*Tangs*

fishkid13

fishkid13

Active Member
As I have been reading things and researching things lately I have noticed many people keeping tangs in smaller and smaller tanks. So I have taken the time to elaborate more about them and the importance of keeping them in the right size tank.
First off there are different species of tangs.
Acanthurus
Ctenochaetus
Naso/unicornfish
Paracanthurus
Zebrasoma
Acanthurus: The tangs in this group are unique and come in many different colors. This group has a more “oval” shape the some of the other species. Most of the tangs in this group require more swimming space due to their large over-all size(Acanthurus lineatus, Clown Tang)(Acanthurus shoal)( Acanthurus dussumieri)etc.
With these fish being bigger over all, compared to the other species, they require more swimming room. A tank with very open swimming room would be preferable. They also need some big hiding spots so they can find refuge if they get scared. Some of the tangs in this genus require some special treatment and should only be kept if you have the proper system and are willing to take the time to take care of their needs.
Ctenochaetus: Or bristle-tooth tangs. The species in this genus stay fairly smaller than species in the Acanthurus genus. Were the “bristle-tooth” name comes from is their habit of nipping at the rocks in search of food. The mouth is different than the other genuses. It is more curved to reach in the tight spots. These species need good swimming room but not as much as some of the other tang genuses. They should have a good amount of live rock for grazing and have a mature tank before adding a bristle tooth tang. If you have some hair algae ( or any other pest algae) these tangs would take care of it more than other tangs.
With their slimmer body it makes them swim in between the rockwork more fluently then other species. A tank for this genus should be big enough for them to have plenty of swimming room and still room for a good amount of live rock to graze on.
Naso/Unicornfish: When in healthy condition the colors of these species really pop. This genus gets quite large and requires lots of swimming room. The body shape is long and oval for these species and as such need a large system to provide them with adequate space for hiding and swimming. They will graze on the rockwork but not close to the amount as Ctenochaetus. The personality of these fish makes them a big hit more many aquarist.
Paracanthurus: This one fish genus is probably the most commonly kept fish in the marine hobby. So we will just stick with talking about this fish. The Regal, Blue Hippo tang , or any other name, is often sold quit small but (like almost every other tang) grow quite rapidly. It requires lots of swimming room and plenty of hiding room because they can be very timid. A great fish with much personality will make a great addition to many tanks. This tang is extremely s susceptible to many diseases and often dies on this half because many aquarists don’t take care of it right away or it is under too much stress. Like being in a small tank or having bad water parameters.
Zebrasoma: The most common fish kept in this genus is the Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens). This group has a more rounded body shape than the other genuses. They can get quit large and require good amounts of swimming room along with plenty of rock work for shelter and grazing. These fish have bright vivid colors that really come out when they are happy and healthy.
 
fishkid13

fishkid13

Active Member
Other things about tangs…
Feeding: Tangs are very hungry eaters and need a good mixed diet of algae (which helps them keep their vivid colors) and meat. When feeding multiply tangs with algae clips it is helpful to get two or three sense the “boss” tang or “bully” tang will guard it and not let any of the other tank mates eat any of it. Doing it this way gives them all a chance to eat without being pushed out of the way.
Tank: This is a widely debated topic among aquarists. Do they need this many feet or this many feet? Well let’s start from the basic. We are taking them from the ocean which the swim many, many miles in just one day. So from swimming many miles to just 2…4…feet is just mean. In my opinion 6 feet should be the absolute minimum for a tang to be in. It gives a good amount of room to swim around and a 6 foot tank is usually deep enough for them to turn around.
Ex. If you have a 120 gal tank but the dimensions are 4x2x2 and you want to add a Naso Tang because its minimum tank size is said to be a 120. Hhhhmmmm...??? Well let’s break it down. The Naso can almost 2’ long so that would mean it would only have 2 feet to swim from its current positions and it would be hard to turn around. So that tank would probably not be a good tank for that fish because it large size and open swimming room needs and still have room to hide and graze. But if we replace the Naso with a Yellow-Eyed Kole Tang. The Kole Tang gets around 6”-7” each. At this length they have plenty of room to swim and you can fill it with enough live rock that they will be happy it that system.
Lots of people buy tangs when they are just small babies and keep them in small 20gal or 40gal. This is ok if you have a bigger more preferable tank for this fish. Tangs grow up fast so if you bought a 2” fish it could easily be a 4” fish in a few mouths and this is where the problem of having to big of a fish in your tank and you say something like “ well it was a baby when I bought it”. With these fish growing fast having the right tank first will help the fish be happy and less stressed and could help you become less stress of having to worry about having such a large fish in such a small tank.
Temperament: Tangs are quite aggressive when it comes to “there” territory. There are a few things that help keep peace when keeping tangs.
•Adding them at the same time. This is very helpful with keeping tangs together. If you add them at the same time then they don’t already have “there” territories.
•Different body shape. You will be surprised how much this makes a difference. With the same body shape they will feel more intimidated and more provoked to fighting.
•If wanting to add another tang to an established tank with a tang in it they would be a territorial issue between the new one and the old. A good way to break this tension is just simply moving the rocks around so they both have a chance to find new territories.
If you are worried about tangs being aggressive don’t worry. Many tangs will show aggression but most are
peaceful and will get along with most other fish.
Thanks for reading and if any of you want to add anything about tangs or mention what I forgot or want to talk
about what I mentioned feel free. Thanks.
-Tommy
 
