Tang in a 29gal.

trinitower · #1 08/27/2007, 11:13 AM

How long can I keep a young tang in a 29gal?

I know that the Tang will outgrow the tank eventually. How fast do they grow?
They are great algae munchers and look beautiful. I know that everyone gives the same warning of: "no tangs in small tanks" but I know that some do keep them.

I would like to hear if anyone has been sucessful in hosting one for a year or two in a tank of 20-40 gal. And if not...why not?

Eric.

onecrzyboi4u · #2 08/27/2007, 11:14 AM

Well. i used to have a tang.. after 3 months i had to take it back got huge.. and caused issues nitrates went up

rbtwo4 · #3 08/27/2007, 11:17 AM

Oh boy I'm gonna subscribe to this thread cus someones gonna get reamed. How small of a tang are u talking about???

trinitower · #4 08/27/2007, 11:19 AM

Was he very small when you got it?

3month growth spur is very fast. I was thinking they would take like two-three years to get to their full size.

Eric.

der_wille_zur_macht · #5 08/27/2007, 11:50 AM

Physical size isn't the only constraining factor. Tangs are roamers, they need a very large section of reef to swim over - both to find food and for good mental health. Honestly, it has very little to do with the size of the actual fish and more to do with their habits.

b0bby1 · #6 08/27/2007, 11:51 AM

i currently have one in my 20 gallon that i'm giving to a local reefer tomrow. he was my second fish and have had him in there for a good 8 months. he was about 1" when i got him now hes about 2". he can still go another year if i wanted to keep him, but i just feel bad for him. i bought him when i knew nothing about required tank sizes for fish. but tomrow im buying a yashia haze shrimpgoby with a pistol shrimp. he did do a great job with the algae though.

trinitower · #7 08/27/2007, 12:03 PM

Nice. I understand the concern for the fish. If we go that route we should all join the freaks of PETA and liberate every goldfish from the bowl. Total fish liberation they call it, because its inhumane to keep creatures in a glass cage...right?

The thing is. Without going to the extremes of the issues, moral or ethical, or speculate on the mental processes and the psychological harm the fish might experience...

Did you have problems with your Tang? Did he look stressed out? Did he catch every disease known to fish? It seems to me that your Tang was doing very good. I am not looking to add a Tang on my 29... but would like to know if it is doable and if the fish can take it without trouble.

I think that rookies are steered away from owning Tangs from their smaller tanks, for very good reasons, but.... Could a responsible aquarist keep one in a small tank and place him in a bigger tank in lets say two years without hurting the Tang? Or damaging its natural feeding and behavioural patterns?
Eric.

der_wille_zur_macht · #8 08/27/2007, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by trinitower
Could a responsible aquarist keep one in a small tank and place him in a bigger tank in lets say two years without hurting the Tang? Or damaging its natural feeding and behavioural patterns?
Eric.

Absolutely. The key is where you draw the lines. Would it be OK to put a tiny (say, 1") yellow tang in a 55 for one year before moving it to a 125? Yes, I'd argue it would.

Is it ever OK to put a tang of any size in a 20-30-ish gallon aquarium? My answer would be absolutely not. Take a poll on here and I bet at least 90% of RC members would agree. Regardless of if Uncle Joe used to do it all the time and my best friend knows someone who says its OK, that's enough of a margin to make it a very clear cut case IMHO.

Is it going to instantly kill the fish to put it in a container that small? No. This raises a very important (and sometimes hard to answer) question. Are we striving for the MINIMUM environment, or the OPTIMUM environment - given reasonable limits?

capn_hylinur · #9 08/27/2007, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by der_wille_zur_macht
Physical size isn't the only constraining factor. Tangs are roamers, they need a very large section of reef to swim over - both to find food and for good mental health. Honestly, it has very little to do with the size of the actual fish and more to do with their habits.

well said with dipomacy and tact------to add when they bang into each other and the reef rock they can get cut and bruised. This can be an opportunity for bacteria and fungus to invade.

i would get rid of it soon before you really bond with it--then it is very difficult to do.

XSiVE · #10 08/27/2007, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by der_wille_zur_macht
This raises a very important (and sometimes hard to answer) question. Are we striving for the MINIMUM environment, or the OPTIMUM environment - given reasonable limits?

