is a yellow tang ok for my tank?

[angelfan28]

i have a 55 gallon...in it i have a coral beauty, 2 percula clowns, and a fox face.all of them are small...do you think it is ok?and what is your experience with this tang compared to a blue hippo?

 

[dougai]

no on the blue hippo, needs at least 75+
and prob no on the yellow tang needs a large tank also

 

[mdog30001]

i would say that it can be done, but many other people will say different. And IMO blue hippos are very prone to disease. I think yellows are much more hardy.

 

[ebsochin]

Half a dozen one way a half a dozen the other way. Many people, including myself don't think tangs belong in 4 ft tanks. But it has been done. Smaller species can survive and thrive for a while but eventually they will need a bigger tank. Remeber tangs get very large and are open water swimmers. As far as the difference between hippo's and yellows, well yes hippos are more prone to disease. Yellow tangs fair better but IMO nothing compares to the colors of a hippo.

 

[oyam1]

A Yellow in a 55....I say go for it.
if your lucky to have it grow, just trade when it gets to big.

 

[surfer11]

I say get a 1 or 2 inch one and watch it grow

 

[vanos]

I agree with the above post. I have a yellow tang in my 55 G and it's doing well. It hasn't grown as quickly compared to my trigger. If you buy one, you can sell it in a couple of years or when you think it has outgrown your tank.

 

[darth tang]

No. It isn't the size of the fish that is the issue. It is the fact they need a lot of room to roam and swim.

 

[flamehawk]

Many say no YT in a 55. I hapen to think it is fine. It has enough room to roam. Would limit the L/R as it takes up too much space...perhaps no more than 40lbs. The 1 lb per gallon rule is in my opinion overstated. That said by the time you allow for water displacement there is probably not much more then 40-45 gallons in a 55 anyway. Good luck.

 

[denny80689]

I always read about how much room these fish need to swim and such, yet my hippo tang is always in the same spot hanging out. It rarely swims to the other side of my tank and I almost never see it swimming back and forth or utalizing the length of the tank... Makes me skeptical that they need so much room.
BTW mine is in a 125gal and is very healthy and about 3.5 inches long...

 

[vanos]

Originally Posted by oyam1
A Yellow in a 55....I say go for it.
if your lucky to have it grow, just trade when it gets to big.
Beautiful tank. Is that a custom made hood with compact flourescents?

 

[flamehawk]

Many say no but I think it's ok. Try to limit L/R to 35-40lbs since it does need maximum room in a 4 ft tank. Good luck.

 

[hot883]

6 ft is the recommended swim range NOT4, and cutting back on LR is not a good idea IMO either. Not to discredit you Flame, (don't take it the wrong way) just stating the facts. LR in a tank is WAY more important to the tank inhabitants then is a yellow tang or blue tang. Why would someone knowingly put in a fish that is not recommended (by everyone that has posted on here nearly) into an environment that is stressful?

 

[flamehawk]

We have a difference in opinion. I believe that the 1 lb per gallon rule on L/R is overstated. If you have a good skimmer, and good filtration , that much L/R is not needed. When I first started in the hobby, everyone said put as much L/R as you can. While this is good, there are trade offs. Even if you put too much rock in a 6' tank the tang will not have enough room to roam.After seeing so many long term success with less rock and good filtration, no longer a strong believer in all that rock....also recently read that many are trying to ban even the collection of broken pieces of L/R from the ocean as they are now realizing that those same broken pieces have actually aided in the extension of the reefs over many years. Aquacultured rock s/b used and even that only as much as we need.
As far as YT in 55g, I still think it's ok although a 6' would obviously be better. I have seen too many long term success stories of thriving YT's in a 55g. Again it's always preferrable to go bigger.....8, 10, 0r even 12' for that matter.

 

[motohead]

my yellow was very unhappy in my 55.the dude is very active and i can tell the difference in his behavior since put into my hundred one year ago.swims from one side to the other all day long.with various darts of speed thrown in there.im my opinion,55 is too small.these fish love to swim.

 

[hot883]

My YT was fine in my 55 and till I added a LTA and it took over his hidey hole where he slept. Way to much stress and we all the know the rest of this story.
My point is; if 1 addition can stress out my YT then yes it was alresady subjected to stress IMO. I know for sure that I WILL NOT get another Tang, Period until I do my upgrade.

 

[fedukeford]

6 feet is recomended for tangs so i would say no on either tang

 

[drea]

hmmmmmmmmmmm.................. so is it that the people who manage to keep their fish alive in smaller tanks have better water quality and know what they are doing :thinking:
and is it that
the ones with bigger tanks are getting away w/ it because the water quality is easy to keep in check :thinking:
i agree with both sides, i've seen a hippo in a 24 gallon for 5 yrs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i have a baby hippo (2inches) in my 70g tall all he does is hang out by his white coral that he loves

...................................
sometimes it just depends, but i do agree, the bigger tank almost always the better :happyfish