Yellow Tangs

happyface888 · #1 06/04/2007, 08:57 PM

Sigh lost a yellow so now I plan on getting another one. I notice that there are different yellow tangs like some that are orangy yellow, pale yellow,bright yellow and sail fin. Which yellow tang should I get and can someone tell me the seas or location of these yellow tangs. And will it be hard to keep it with my hippo tang before, My old yellow owned the tank than added hippo and they got along I wonder will a new yellow cause some trouble or will it be neutral?

DamnPepShrimp · #2 06/04/2007, 10:21 PM

Hawaii seems to be the best place for yellow tangs, I don't know where else you can get them? Get a bright yellow one, pale or any discoloration means they are stressed/sick.

happyface888 · #3 06/04/2007, 10:36 PM

I bought many yellow tangs in the pass and each one I get seems to be different. I seen light yellow dark organgy yellow, small eyes, big eyes where do all the other breeds of yellow tangs come from? Hmm Thansk Pep didnt know discoloration ment stressed/sick.

happyface888 · #4 06/04/2007, 11:00 PM

Went hunting for a yellow tang and came across a nice bright yellow tang with large fins got him from petco. Anyone buy fish from Petco?

Osmotic Shock · #5 06/05/2007, 10:37 AM

Oh boy, I guess I'll start. Most people on Reef Central do not buy fish from Petco for several reasons. Most of their employees have little to no fish experience and so the fish are poorly cared for. Some of their fish arrive in good condition and some in poor condition then they all go into the same system. I have never walked past the tanks at a Petco and not seen some fish with ick.
What you then get is inexperienced employees giving bad advice, selling sick fish, and lots of unnecessary deaths. Alot of people call it Deathco.
Some people get all their fish online for hopefully a better price while some buy at their local fish store to support local merchants.
Sounds like you got a nice tang.Good luck with him. Mine have always been bright yellow.

LisaD · #6 06/05/2007, 11:06 AM

Is it for sure a yellow tang? Not all yellow-colored tangs are "yellow tangs". As juveniles, the mimic tang, Acanthrus pyroferus (mimic lemonpeel angels) is yellow with beautiful large-ish fins. I think the Atlantic blue tang may also be yellow when juvenile.

Petco does have cheap prices, but as the previous poster says, they often sell sick fish. If you know how to evaluate health of fish, have a quarantine tank set up, and appropriate meds on hand, and are a relatively experienced hobbyist, then your chances of success with Petco fish are probably decent. I have seen much the same at many LFS. I try to shop at stores that will QT their fish, only sell healthy fish, and have knowledgeable staff. This applies to LFS and e-tailers both. I have found out through experience that choosing fish only on price or convenience ends up being very expensive in the long run.

Realize too, if you don't QT the tang, it may not only die itself, it could infect and kill your other fish.

DamnPepShrimp · #7 06/05/2007, 01:31 PM

I got my old yellow tang from petco. Those fish are hardy enough to deal with almost anything. Mine went through many tanks, and through different hands of hobbyists, still going strong. All I did was freshwater dip him then added him right to my display, nothing ever got ick. I do agree though, petco isn't the greatest place, but they sometimes have good deals because they don't know what they have. You just have to QT everything you get from there to be on the safe side.

mattyice · #8 06/05/2007, 04:04 PM

some petco's do have experienced workers though, in my area for example, our petco has just as knowledgeable employees as the reef store down the road, just have to be ble to evaluate a fish

pep, the petco by me had blonde hawaiian naso tangs for $49 the other day lol

CarlC · #9 06/05/2007, 04:16 PM

Not to start a arguement or anything but you might want to work out whatever problems you are having keeping yellow tangs before buying another. You stated you have bought many in the past.

Carl

happyface888 · #10 06/05/2007, 07:46 PM

Thanks for the heads up but my old yellow tang didnt die in the tank i was upgrading to bigger tank and forgot to put a power head in the bucket with the fishes in it. I lost the tang because of no oxygen. o.O is petco really that bad?

mattyice · #11 06/05/2007, 08:10 PM

the one by where i live isnt, but others are i guess

happyface888 · #12 06/05/2007, 08:15 PM

when my dad was buying that fish the worker their thought he was going to put it in freshwater. And he asked how big the tank was and was it hard to take care of salt water.

bartzenegger · #13 06/06/2007, 11:13 AM

if its healthy at petco ... buy it !!! its a hardy fish!!!!

DamnPepShrimp · #14 06/06/2007, 11:57 AM

Haha, that is so true. If it can survive in a crappy lfs it will thrive in your tank! Matty, that is one nice deal, I woulda picked up a blonde naso for under 50 bucks! Sometimes they have hippo tangs and flame angels for $30, which isn't too bad of a deal. Most of the places around me though, they don't seem to know much. Do all your research on the internet and then go to the stores and use your own judgement and knowledge.

Juggler · #15 06/06/2007, 12:03 PM

Here in michigan we have the largest selection of saltwater fish in any petco anywhere. And the fish are pretty good too. prices are nice and some of the employees are knowlegable. they even have a pretty large passer angel i'm thinking of buying but it's 100 bucks and 6" not sure.

Osmotic Shock · #16 06/06/2007, 12:45 PM

6" passer for 100 bucks as a deal. If I were you and had space and compatable tank mates I'd get it. But then again I am partial to passers.

jcjstl · #17 06/06/2007, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by happyface888
Went hunting for a yellow tang and came across a nice bright yellow tang with large fins got him from petco. Anyone buy fish from Petco?

I have bought from the petco near me as the person in charge of the fish section is knowledgeable and cares about the fish well being... when I was buying some maroon clowns she asked me at least 20 different question about my tank how long it had been set up... I mean to me it was a little annoying as I knew what I was buying and had researched them first. But I appreciate the fact that she was asking because if she was doing it to me I would assume she does it to all.

DamnPepShrimp · #18 06/06/2007, 12:50 PM

Yeah, me too. I love king angels. I want to set up an aggressive tank and have a puffer, trigger, passer, grouper, eel and sohal in there, that'd be a badass tank!

Juggler · #19 06/06/2007, 10:32 PM

yeah i have a 180, but i hear they get viscious and i think im just gonna wait for a queen. no fish in it yet other than damsels.

mattyice · #20 06/07/2007, 06:20 AM

they had that same size passer angel by me for $76 lol i can get some good deals from this petco, plus they know me and give me the employee discount

happyface888 · #21 06/07/2007, 09:19 PM

whats this passer angel sounds nice mind putting up a pic.

Osmotic Shock · #22 06/08/2007, 11:19 AM

I don't have a pic but I'm sure a google search will find one. My passer angel is my favorite fish. They are full size angles, very hardy,very colorful, great personality, but have the reputation for being aggressive as they grow up. Mine is 6" now and in with a yellow tang, naso tang and snow flake eel.So far he is a good citizen but if there would be trouble in the future the passer would stay and the other fish would be out.

lindenfish88 · #23 06/08/2007, 11:54 AM

Heres a pic I found

Osmotic Shock · #24 06/08/2007, 01:36 PM

That's it! Wait 'til you see one in person!

DamnPepShrimp · #25 06/08/2007, 11:23 PM

They are much better in person, that picture doesn't do the fish justice. Very great angel, would love to get one, but he'd be a terror in my current tank. For $76 bucks though, I may be tempted to get him and another tank, haha.