So you want a tang?

[Frankie]

Space is a must for sure Craig.

[slogtp]

I have 3 tangs in my 75 gallon they all get along good surprisingly. a clown tang, Yellow Tang, and a blue hippo tang.

[Craig Manoukian]

Originally Posted by slogtp

I have 3 tangs in my 75 gallon they all get along good surprisingly. a clown tang, Yellow Tang, and a blue hippo tang.

Clown Tang
Acanthurus lineatus

Recommended minimum tank size 150 gallons for a fish that reaches 15" in length and can become very aggressive with age. I am assuming you have juvenile fish at the moment.

What a great reason to upgrade to a 250 gallon tank which will be required for those fish as they reach their adult size!

[Frankie]

:/

[2455coop]

Anybody have any info on a desijardnii. I think they look cool but don't know any thing about them.

Bill

[Craig Manoukian]

Sailfin (Zebrasoma veliferum), 15" - indigenous to the Pacific Ocean, Indonesia to the Hawaiian and Tuamoto islands, north to southern Japan, south to the southern Great Barrier Reef, New Caledonia, and Rapa Island. Replaced by the similar Zebrasoma desjardinii in the Indian Ocean.

Sailfin (Zebrasoma desjardinii), 15" - indigenous to the Indian Ocean: Red Sea south to Natal, South Africa and east to India, Java, and Cocos-Keeling Islands, but not Christmas Island.

[iamkellogg]

I am so glad I read this. I do have a Hex tank and WAS thinking of getting a tang. Thank you so much for helping me.

Kelly

[Craig Manoukian]

That's what we're here for Kelly!

[tbittner]

Speaking of Tangs. I have a 120g but it's only 48" long. I have a Purple tang (VERY active fish) and a Hippo Tang. They have both been in there for a little over a week. First 5 minutes they batted tails at each other but quickly worked things out. They even eat, side by side, from the seaweed I clip onto the side of the tank. I soak the seaweed with Garlic and Vitamns and they both make it disappear in a few hours.

They are both very healthy eaters and both get along with everyone else. The Hippo is acting "strange" though. She will float down onto the rock where the Cleaner Shrimp are hanging out and lay on her side and one or two of the cleaners will give her a good going over. Then she will make a bee line for one of the artifical rocks (I don't have LR yet) and rub her side on the rocks. I don't see any flaws in her sides (no white spots or anything) so I'm wondering if this is normal behavior for the Hippo?

Thanks!

[tbittner]

Update!

I talked to my LFS guy and told him what my hippo was doing and he said it sounds like the start of ich. He said to keep soaking the food with garlic extract and keep an eye on her. I did and lo and behold, she has indeed stopped itching! I soak the seaweed treat each morning with garlic, zoe, and vitamans and the purple and hippo tangs and the foxface all love it and they are all looking great!

Garlic, I love garlic, so do my fish. Who would have thunk it!

lol

[reefman420]

hi.im relitivley experienced in the fish only area.i was wondering though if my koran angel would be compatible with any tangs.they seem very hardy and active.please let me know

[lcstorc]

Hmm triple post. I don;t know about the compatability but know some of the questions likely to come up.
How big is the tank?
What kind of tang are you looking at?
How long have you had the angel?

Hopefully the answers to these questions will help those who really know.

[reefman420]

weel i have now a sailfin,55 gallon,about a month

[Triggerjay]

Originally Posted by reefman420

weel i have now a sailfin,55 gallon,about a month

OH NO! I found another!!!! and he posted the same thing three times in this thread..... Just wondering.....? What are your water specs?.......?

Jason

[Craig Manoukian]

How big of a tank do I need?

In general, tangs require a minimum of 48" of lateral swim room as they are very active swimmers and grazers. Hex and corner bow tanks are not as good of a tank choice because the water volume tends to be more vertical, and other than jelly fish, fish do not swim vertically in their normal activities.

The adult size of the fish is important in choosing the right tank for the tang, or vice versa. Of the tangs that are readily available in the aquaria trade, they grow to a minimum of 7" and the vast majority to 10" - 15". The maximum adult size of the fish should determine the size of your tank.

How many tangs can I have in my tank?

The real challenge here is that it depends on how big the tangs are. You can certainly keep two or three juvenile tangs in a 75 - 100 gallon tank, for a while. They will grow and you will need to accomodate that adult growth at some time in the future. This can be achieved by moving to a new and bigger tank, what a strategy, eh , or trading them in to an LFS or some other more suitable home.

In most reef tanks in the 75 - 100 gallon range you can keep two tangs in the 7' - 10" adult size range without too much problem if you mix the genus properly. Anything under 75 gallons and 48" or longer can accomodate one tang. in that size range.

Michael Paletta suggest a much bigger tank than 75 - 100 gallons for three tangs. I believe he has three in his 240 gallon reef tank.

With your 55 gallon there is really no room for either a tang or an angel as these fish need much larger water volume. 250 - 300 gallons would be required to have both fish.