Tang Police

[bionicarm]

Originally Posted by TangPolice
http:///forum/post/3087229
Since your single stunted Hippo appears normal then of course all other Hippos will do exactly the same thing. I don't believe his internal organs are growing any faster then the rest of him... that's a crock, but healthy saltwater fish do not normally stop growing.
It's not the size of the Tang that is a problem for the average tank anyway, it's the amount of swimming space that most (not all) Tangs need to maintain their health and live a long life.
Guess I must be buying those dwarf hippos.

I used to have a 250 and a 150 online, and at one time, I had a blue hippo and a powder blue in the 250. Both of them grew to around 8" and stopped. What's the 'normal' fully grown size for those species? 12" - 14"? Treated them the way I've treated all the fish I've maintained over the last 5 or 6 years - spoiled rotten.
This 'little' blue I have in my 55 is the most animated of the bunch in the tank, and he takes after his name. I drop a cube of food in the tank, and he darts around so fast gobbling up what he can catch, the other 4 in the tank get about half as much to eat. He has good color, and none of his markings are fading. Seems perfectly healthy to me, and he's been in there for almost a year and a half...

 

[aquaknight]

A few things. First, a Blue Hippo that's grown from 'quarter size' to 4 and half inches in a year and a half, doesn't exactly sound disappointing to me. That's quite the growth rate.
Second, as much as I don't want to say it, raising a fish from a tiny juvi, and adding a wild sub-adult/adult to the same tank, is too vastly different things. I'd not even sure why it's being brought up. I'm not exactly a shining example myself, back before internet/all the info available now, as a kid I had some 'interesting' tanks, and not all of them ended up dead or wiped out within a month. But I'll be damned if I'm gonna go bragging about it on the boards, for the first reason I mentioned. There's honestly a difference between a fish raised in a tank to a fish caught in the wild at the same size. Last thing I would want is someone to go read this and then think, "oh his 4.5" Hippo was fine, the 5" one at the LFS I want will be fine too." Which, couldn't be further from the truth.
About the internal organs things, there's isn't enough research there way. I don't believe either side is definite. But saying something like "tangs will be in poor health" would be close to correct. Growth is an inevitable per of nature. Containing a marine fish to a small glass box is not going to be enough to override that. These are higher order creatures, not amoeba's or basic insects....
As for the Tang Police, yea, there's really no need, but usually it's from both sides. I've seen countless times good advise is repeatedly ignored, then all that's left is the expected flame war...

 

[novahobbies]

Originally Posted by spanko
http:///forum/post/3086238
Beep Beep Beep Honk Honk Honk Roarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!

Is it enough that we just alert hobbyists that tangs grow large and be aware that they will quickly out grow their tank, or do we need to do the chicken little thing and tell them that the world will end if they don't remove the fish now.
I find this completely offensive!
That car is obviously way too small for a yellow tang of that size, and there's certainly not enough swimming room in there, much less any spare room for.....what the girl is doing! Seriously, if you're going to have a tang police car, make it a hummer, or better yet a police SWAT car so the fish has enough room for hankypanky.

 

[shrimpy brains]

Originally Posted by novahobbies
http:///forum/post/3087512
I find this completely offensive!
That car is obviously way too small for a yellow tang of that size, and there's certainly not enough swimming room in there, much less any spare room for.....what the girl is doing! Seriously, if you're going to have a tang police car, make it a hummer, or better yet a police SWAT car so the fish has enough room for hankypanky.

Makes a good point!

 

[shrimpy brains]

Originally Posted by florida joe
http:///forum/post/3087223
if we really wanted what was best for our reef Inhabitance we would leave them in the ocean.

You are absolutely right, Joe! I am selfish and want them out here so I can enjoy them! Figure the least I can do, is provide them with the best care and situation to make their lives outta the big blue as comfortable and happy as possible!

 

[tangpolice]

Originally Posted by bionicarm
http:///forum/post/3087355
I had a blue hippo and a powder blue in the 250.

Where are they now? These fish should live 50 years or so and yet you consider keeping them alive for a few years to be a success story.
I'm sure we'll hear how you gave them away.

 

[flower]

A friend of mine who owns a fish store...has a 250 reef that has been up and running for 26 years. His Hippo tang is 18 years old and only 5 inches big.
He said that we feed our tanks the minimum amount of food to keep algae and disease down...doing so stunts the fish’s growth.
So while hippo tangs may get huge in the ocean...not in a home aquarium.

 

[fishkid13]

Originally Posted by Flower
http:///forum/post/3087897
A friend of mine who owns a fish store...has a 250 reef that has been up and running for 26 years. His Hippo tang is 18 years old and only 5 inches big.
He said that we feed our tanks the minimum amount of food to keep algae and disease down...doing so stunts the fish’s growth.
So while hippo tangs may get huge in the ocean...not in a home aquarium.
Good point. I would love to see that tank, must be a beauty.

 

[oneradtek]

I think the next new show on animal planet will be....
Tang Wars
somebody should make a youtube spin-off of whale wars, but instead have it be tangs instead of whales haha

 

[fishkid13]

Originally Posted by oneradtek
http:///forum/post/3087907
I think the next new show on animal planet will be....
Tang Wars
somebody should make a youtube spin-off of whale wars, but instead have it be tangs instead of whales haha

 

[bionicarm]

Originally Posted by TangPolice
http:///forum/post/3087891
Where are they now? These fish should live 50 years or so and yet you consider keeping them alive for a few years to be a success story.
I'm sure we'll hear how you gave them away.
No, I shut that tank down for economic reasons. Even I wouldn't put two 8" tangs in the 55 I've left running. I took them to a LFS and used them for trade-bait. Got around $200 in store credit. They were healthy and carefree before I handed them over. No clue what happened to them. They were gone just a week or so later after I dropped them off. Hopefully they went to a good home.
If I ever shut my 55 down, I'm discussing handing the fish I have in it to the Research Center over at Seaworld here in San Antonio. I know a couple of marine biologists over there, and they occassionally take healthy fish for research and educational purposes. Depending on the species, they will even drop them in their giant 'aquarium' once they determine they are healthy and have no diseases. I was going to do it with the two tangs, but I thought giving away $200 worth of livestock was a little much.