Question about tangs in fish only tanks

[Anonymous]

I have a question regarding this comment I saw in another thread.

In general, tangs don't do well in fish only tanks, because they tend to get lateral line disease, and are more susceptible to parasites in fish only tanks.

This is the first that I have heard this comment. I have a Hippo Tang and a Purple Tang in my tank right now. Having a 6 foot long 125gallon tank with 100 lbs. of live rock, I felt I was fulfilling their space requirements, but this makes me concerned with the environmental factors.

Can anyone elaborate on the background about this?

 

[John Eccles]

I have had an fo running for 10 months. This is my first shot at salts and I have had 3 tangs in this tank. 2 are still alive (the pb died of my own stupidity) I have 4 damsels, a maroon clown, a yellow tang, a naso tang and a pearl scaled butterfly fish. The yellow tang has been in there from day 1 and I have never had a problem with him, the naso has been around about 6 months. The only suggestion i would have is watch your water changes...don't do to much (killed th pb doing this)....don't do to little and keep tabs on your toxins

 

[Mac1]

Ditto what john said.. There's no good reason why a Tang can't be as healthy in a FO tank as in a reef... it all depends on how you care for your FO Tanks. Perhaps this observation has become common, as people typically take better care of, and feed better, when caring for a reef tank, than just a FO. It's been my experience, that aquarists will start in the SW hobby w/ a FO, and get bitten by the reef bug one trip to the LFS...

- Mac

 

[Anonymous]

Maybe we're making a distinction between FO and FOWLR?

 

[Gatortailale1]

IMO

if you provide a tang(s) with nori sheets / seaweed selects on a veggie clip and let them graze all day, they will not get lateral line disease or erosion. I give my tangs sheet of seaweed selects daily and have never had problem with head & LL erosion. Tangs will chow down on the frozen brine, but need the veggies.

Does the comment go to the fact that most FO tanks don't have a lot of coraline algae growing? or at least maybe not as much as a reef. Maybe wrong but thinking more light = more growth of algae foods.

 

[Anonymous]

I think that statement is misleading. My 3 year old Kole tang is doing just fine in a 125g f/o tank. I do feed it a variety of foods each week, including Nori everyday. I think HLLE has more to do with diet than with any other factors.

 

[AZDesertRat]

I also have a hippo and a purple tang in my 90G FO tank. My hippo was purchased in 1990 and the purple is a little over 4 years old. I am not the most diligent when it comes to water changes but I am a stickler when it comes to variety in what I feed. I feed seaweed selects, fresh romaine lettuce, formula two, good quality flake and spirula flakes, bloodworms, mysis shrimp, brine....... I really try to vary their diet and it seems to have worked. I also have plenty of decorative coral for them to hide in and to swim in and around.

 

[naesco]

Supercow AF was wrong. There is no reason that a tang cannot be kept in a fish only FO tank.
Perhaps he was saying that the very difficult tangs like a powder blue have a better chance in a reef tank than a FO.

 

[John Eccles]

I personally don't have green algae in my tank.....I feed my fish once a day, frozen brine shrimp and emerald entree is the brand name.....It is a omnivour diet food (tangs also eat zooplankton as they age). It works very very well

 

[esmithiii]

A big benefit to using a reef tank is the rock allow places to hide. My tangs are constantly swimming in and out of the rocks all day long.

I don't think that rock is absolutely necessary for their health, though.

Ernie

 

[John Eccles]

One other thing that can help is keeping your SG low. I keep mine a 1.19 because it is more difficult for parasites to grow. Do this in a FO only otherwise corals will suffer

 

[Anonymous]

One other thing that can help is keeping your SG low. I keep mine a 1.19 because it is more difficult for parasites to grow. Do this in a FO only otherwise corals will suffer

The fish suffer too, not advisable.

HLLE is mostly diet related. In a FOWLR there will likely be more food sources, however if fed properly their is no reason a surgeon should get HLLE in a FO. THe FOWLR will be better long term as it's more natural however and thus the animal's life span will be greatly increased.

 

[King Jason]

King Jason's remedy for most tang problems and to keep them happy:

1. Feed them.
2. Keep food in there as much as you can (seaweed selects work great on a clip)
3. Feed them
4. Give them some meaty food, Frozen brine or crab.
5. Feed them
6. Every now and then try go get some live Brine or mysis shrimp
7. Feed them
8, 9 and 10. Feed them

The life of this fish is to eat....I've had a purple and Sohal tang for 3 years now, and they are alive because they are fat.

 

[Mac1]

I would like to second the King's statements

There are three people up here I know of (myself included), who have kept Tangs longterms, and are healthy. My Sailfin Tang, I've had almost 6 years now, got it as a baby.. Fat and healthy, and I feed the crap out of it. By far the biggest consumer in my tank (and I have two anemone's). One reefing friend has had his for 6-7 years, and it's even fatter than mine. A third friend, has had his... I think going on 8 years now, and his puts both of our's to shame. It literally is so fat you can see it's side's bulging out. It genuinely looks obese and unhealthy... yet it's 8 years old (and he obviously feeds the crap out of it). I've even observed changes in my tang's demeanor based on how much/often I feed it. I have to re-load the clip the night before I want to feed the inverts, or else he's just a prick and won't let my hands in the tank w/o trying to whack them. I'm lucky, in that I have a refugium full of food for this guy. Were I to have to use prepared seaweeds, I think I would probably have a nutrient export problem... but since I'm just recycling them between the tank and refugium, it's not a problem for me.

- Mac

 

[esmithiii]

Mac- How big is your sailfin tang? I am curious as to growth rates since I have a juvenile in my 180.

Ernie

 

[Mac1]

Mac- How big is your sailfin tang? I am curious as to growth rates since I have a juvenile in my 180.

Ernie

His body (w/ fins out) is almost the same shape and size as my hand. If you make my wrist the nose, spread my fingers out in a fan, thumb poiting upwards, that's about the top of his fin's, and the tip of my middle finger lands right around the caudal spine.
That measures about 7.5 inches. I've seen them much larger than that however. Double that size, easy. There's a restaurant in Buffalo, NY, that has a couple large SW display tanks (was just there this past weekend), and they have a Sailfin that's easily a foot long (and just as tall). I've had this one for... be 6 years in the spring. Was a tiiiiiiny thing when I got him, wish I had a scanner - the picture is on film. Couldn't have been more than a year old, top's. It's a pacific Sailfin Tang (not Red Sea, which I hear stay a tad smaller). When I had him in the 55 gal., he rapidly grew to fill that tank. When I upgraded to my 90 gal, he shot again. I'm in the process of planning a 180-200, and am expecting a large growth spurt when he makes it to the new home too. The tank I saw at the restaurant was probably a 400-500, maybe more. It held a shark, trigger, puffer, and this giant Sailfin. Only about 8-feet long, but pretty tall, and easily 2+ feet front to back.

- Mac