locoyo386

locoyo386

Member
Hi there,
If I understand your post correctly, you are suggesting that Tangs should be housed in a 6' min. tank. Well if I have a 12" (long) Tang that can be housed in a 6' long tank, that gives me a 1:6 ratio. That would imply that at a bare minimum an 8" long Tang (Yellow Tang, Zebrasoma flavescens) can be housed in a 4' long tank. If this makes sence than what would be the problem in housing small tangs in small tanks, as long as you keep to this bare minimum of 1:6 ratio?
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
I think what also needs to be understood is that when we read about maximum size in a tang as well as other fish IMO it is the largest recorded measurement and not an average size
 
salt210

salt210

Active Member
Joe
how would we go about finding the average over the max size when finding fish for our tanks? I am wanting both a powder brown and either a yellow or a sailfin. If I could find the average size for some other fish I might look into those instead as I see a size of 1'6" and dont want something that could get that big in my 210
 
locoyo386

locoyo386

Member
Originally Posted by florida joe
http:///forum/post/3066244
I think what also needs to be understood is that when we read about maximum size in a tang as well as other fish IMO it is the largest recorded measurement and not an average size
Good point, like I mentioned before out side of a public aquarium. The largest captive Surgeon Fish I have ever seen (2) was around 8". The Naso lituratus and the Acanthurus sohal, both were around 8" without tail.
 
locoyo386

locoyo386

Member
Originally Posted by salt210
http:///forum/post/3066247
Joe
how would we go about finding the average over the max size when finding fish for our tanks? I am wanting both a powder brown and either a yellow or a sailfin. If I could find the average size for some other fish I might look into those instead as I see a size of 1'6" and dont want something that could get that big in my 210
Size is relative to age, which brings another issue. How long do the fish live in the home aquarium?
I am a firm believer that the fish are smart enough to let you know if they are housed in a small tank, heck sometimes in too big of a tank. I have a Niger Trigger that when I put him in a 55 from a 10 (he was around 2.5" long) he seemed to be depressed. He was housed with two damsels only. He did not swim nearly as much as he did in the 10. He was not as aggressive at feeding as he tended to be, alomost like he did not want to eat at all. I think fish are like people, each has it's own personality. Some lazy, some very active, some shy, some very bold and no two fish (of the same species) are ever alike. We have to understand our fish to be able to feed themand house them correctly. There are no rules that are said to be in stone like the ten commandments, but do try to give your fish and any other pets you may have, the best life they can have while you have them.
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by salt210
http:///forum/post/3066247
Joe
how would we go about finding the average over the max size when finding fish for our tanks? I am wanting both a powder brown and either a yellow or a sailfin. If I could find the average size for some other fish I might look into those instead as I see a size of 1'6" and dont want something that could get that big in my 210
I think posting a question is one-way as well as talking to members in a local club if you have one. Ask other hobbyists who have the particular fish you are interested in what size was their fish when purchased what size is it now and how long have they had it
 
salt210

salt210

Active Member
I think that I will end up sticking with the Powder brown and the yellow. I think that they will make great additions once I get them in there. Unfortunately the only reef club I know of around here is known for being snotty people and I dont want to deal with that. The girl at my LFS seems to care and has steered me correctly so far. So, beyond asking on here I would probably talk to her as well.
 
fishkid13

fishkid13

Active Member
Originally Posted by locoyo386
http:///forum/post/3066241
Hi there,
If I understand your post correctly, you are suggesting that Tangs should be housed in a 6' min. tank. Well if I have a 12" (long) Tang that can be housed in a 6' long tank, that gives me a 1:6 ratio. That would imply that at a bare minimum an 8" long Tang (Yellow Tang, Zebrasoma flavescens) can be housed in a 4' long tank. If this makes sence than what would be the problem in housing small tangs in small tanks, as long as you keep to this bare minimum of 1:6 ratio?
You are right, but when you add the rock work for hiding and grazing it cuts the swimming room in half or more so it would still be a tight fit.
Originally Posted by locoyo386
http:///forum/post/3066252
Size is relative to age, which brings another issue. How long do the fish live in the home aquarium?
I am a firm believer that the fish are smart enough to let you know if they are housed in a small tank, heck sometimes in too big of a tank. I have a Niger Trigger that when I put him in a 55 from a 10 (he was around 2.5" long) he seemed to be depressed. He was housed with two damsels only. He did not swim nearly as much as he did in the 10. He was not as aggressive at feeding as he tended to be, alomost like he did not want to eat at all. I think fish are like people, each has it's own personality. Some lazy, some very active, some shy, some very bold and no two fish (of the same species) are ever alike. We have to understand our fish to be able to feed themand house them correctly. There are no rules that are said to be in stone like the ten commandments, but do try to give your fish and any other pets you may have, the best life they can have while you have them.
You brought up a good point. With every one their are different exceptions and every fish is different so the problem is trying to find the "average" or same with most fish.
Originally Posted by florida joe
http:///forum/post/3066256
I think posting a question is one-way as well as talking to members in a local club if you have one. Ask other hobbyists who have the particular fish you are interested in what size was their fish when purchased what size is it now and how long have they had it
+1
 
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