And I believe that's a question best answered by each individual. If you want to get technical, keeping these animals confined at all is not really *good* for them in comparison to out on a real reef.. HOWEVER.. you also have to consider that almost all of these fish that we keep will have no chance to be eaten by a predator like they would out on a real reef.. Is that a reasonable trade-off? again, it's up to the individual who makes the choice to purchase the fish.

myst · #11 08/27/2007, 01:50 PM

I have a 2" Blue Tang in my 29 gallon and he is doing great, but I am upgrading to a 250 gallon in the next 2-3 months so I don't think I have to worry about how big he will grow.

Fish Filet · #12 08/27/2007, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by trinitower
How long can I keep a young tang in a 29gal?

I know that the Tang will outgrow the tank eventually. How fast do they grow?
They are great algae munchers and look beautiful. I know that everyone gives the same warning of: "no tangs in small tanks" but I know that some do keep them.

I would like to hear if anyone has been sucessful in hosting one for a year or two in a tank of 20-40 gal. And if not...why not?

Eric.

Will survive, but never thrive.

capn_hylinur · #13 08/27/2007, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by myst
I have a 2" Blue Tang in my 29 gallon and he is doing great, but I am upgrading to a 250 gallon in the next 2-3 months so I don't think I have to worry about how big he will grow.

I would be more worried if I could find him in that 250--congratualations for moving up--I'm envious

Seriously, what your 29 now is a holding tank or quarantine tank--same concept and very good reefing.

AquaKnight407 · #14 08/27/2007, 03:01 PM

I've had my yellow tang in my 29 since January. At first, he was pretty happy in there, but he's definitely grown tried of it. He paces the glass and does the usually 'tang bob' (swims back a sec, then thrusts forward a short distance repeatly). He's also aggresive to new additions to the tank, though still best buds with my perc clown pair.

I think the most damaging part is that I might have stunned his growth. In the 8 months or so, he's definitely only grown an inch, maybe inch and a half, from the 2.5" when I got him. Waaaay short of what the growth should be. However, he still eats like crazy, perfect scales, and the most beautiful set of fins (condition wise), I've seen on any fish.

I never really intended for him to stay in there for so long. I always planned on getting a bigger tank, but things always got pushed back. I'm adding water my 125 today, so it won't be much longer for him in the 29. For just a month or two, it would be perfectly fine. Pretty much a QT stint. However, anything more then a zebra tang, buy the big tank, then buy the tang. Toss him in 29, it will take at least the month to get the 250 ready. Just make sure the 29 has more then adequate filtration, offer lots of food often (nori/seaweed pretty much 24/7) and a lot of rock. It will slow the tang down, plus he love zooming in and out of the rock, mine'd even go dead sideways through some gaps lol.

Andrew · #15 08/27/2007, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by trinitower
How long can I keep a young tang in a 29gal?

I know that the Tang will outgrow the tank eventually. How fast do they grow?
They are great algae munchers and look beautiful. I know that everyone gives the same warning of: "no tangs in small tanks" but I know that some do keep them.

I would like to hear if anyone has been sucessful in hosting one for a year or two in a tank of 20-40 gal. And if not...why not?

Eric.

Please read this thread:

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...hreadid=739380

reefing102 · #16 08/27/2007, 03:31 PM

ive had a yellow tang in my 26 gallon before i moved. he was around 1 inch when i got him. when i got rid of him he was around 3-4 inches over 1.5 years

InLimbo87 · #17 08/27/2007, 03:42 PM

I would have to agree with those that say no its not acceptable. Wait until you have a bigger tank, and then get the fish.

What happens if that upgrade you planned doesn't work out for one reason or another? Or it takes too long, and your fish falls to an untimely death because of stress/growth stunting.

I think the only time a tang should be kept in a tank that small would be for a Quarantine Tank. Period

coast2coast7390 · #18 08/27/2007, 05:25 PM

i dont see anyone from the tang police...lol

most tangs are going to get to big for a 29...instead do what i do put in 1 fish for every 3 gallons

pmartin727 · #19 08/27/2007, 05:36 PM

here we go ........ I had this thread up about 3 months a go..

