tiny blue tang

[laredo300c]

my lfs has a tiny blue tang for sale at $17,,,,he must be at most 1 inch...has anyone ever bought one this small.....this one will be going into my neighbors 125.........is he more likely to get ich at a tiny size or medium...any pics or advice will be appreciated...thanks

 

[anonome]

I have tried two this size.....both were flushed. I haven't had any luck with any tang smaller than 2 1/2 inches. The real small ones tend to not make the quarantine period. They also hid ALOT, and were afraid of their own shadow. Got really intimidated with the other fish, eventhough no one picked on them. I would get a larger hippo.

 

[myreef05]

Rule of thumb is do not buy a tang less than 2"-3".

 

[b0bby1]

i have a tang thats 1/2 in. in a 29 for about 2 months now, waitin for my neighbor to set his 110 up. but anyways hes been doing great, he did get ich in the begining but i used kick itch on him

 

[b0bby1]

i no its bad but he'll be movin in a few days, my friends tank is about ready. so dont give me bull snap about him stayin in my tank.

 

[brandoncena]

i got my blue tang when he was about an inch or a little under and i had him for a very long time and now hes about 3 maybe 3 1/2 inches but i think i got lucky because it was very hard to take care of him and if i knew now it would have been that hard i wouldnt have bought him so my advice buy one bigger there way easier

 

[laredo300c]

why was it very hard...what was done different

 

[angel237]

my lfs store has one about 1 and a half and I was thinking about buying one, so the advice is I shouldn't? I only have a 29g, so I can't really buy a big one...

 

[myrtle beach]

You are taking a risk, the price seems good, but it might cost you later. I got mine at about 2 1/2 inches, and he was quarantined for two weeks before purchase. No signs of ick yet and he eats fine.

 

[b0bby1]

angel i only have mine in a 29 cus my friends settin his tank up, so he asked me if i could hold it for a while. we only got it early because my LFS only gets these little guys in 10 at a time 3 times a year, and they sell out very fast. so we got one before they sold out. but i would not recommend puttin one in ur 29 permanently

 

[sharkbait9]

unless your tank is really stable I would not try it. Water quality has to be pristine no fluctuation in water chemistry, I.e. salinity, temp.
I have had great success with quarter size tangs but they are really hard to keep alive. I can honestly say the trouble and doubts are really not worth it in a new tank.
Having enough hiding spots, plenty of macro algae and nori hanging around to graze on. Feeding a lot of rotifers, mysiss, vitamin enriched brine shrimp.
You want nothing in the tank to stress it out.
Anything that will and can pick on it will stress them out, ultimately starving it to death if not picking on it till death takes over. The death rate to success is low A lot of money spent for a hope and a prayer.
If you run power heads you need to make sure they have covers on the intake to avoid being suck to or in it.
A lot of “child proofing” your tank needs to take place.
If you have a tang already, then a baby is out of the question.
The on the other side of the coin, if the fish is eating and looks generally healthy and you think your tank is stable for 17 bucks some would take a shot. Keep in mind thou, the death is right around the corner with quarter size tangs.

 

[angel237]

At my LFS store they cost 39. And he said they can grow up to 3 inches... I really wanted one of these miniature tangs..... I am only thinking about having friendly small fish in my 29g... I only have a clownfish right now thats pretty happy....

 

[dogstar]

The mortality rate for those fish at that size is high. Does not mean all die but many do compared to ones collected at a larger sizes...your choice, your money, the fishe's life.

 

[stanlalee]

I bought mine what was suppose to be 3/4"-1" but it turned out being about 1.5". Have had it a yr now and its about 2.5". Other then initial ich break outs nothing major. Pretty skiddish when small.
may 5th 2006

april 13th 2007 still kicken

 

[brandoncena]

Originally Posted by laredo300c
why was it very hard...what was done different

it was vry har because it wa hard to get him to eat and he was always scarred of the other fish and swam away and one time he got ick which i curred thank god and he hid under fake corral where no fish could get him and he grew a little bit bigger and now he eats regularly and hes not scarred of the other fish and now hes good but i wouldnt go thruogh that again and i have mine in a 29 also and he is fine

 

[laredo300c]

i appreciate that honest response ....and in some things i agree with you....but maybe the problem isn't that he is tiny but the obvious is that he is in a 29g which is by all means too small for that tang

 

[nemette]

I had, had my tank set up for 10 months before I got my blue hippo. When I got him he was only maybe an inch and a half long, I bought him for $40.00. My LFS sells them for $80, so I went with the internet. I have a long 55 gallon, in which we have a 75 here at the home and are in the process of buying new equiptment for it to upgrade, but I have had him for about uhhh 2 months or shorter, seemed fine at first, but like everyone said, he carried Ich with him, not having the quarintine tank set up anymore because I had gave it to my sister, I had Ich in the DT. Him being the last fish we were buying so that it wasnt over crowded until we got the other tank set up, we made the mistake of not taking the time to Quarintine him being the last one! BIG mistake I know. But I got a medicine called no sick fish, and it was cured!! Everyones doing great! No problems. Hes happy and healthy as can be! Hasnt grown any yet really, still a little bugger!! But thats my sucessful story on the keeping of the blue hippo tang! Beautiful fish! :happyfish