why does everyone have a yellow tang?

[know-it-all]

Just seems like every tank I see has at east 1 yellow tang in it.
with all the other choices out there, why the yellow's?

just curious
KIA

[rayjay]

I have a powder blue and a brown, a scopus, an achilles, a regal, and a naso, but not a yellow.

[javajaws]

No yellow tangs here...no tangs at all for that matter. I'd guess its because when someone has an algae outbreak that say to themselves "I gotta get a Tang fast!". So they go down to their LFS and see all those yellow tangs (being the most commonly available variety) and buy one. Just one of many reasons I'm sure...

[pnsnowboard]

everyone likes them my mom really wants me to put one in my tank but i dont think its happening there is so much better fish out there

[gillies]

They are cheap and lots of hobbiests have kids and wives that just can't resist that lemon yellow color.

[jgoodrich71]

I do not, nor have I ever owned a yellow tang. The reason, because everyone else has one!

[llamart]

They are one of the most common fish in the industry. How many bright yellow fish are there (save that question for a different thread). The color looks great in the tank and people can keep them with realitive ease.

I dont have one though, just on the basis that I see them too much. My with keeps pushing me to get one but I just give the excuse that we have 2 tangs (Sailfin and Hippo) and shoudnt have any others :P

[Weatherman]

No Yellow Tangs here, either.

My 180 has a Powder Blue.

For my 120, I went with Rabbitfish instead. Much better algae eaters than tangs and don't require nearly as much swimming room.

[Wiskey]

I got my yellow tang from a friends toilet, but had that not happended I probably would not have one. I love this fish, it is very curious, very personabile and seems intelegent for a fish. It causes no problems with other fish, and is always picking at rock looking for algae.

My all time favrite tang however is a Red Sea Sailfin tang, but I don't have a big enough tank.

Whiskey

[Reefer Wannabe]

I think because they are one of the hardiest and least expensive of the tangs.

Plus, they definitely are eye-catching. My yellow is not my favorite fish, but everyone who comes in our house comments on the bright yellow fish!

[coralnut99]

All of the above: bright color, cheap, always available, reasonably hardy, and afetr acclimation become something of a "pet dog" in a tank.

Though the colors may not be as bright, I'm bigger on hawaiian sailfins. These guys acclimate much faster in my experience, great eaters, and work really hard at keeping nuisance algaes in check. My oldest one is something of a pest, since every time I need to take a good look at something in the tank, he's just right there in my face. I have to get my son to distract him with some food at the other end of the tank.

[MattToTheMax]

i would imagine its the same reason everyone has a clownfish.

plus they are one of the smaller sized tangs.

[jay24k]

I don't think there is another fish as bright and it's hard imo to find a nice yellow of anything out there. I also have a red sea sailfin, achilles, hippo, and naso so I have a nice variety and they all get along fine.

[know-it-all]

Originally posted by MattToTheMax
i would imagine its the same reason everyone has a clownfish.

I don't have one of those either.
I am guilty of the blue damsels, but those are just filler in my damsel tank.

I've seen tanks where the owner has spent big bucks on getting the coral that
no one else has, but will throw the most common of fish into it.
It just baffles me.

[JER-Z]

maybe because of the price, color, and the fact that they don't need an enormous tank to thrive like the majority of other tangs?

[Anemonebuff]

When mine passes on I will replace it with a rabbitfish.

[viggen]

Originally posted by jgoodrich71
I do not, nor have I ever owned a yellow tang. The reason, because everyone else has one!

but you probably drive a honda just like everyone LOL

Seriously.... they are cheap, hardy & good looking

I do not have one now but I do plan on adding a few

[Loralie]

I have a yellow because it was given to me. I do have a blonde Naso, purple and a scopas

[jgoodrich71]

Originally posted by viggen
but you probably drive a honda just like everyone LOL

Seriously.... they are cheap, hardy & good looking

I do not have one now but I do plan on adding a few

No, I have a Ford F-150. The best selling truck in....
aw...why'd you have to ruin it for me.

[TimBob]

No Yellow Tang in my tank. I decided on day 1 that I didn't want a yellow tang because they are so common and my pair of ocellaris fill the "common" role. I do have a Foxface for my "yellow-fix" and a purple tang for my tang-fix. I may have to get rid of one of them though, they just can't seem to get along lately.

[deansreef]

no yellow for me either

[jacmyoung]

If you like to tell your guests you have a saltwater tank without actually telling them...It is the most eye-catching of saltwater fish average persons can relate to a reef habitat.

I guess the question should be why does everyone keep tangs.

[npaden]

I'm one of the guys that got my yellow tang "used". I've had it for a little over 6 years now. In my tank with a Clown Tang, Powder Blue, Sohal and Hippo, the Yellow is noticed and commented on by visitors more than any of the other tangs.

The only other fish that get more comments are my trio of ocellaris clownfish and my royal gramma.

I'm not into keeping something just because they are rare or uncommon. Most of the people who see my tank aren't going to think less of the fish in it if they are common.

FWIW, Nathan

[Weatherman]

Originally posted by jacmyoung
I guess the question should be why does everyone keep tangs.

1) Algae eater (although rabbitfish are a better choice if this is all you want)

2) Active and attractive

[PuffersKick]

why not get one?

they are one of the brightest colored fish available, extremely hardy, non expensive, & a great reef fish.