I basically ask the same question you did...... EVERYONE said its cruel and impossible.
And I was called every name in the book. Man they let me have it sooo bad I stopped posting in RC for a while.

I basically ask the same question you did...... EVERYONE said its cruel and impossible.

I had to learn on my own as the reasons I was giving (Size of tank, out growing) just did not make sense to me, because the tang I wanted had been in a 6inch by 6inch tank at the LSF for a month before I bought it.

Anyway I did buy him he was about 1/2 inch to an inch....... I have had him in my tank for over three months and he is maybe 1/2 inch bigger.
If that........ He looks great and I have had NO problems as of yet.

I am building a 120G so I will be moving him out soon but he is fine and I dont plant to finish the 120 unil 08 sometime.....

I think space is a big issue..... I have a 30G but its not a cube its 3 feet long and I have my rock built up low so there is lots of swimming room..... And I feed like three times a day. I got lucky my tang loves pellets.

I have photos in my album......they are three months old I will be updating my pic soon....

Bottom line it can be done with CARE!

capn_hylinur · #20 08/27/2007, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Andrew
Please read this thread:

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...hreadid=739380

awesome thread--I wish I had this at my keyboard finger tips a couple of weeks ago--there was some nasty debatting with a couple of college kids--this would of helped.
thanks

spike78 · #21 08/27/2007, 10:48 PM

If you're keeping them in that small of a container, of course they will not appear to grow very fast. At that limited volume, you are stunting their growth which is physiologically bad on many levels. Saying that "my Tang is fine because he is hardly growing" is really an argument against keeping the fish in that small of an environment.

owenb01 · #22 08/27/2007, 11:14 PM

It's your money, do what you want with it. If you want a tang, get a tang! Will it live a long life in a small tank? Probably not. If you plan on upgrading soon, then you are probably good to go, just get a small tang. Unless you just really want to have a giant tang in the future, who cares if you stunt its growth? After all....it's just a fish.

trinitower · #23 08/28/2007, 07:43 AM

This is very informative. Thank you.

Browsing for future additions to my new tank the LFS employee informed me that it could be kept young for a year or two and then it had to be moved to a larger tank or traded. I thought it was cruel but didnt mention it to him at the moment.

With your comments I have gathered that Tangs can be placed in smaller tanks and they will live healthy lives as long as they where very, very, young when placed there. The cruelty lies, in the fact that it can be done but it shouldnt be done for the sake of the natural behavioural patterns of the Tang. My LFS employee (or Owner) will sell young Tangs as "excellent algea grazers for small tanks that need to be traded in a couple of years"

.

I think that the literature is clear on the needs of the Tangs. I dont see the harm of keeping the smallest tangs in a small tank while a bigger one is being constructed or cycled (its kind of like the way they keep them at most LFS anyway) but that being said we should strive to provide the best environment for our creatures. God no longer takes care of them directly (as in the sea), but indirectly through us (we shouldnt slack on the responsability).

Eric.

hmello@bermexin · #24 08/28/2007, 08:26 AM

So everyone knows the damage that can be done to the fish if left in that environment for any length of time. So everyone knows that they need long tanks with plenty of swimming room as they are olympic swimmers in the wild. So everyone knows that they are Ich magnets when stressed like having to live in a small tank with no room to swim.
So everyone knows that "I have a small tank now but am planning to upgrade to a larger one in the future so no problem" arguement.

But does everyone know how hard these buggers are to catch? They hide in the god awfulist places as soon as they see a net. The stress put on a fish getting caught is extreme enough, but to catch a tang it is monumental.

Just saying.................

MalHavoc · #25 08/28/2007, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by owenb01
who cares if you stunt its growth? After all....it's just a fish.

I tend to stay out of threads like this, because I need to remain impartial as a moderator, but this is one of the most asinine things I have ever read. Just a fish? Does it stop at a fish? What about "just a cat" or "Just a dog"? Tangs have the potential to live much longer than either cats or dogs. It's not unheard of to have them live more than a dozen years or more in captivity.

These fish are not captive bred (yet). They are pulled off of reefs in nature, occasionally by means detrimental to the reef itself, like cyanide fishing, and flown thousands of miles to be stuck in a glass box full of water. The *least* we can do is *try* to make the fish feel like it's not some spectacle in a living room or an office.