how many tangs?

fishwanabe

fishwanabe

Member
Hello,
I'm going to have a 90g set up soon so how many tangs can I have? I only want one but was just wondering.
Thanks
 
fishwanabe

fishwanabe

Member
I plan to get a baby when I buy, was hoping for a hippo Do you think thats ok or is there one that will stay small?
 
1journeyman

1journeyman

Active Member
Originally Posted by fishwanabe
I plan to get a baby when I buy, was hoping for a hippo Do you think thats ok or is there one that will stay small?
Very small Tangs often die.
You're going to get a lot of responses here. Some people will say "it's your tank, get whatever you want".
Tangs are very active browsers. My small Purple Tang swims the length of my 180g tank. Most "experts" tend to agree Tangs need a 6 foot tank minimum. Tangs get big and need lot's of grazing options.
There are plenty of beautiful, active, and colorful fish out there to stock in a 90. Avoid Tangs.
 
1journeyman

1journeyman

Active Member
Originally Posted by Bang Guy
What do you think about a single Kole Tang in a 90 Journeyman?
I've never had one Bang. I've seen a rather large adult one though. To me a Tang's a Tang....
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
Originally Posted by 1journeyman
I've never had one Bang. I've seen a rather large adult one though. To me a Tang's a Tang....

I can respect that. Probably good advice.
 
dskrezyna

dskrezyna

Member
I do wish all sites would only specify the best tank size (or minimum) for the adult size of any fish in their list, not the tank size for which the fish purchased. It leaves too much room for consumer error.
I understand that there may be people out there who will "upgrade" their tank later, and who may be responsible enough to do so, but I don't believe a fish should be bought unless they already have the minimum size tank for the fish at adult size.
 
boozzbro

boozzbro

Member
if people are seriously considering buying a fish they should do their reserarch. whcih means looking up info about the fish, eg. what they eat, recomended water parameters, and adult size. its usually not hard and doestn take too long.
easiest way to do it is to just post here asking what you need to care for a fish, although sometimes you get baged on for not having suficient space for the fish, but what does it hurt to ask?
 
adroitmind

adroitmind

Member
Coming from someone who is new i also think sites should list adult size requirements for tanks. Newbies like me may not know the best way to research yet and at first i "researched" my fish by looking them up in the sale sections of websites. To me it is just another form of deception more commonly practiced by the LFS.
:mad:
 
njf4i

njf4i

Member
Now that were on a normal tang topic without the rudeness of late, i had a question. I want to get a foxface rabbitfish for my 55gal aquarium. Now a foxface i believe is considered to be in the tang family. But most people i talk to and research i've done say they are docile fish.
So would the foxface outgrow my 4' long aquarium, and if so what size do they get up to?
I'm asking here because there is plenty of nonbias experienced people. Unlike my lfs that would say anything to get me to take the fish.
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
Generally speaking the stores don't come up with the numbers. These numbers are mostly from books published in the 80's. Most fish were only expected to live for a few years back then so I suppose the sizes were probably appropriate.
These days you have failed miserable in my opinion if you can't keep a Tang for 15 - 20 years and the old tank sizes are no longer appropriate. I don't thing the stores should make up new numbers though I think the numbers should come from research in the hobby. The problem is that nobody wants to pay for the research.
 
boozzbro

boozzbro

Member
one word "google" its the best worst invention ever.
in my opinion google is single handedly responsible for people not knowing how to use libraries anymore
 
shogun323

shogun323

Active Member
Originally Posted by njf4i
Now that were on a normal tang topic without the rudeness of late, i had a question. I want to get a foxface rabbitfish for my 55gal aquarium. Now a foxface i believe is considered to be in the tang family. But most people i talk to and research i've done say they are docile fish.
So would the foxface outgrow my 4' long aquarium, and if so what size do they get up to?
I'm asking here because there is plenty of nonbias experienced people. Unlike my lfs that would say anything to get me to take the fish.
Actually the Foxface is part of the rabbitfish family. Although poisonous they are docile. I believe the Foxface Lo will get up to 9 inches long. A big difference Foxface and Tangs is that tangs are open water swimmers whereas Foxface are not. They'll just swimming amongst the live rock grazing all day.
 
njf4i

njf4i

Member
Originally Posted by shogun323
Actually the Foxface is part of the rabbitfish family. Although poisonous they are docile. I believe the Foxface Lo will get up to 9 inches long. A big difference Foxface and Tangs is that tangs are open water swimmers whereas Foxface are not. They'll just swimming amongst the live rock grazing all day.
Oh ok. For some reason a couple of lfs near me label them as foxface tangs with "rabbitfish" in ()
Do you think the foxface would be happy in a 55g aquarium and be able to live a long life? I really love this fish, but don't want to buy a fish that will outgrow my tank because i don't plan on upgrading for a couple of years.
 
adroitmind

adroitmind

Member
I'm new but from my research a foxface is ok to put into a 4' tank. I really like them and was going to get one for my 75g. You might want to get advice from someone who has been doing this for more than 4 months though. :thinking:
 
njf4i

njf4i

Member
Originally Posted by AdroitMind
I'm new but from my research a foxface is ok to put into a 4' tank. I really like them and was going to get one for my 75g. You might want to get advice from someone who has been doing this for more than 4 months though. :thinking:
Well after doing some searching "google" i came acroos a great website. It really breaks down info on fish and what they need, and etc.
Here is what i got on the foxface:
Maximum Size: the Lo vulpinus grows up to 9 inches.
General Size Specifications: The small size will come to you generally 2 to 3 inches; the medium generally 4 to 5 inches; the large generally 6 to 7 inches.
Minimum Tank Size: The Foxface Rabbitfish prefers a tank of at least 60 gallons with plenty of places to hide & swim.
Diet: The Lo vulpinus is a herbivore and likes to eat variety of veggies.
Level of Care: The Foxface Rabbitfish is a medium maintenance fish.
Behavior: The Foxface Rabbitfish may act peacefully toward other fish. THIS FISH IS VENEMOUS. The dorsal fins of this fish can cause extreme pain. Severe reactions can occur if allergic. If stung soak injured area in hot water and seek medical attention.
Hardiness: This is a hardy fish.
Water Conditions: Keep water quality high (SG 1.020 - 1.025, pH 8.1 - 8.4,
Temp. 72 - 78° F).
Range: Indo-Pacific.
General Notes: The Lo Vulpinus is a very bright yellow addition to your tank. This fish is often used to control hair algae and in some cases red turf algae in your tank. They are relatively friendly to other fish. Will school as juveniles, but prefers a solitary life as adults. The Fox Face Rabbitfish are reported to occasionally pick a little at zoanthids and Large Polyp Stony Corals
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
I have one correction to the article - Foxface, like all Rabbitfish, are omnivores with a lot of algae in their diet. They are not Herbivores. They require animal as well as algae for food. Any type of large zooplankton will work, or just any meaty seafood.
 
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