will tell you that a 40 gallon is too small for most tangs....unless you get a baby and get a bigger tank in a year. Lesley

 

[fishman830]

Originally posted by tiencvu
If you like the Tangs so much, why not put a small one in your
tank and enjoy it. If it gets bigger you could bring it back to the
LFS to exhcnage it.
IMO thats not right... you cant use fish, you have them for the extent of their life.. unless you have a reall problem and have to get rid of them to save their life/and or another fishes life

 

[lesleybird]

Originally posted by Fishman830
IMO thats not right... you cant use fish, you have them for the extent of their life.. unless you have a reall problem and have to get rid of them to save their life/and or another fishes life
I kind of agree it isn't exactly kind to use fish, but we can because unfortunately, they have no rights! Poor fish! If her LFS will take it back there isn't much wrong for bringing a fish back when it gets too big. Most stores will take a healthy fish as a donation. Then, someone with a bigger tank can buy the bigger tang. Not really so bad for the fish unless the next owner is irresponsible. Lesley

 

[bang guy]

As a very general guideline that's full of exceptions... many fish species reach 90% of their maximum size withing the first 10% of their lifespan.
The lifespan of a Yellow Tang is about 50 years so I would expect it to be 7 or 8 inches at 5 years old.
Saltwater fish do not internally adjust their size to the container like some freshwater fish. Instead I believe stressed fish are growth stunted and this will significantly reduce their lifespan and make them vulnerable to disease.

 

[alyssahum]

Thanks, the size adjustment reply was the exact information I was looking for. I had no idea tangs lived for 50 years!!!

 

[flamehawk]

50 years in the wild. Have not heard of any tang lasting that long in captivity.
Also agree that we should always plan on having our fish fir comfortably in their sorroundings based on adult size> Don't agree that we should just buy and hope that they are still alive at adulthood and then trade them in. The reality is that there is a high probability that the fish will not live long enough to carry this plan out because of stress caused by cramped quarters. As far as tangs are concerned , size is not the only reason for keeping them in larger tanks> Their natural swimming behavior is fast, swift and lengthy...meaning they needs lots of roon no matter what the size. Hope this helps.

 

[lesleybird]

Come on....what fish can live for 50 years in the wild without being eaten? I bet there is no documentation for that figure. I would bet that the longest life span would be in captivity in a hudge tank without predators and good water quality......How else could one measure the lifespan of a tang? I bet that no one has documented a 50 year life span for a tang because not too many people had the knowledge 50 years ago to keep many of these fish for 50 years. Like I'm not even 50??? Are you? Maybe you are thinking of some parrots....they can live to be 50! Lesley

 

[fshhub]

first off, fish should be planned to be kept, as mentioned. And returning them is like borrowing, AND moving them is stressful . So you keep a fish for 5 yrs and then take it to the store <stress>, Then someone else buys it and moves it again <more stress>. And if either one of the 2 are responsible, there will be aQ tank involved, thus doubleing the moves at each stop.
2d, many LFS do not accept returns
So, I would wait for the tang, as well.
In the wild, many fish live for that many years, in fact the giant fish, the Blue Marlin, is right about 1 decade per FOOT(a 13 ft fish is well over 100 yreas old). And my dive instructor has been guiding and instructing a particular area and caring for 3 cudas, One loner who is now 6.5 ft(was over 5 15 yrs ago), the other 2 cohabitating elsewhere are over 5 foot in length<not knowing their age they must be old if he has been swimming with them for 15 yrs and they were all pretty large when he first started. As for in captivity, I can name a pair of clowns who are almost 30, a Blu Hipo tang who is over 16 years with the same owner, and another pair of clowns who are 21 yrs ol.
I also kow of a blue hippo tang in captivity who is taken home over 16 yrs ago. and a pair of clowns who are about 30 yrs old and another pair who are 21 yrs ol. the 21 yr old clowns and 16+ yr old tang, I know and visit regularly.

 

[bang guy]

Originally posted by Lesleybird
I bet there is no documentation for that figure.
You would lose that bet.

 

[flamehawk]

I agree you wouls lose that bet. It's the other way around....fish will live much longer in natural environment then in captive quarters. There is significant documentation done by tagging and observation by many biologists...just look it up on the internet. Seek and you shall find.