Tangs/Large Angels in 6' Tanks – Does Capacity Matter?

[tervman]

A question for those in the know....
As we all know, it is recommended that Tangs and Large Angels have large tanks for a permanent residence. However, I have read posts that say it is the LENGTH of the tank that matters, since these fish tend to swim side-to-side, not up-and-down. It has been suggested that a 6' tank is really a minimum to look for.
Glasscages makes several tanks in the 100-135G range that are 6' long, with varying heights and widths. For instance, their 125 W Acrylic is 72x24x17.
Would these be an acceptable habitat for something like a Naso Tang or a Large Angel? If not, why not? :notsure:
Thanks, as usual!

 

[robchuck]

I had a 150 gallon FOWLR (72"x18"x29") awhile back that was home to a 5" French Angel, a 6" Naso Tang, and a 6" Foxface. My experience with these fish was that a 6 foot long tank was sufficient, but the 18" width didn't seem like it was enough for the fish to turn around comfortably. The fish didn't do much vertical swimming, so the height of the tank should matter nearly as much as the length or width. With all of that said, the 125W at 72"x24"x17" would make a great tank for tangs and for large angels until they get close to and reach their adult sizes. A full grown French Angel in a 17" high tank would have it's dorsal fin sticking out the top of the tank while touching the sandbed (that's also going to cramp the fish).
I'd be a little weary purchasing an acrylic tank from Glasscages (coming from a satisfied owner of one of their glass tanks). The thickness of the acrylic they use is adequate, but isn't as thick as other acrylic aquarium manufacturers; the potential for bowing is great. Also, they assemble acrylic aquariums like a glass aquarium would be built, so there is no advantage over glass in that category.

 

[tervman]

Originally posted by RobChuck
I'd be a little weary purchasing an acrylic tank from Glasscages (coming from a satisfied owner of one of their glass tanks). The thickness of the acrylic they use is adequate, but isn't as thick as other acrylic aquarium manufacturers; the potential for bowing is great. Also, they assemble acrylic aquariums like a glass aquarium would be built, so there is no advantage over glass in that category.
Do you know who makes an excellent acrylic tank?
I need to call Glasscages, to find out the weight of some of their glass tanks. Somebody checked, and found out their 240G glass was 450lbs! That's why I am seriously looking at acrylic for my big tank. I would hope to have this tank for a LONG time, and at my age (pushing 50) I have to think about what happens 10 years down the road, if and when I try to move a tank that size.
As for what goes in it, my wife really likes the look of the Map Angel and Hippo Tang. I would like to get a Naso Tang, and maybe an Emperor Angel. Final decisions would need to be made, but I don't think any of these would have the problem you mentioned with the French.

 

[fishman830]

Originally posted by tervman
Do you know who makes an excellent acrylic tank?
I need to call Glasscages, to find out the weight of some of their glass tanks. Somebody checked, and found out their 240G glass was 450lbs! That's why I am seriously looking at acrylic for my big tank. I would hope to have this tank for a LONG time, and at my age (pushing 50) I have to think about what happens 10 years down the road, if and when I try to move a tank that size.
As for what goes in it, my wife really likes the look of the Map Angel and Hippo Tang. I would like to get a Naso Tang, and maybe an Emperor Angel. Final decisions would need to be made, but I don't think any of these would have the problem you mentioned with the French.
i think that tenecor does custom acrylic tanks, but i'm not exactly sure. a 72" long and 24" high, i would think would be abled to provide for the needs of the fish you wanna keep. those are large fish, so you'll need to get a good skimmer.

 

[tervman]

Originally posted by jwtrojan44
Another point, and your comment about your age is on target; if this is going to be your final upgrade, go for the largest tank your budget and space will allow.
Yea...getting old sure s**ks, don't it!

Originally posted by jwtrojan44
I'm considering a 265 glass tank which is 84x24x30. I have the space, just need the coin and the blessing from the commander.
Well, I'm fortunate in that respect - I have the blessing from "she who must be obeyed" (

), I just need to find the $ to swing the whole thing, and find one that is big enough to do what we want, but light enough for two old farts to move around.

 

[bona42na]

Let me just put in my 2 cents here as I have some experience in whats being discussed . I have a Tenecor acrylic tank. As Fishman says its a great high quality tank but in just 6 months mine is very scratched up as hard as I try to avoid it , keeping the front free of algae is very difficult. Maybe I would do it again if I went barebottom reef but with FOWLR my next tank will be glass regardless of the weight. Now having both a tang and an angel in this 110 thats 60*18*24 I would say its more comfortable for the angel as hes normally hanging in the rockwork whereas the tang is flying all over. If this tang lives a long life and gets a lot bigger I will have to get him into something larger which is my long term plan. Youve got some good replies here from people in the know. What I would like to know is how big can these large angels actually get in captivity and how long will it take to get there. I have yet to see one bigger than say 10 or so inches yet the books all say they can get 18 plus in the wild. Thanks and hopefully I've added something here . Peter

 

[stacyt]

Wow some very good replies here. Not much that I can add to this post.
I have a koran angel in my 240, and he spends most of his time slowly moving through the LR structure, and moves rather slowly. Whereas my tang spends most of his time in the open.
I'll say that I've seen some angels in the wild that where close to the 2' range. A couple of queens, several grays & french. Absolutly beutifull to see.
In captivity, I still have yet to see one that is bigger than a 1'. One reason is that there arn't a lot of people that keep large FOWLR. Another reason is that most people that do buy angels, do not know how to properly care for them, and they probably die prematurly. I've heard of people that have them, and seen some pics on the net, but never seen one myself.

 

[tervman]

All,
Wonderful responses! I do appreciate them, and hope others will learn from them.
Peter,
Just curious....what kind of Tang and Angel do you have?
Jwtrojan44,
Who makes the tank you are looking to purchase?
Thanks,
Larry

 

[bona42na]

Larry I have a purple tang about 4 1/2 inches and a majestic angel about 5 1/2. Heres a picture of them together that I posted earlier this week. They share my 110g with a huma trigger and lots of cleanup critters.