What do tangs and flame angels like???

[aileena]

I want to know how much L rock people thing is enough to make a purple tang and flame angel happy...I know they graze off the LR so I am interested to know how much LR I need and how I should set it up...
currently I have 7 large pieces that weigh 50lbs they are set up with space between them so the fish can weave in and out of the rock...I was planning on only getting 50lbs, but after reading more I realize that 75lbs may be better...I know the more the better, but what is the minimum...its a 60g tank with a 3.5" sand bed...
Please do not comment on the size of the tank and the tang...I am well aware of this...I need to know how much rock, not how big a tank. I really want this to be successful. thanks

 

[michaeltx]

you need enough so that there grazing areas for them.
you can have 50 lbs of rock and if the majority of face of the rock is on the back wall or a place they cant get to then there might be a problem
I cant remeber how big the tank is but usually 1 or 1.5 lbs per gallon of light porous rock gives you a lot of grazing area. you can have 50 lbs of dense rock and it wont have as much grazing area then what the less porous rock has.
does that make any sense LOL
but get want looks good to you and then maybe a little more.
most fish can get a substution of algaes added to their diet by feeding so its not really a big deal ;-Þ
Mike

 

[mistylab]

Originally posted by aileena
Please do not comment on the size of the tank and the tang...I am well aware of this...I need to know how much rock, not how big a tank. I really want this to be successful. thanks
Well, if you were aware of this then why get the tang?
And you said you wanted this to be sucessful?Let me make a suggestion, kole tangs are a much better choice for this size tang if you must get a tang, or perhaps a yellow, please not one of the larger ones like a purple, regal, ect.
The yellows and koles are so much easier to maintain, and some purple tangs are very aggressive. My LFS got 4 in and in separate tanks. They killed all the other fish they could find. Some people get peaceful ones but this is probably because they have enough room to avoid other fish.

 

[aileena]

Thanks for the info, but again I know the challenge of keeping the purple tang...I know that you could not help yourself repeating what is always said, and I appreciate your concern, but I would like to try something new...If you have something insightful and helpful to offer I would really appreciate your comments...

 

[mistylab]

Well, all I can say is that if you can't be talked out of it, I wish you good luck and godspeed to your little "pretty fishy"

 

[aileena]

have you ever kept a purple tang or any other tang??? can you give any reason for me not keeping one from your own personal experience rather than hearsay? Its easy to jump on the bandwagon and just agree with everyone, when its the cool thing to do...

 

[mistylab]

Ofcourse I have and I was speaking from personal experience because I saw the purple tangs kill the tankmates myself.
What you said about jumping on the bandwagon, everyone wants a tang, you are just jumping on too.
No attempt to stop you, just try to make you think about the fishes needs. If I cannot stop you, then let me say this, please do an internet search on these fish and find a good site to give you info on them.
BTW, tangs are very prone to ich, so some good medications, a large hospital tank, and some cleaner fish and/or inverts are a must.

 

[grendelprime]

well speaking from expierence most tangs are long distance swimmers and a small tank dosent give then the room needed to thrive with all the rock work and equipment in the tank, and if theres not alot of room they get stressed and once there stressed tangs are notorious for getting hlld or ich especialy with the purple tang, ide say go for it if its going to be the only fish in the tank, but he wont thrive he'll just survive, not a flame at all but its a shame when people know all the reasons not to do something but some how think it will work for them

 

[bang guy]

aileena, There may be a happy medium but my concern is that the Angel will do best with a tank crammed with rock with lots of nooks & crannies to swim through and the Tang will do best with open areas and space on top to graze algae off the rocks.
I don't know which way to lean.

 

[aileena]

ok lots of info, but I need clarifications...
1) I am aware of the different foods I can vary in the tangs and flame's diet...like you said mysis, live brine, some flake, and pellet foods... I can also get so calurpa and macroalgae for the tang with some lettece
But what about the suppliments??? I have also soaked the food in garlic extract before, but what is selcon or zoe??? where can i get these from??? are they good for all species???
spirulina is that a frozen food???
2) Bang guy...I can deal with giving up one of these if it seems as though the rock situation cannot accomodate both. I can easily give up the flame...and just go the the purple tang and a pair of true perc clowns. either way I think i will add about 10lbs more of lr to make sure there is enough for grazing...
3)mistylab I have done just fine in the 2 years I have kept SW fish...with only a few fatalities, which were 2 sand sifting stars, a few chromis that just disappeared, and a jawfish that jumped out of the tank. I am not an novice, but by no means do I know everything. You have told me nothing that I did not already know.

 

[michaeltx]

most of the additives can be got from a LFS or mail order. spirulina is a flake food I believe
and the extracts and additives are good for all types of fish the add things that are not in a unnatural diet that most of us provide. IE dry algae sheets flsk foods etc...
garlic is a good idea for any tang keeper to keep the immune system up and help fight off ich.
I jst noticed it was a 60 BTW. is this a standard rectangle 60 or odd shaped custom tank?
Mike

 

[aileena]

its 48 long 24 high and 12 wide....

 

[mistylab]

Originally posted by jwtrojan44
While reading the comments from mistylab, I can only think of the old addage "the pot calling the kettle black." One only has to read the clown sweetlips feeding thread to see what I'm referring to. Best of luck with these beautiful fish. In time, I would hope that you could possible upgrade to a larger system. This is when you see the true beauty of open water species like tangs.
I do understand what you are saying, and you are right that I do have a clown sweetlips in a small tank. But the difference is that I am ready to put it in the 540 when I am ready.
And I agree that tangs and all other fish display so much better in a larger tank.
Look, all I am trying to do is steer him away from this fish because once he/she gets it, they will like the fish, but they will realise they made a mistake and that their fish is unhappy in their small tank. My sweetlips is perfectly happy in my tank for now, but I know that long term these conditions would be cruel and inhumane for this beautiful fish. I just don't want anyone to make this mistake that I made, I did the research, I love the fish, but it isn't big enough. If I do keep this fish in my tank long-term, Please remind me to lock myself in a closet for a whole week to punish myself, because it is cruel.