What tang should I get for a 46 BF?

[PeeJ]

This whole thing is assanine. You can put any fish in any tank that fits it.

That is honestly the most ignorant statement that I have ever read before in my life. I really hope that you think about what you just said.

 

[Anonymous]

This whole thing is assanine. You can put any fish in any tank that fits it. A silver doller size yellow tang is fine in even a 30, but when its 6-7" it needs a 75min (Per Scott Michael's 500 fishes book) . If you want one that stays small try a Kole Tang they top out max 7" so they'll prolly only hit 5 or so. It's all relative. I've seen 2" regals thriving in 30ga tanks but when its 4-5 inches it needs to be moved to a larger tank that's all. What should baby's be given a King size bed because it will eventually grow large enough to need it, no. They get a crib, then a twin when they are bigger, then a king when they are bigger and married. It's all reletive to the size currently as well as the fish keepr's understanding of the ultimate size, and commitment and responsibity to provide it with larger housing as it grows and needs it.

Okay now Flame Away!!!!

That's a fine POV as long as the person KNOWS they can and will be getting a larger tank in the future.

BTW, Scott Michaels book is great, but there are a lot of fish that he lists minimum tank sizes that are way too small....Mandarins are 20 gallon [I believe], for example.

 

[Anonymous]

This whole thing is assanine. You can put any fish in any tank that fits it.

That is honestly the most ignorant statement that I have ever read before in my life. I really hope that you think about what you just said.

I think it's fine. IMO, a 5 inch tang does not "fit" in a 46 gallon tank. :wink: :lol:

 

[PeeJ]

I think it's fine. IMO, a 5 inch tang does not "fit" in a 46 gallon tank.

Yea good point

 

[Anonymous]

Did NO ONE follow my freakin' links???? There do exist tangs that will top out, by the looks of it, fully 1/3 less the size of the usual suspects. Jeez.. ya spoonfeed and they still can't be arsed?

 

[Unarce]

SM,

Although I didn't agree with DOGMAI's method, the fact that no one else considered your links sort of inadvertently proved his point. They just continued to throw stones.

 

[Unarce]

Instead of letting it go, you all just put a big smile on his face.

 

[Quigonsean]

That is honestly the most ignorant statement that I have ever read before in my life. I really hope that you think about what you just said.

No thats the most ignorant statement. You can put any fish that fits any tank that is large enough for it at that time, you just need to move it as it grows. To say you can't put x fish in x tank cause in 6 years it will be 20" is just plain ignorant, just as ignorant as trying to put a 20" fish in a 20Long. But a 2" fish that tops at 20" can still go in anything 30 and above as long as the owner knows and commits to upgradung the tank as needed.

This whole argument is stupid anyway. It's a matter of opinion. Everyone loves Scott Michaels book, yet some dissagree on his tank sizing and he's "an expert" Exepting full grown fish, when speaking of any fish as a baby/juv at silver dollar size there is no hadr solid answer it is all opinion till you reach max size. Take Z.flaviscens Yellow Tang when he's 1.5" some will say 30 is okay till its bigger some will say no no it has to have a 125, who's right both, whos wrong both. Now when its 6-7" that is something differant all together. The biggest thing or most important is to know full size and commit to upgrading the tank size as the fish grows.

 

[Anonymous]

Some might argue that continually moving a fish is a little bit stressful for it. Most tangs do fairly well when moved but there are lots of other fish (some anthias, for instance), that are not going to react well when they have to be moved to a new tank when they grow a couple inches.

Also, the decision *when* to move the fish is ultimately made by the owner. A green light won't come on over the tank the day that the fish first feels uncomfortable. It's not exactly a matter of reaching in and grabbing the fish to move it to a new tank, either. It will require breaking down the entire tank and removing rock and coral to catch it in most cases, something which most reefkeepers are not too excited to do. I fear that most folks who plan on moving their fish to a larger tank will only do so when the fish is bumping the walls of the aquarium. When do you think a silver dollar sized tang should be moved out of a 30 gallon aquarium? When it's 1.5"? 2"? 3"? Is there a "X inches of tang per X gallons before it needs to be moved" equation? I certainly don't know the answer to this, and I hope no one out there is pretending to either. If it were my fish I would put it in an aquarium it could live its entire life in.

Matt

 

[PeeJ]

Well said M A Double Ts.

 

[Jeff CC]

Different fish (of the same species) will grow at different rates. To say that a small Tang, or any small fish, can not go into a tank of modest size (with the plan to upgrade when needed), makes no sense. If the 1.5" Tang grows at a relatively slow pace it may be able to thrive in the smaller tank for quite a while.

 

[PeeJ]

But theres the "plan to upgrade" part that worries me. I'm ganna buy a green moray for my 100 gallon cause next year I'll have the 2000 gallon downstairs.

 

[Anonymous]

SM,

Although I didn't agree with DOGMAI's method, the fact that no one else considered your links sort of inadvertently proved his point. They just continued to throw stones.

Well, along with making an effort to simply answer the original question, I was trying to find something that might better "fit the bill", so to speak. Plus, all the tangs listed would be quite unusual to have, and I thought it might factor higher up there on the coolness ratio. Where o where has our little DOGMAI gone, now? <shrug> C'mon! One of those tangs topped out at 14.6cm! That's.. what? Almost two inches smaller than the Z. flavescens? There was another one, but they only had a pen and ink illustration, and little was documented on it, except to say (scream, actually) that it's "Solitary and territorial".

 

[DOGMAI]

Oh im here don’t you worry about that. I did not work yesterday so when I came in this morning and saw that my post was still alive I was kind of shocked. I thought it was dead. You guys don’t get me wrong I love this site and have learned a lot from it. I was a little irritated at my response I was getting in another thread and just was “trying to prove a point”. I feel like a lot of the threads on here are just not getting the answers they want. I feel like if I ask the question “what is 2 + 2” the next 20 posts will be “blue”. As for wasting the “time” of those who feel I have wasted there time. Too bad. Apparently some of you found it interesting because the topic still exists. Besides it gave you something different to read.

As for putting a 5” yellow tang in a 46 gallon tank, I have done it. He has been in there for a while and as far as I can tell he is fat and happy. Don’t worry and don’t fret though because I bought him a 120 yesterday. What is funny about that is there are still some of you out there that will think a 120 is still too small. To each his own.

Thanks,
Shane

 

[PeeJ]

What dimensions is the 120? A 6 foot tank is plenty big IMO, like the 125 gallon.

 

[Anonymous]

Oh im here don?t you worry about that. I was a little irritated at my response I was getting in another thread and just was ?trying to prove a point?. I feel like a lot of the threads on here are just not getting the answers they want. I feel like if I ask the question ?what is 2 + 2? the next 20 posts will be ?blue?.

Thanks,
Shane

I believe that there is one key statement in there that lots of folks misunderstand (see italicized). If folks come here expecting a particular answer, or, as you put it "the answer they want", they're not likely to get it. This is good and bad. Popping into my head is the question regarding what ratio of bioballs/gallon. I felt that the answer(s) could have been more straightforward. Yours, however, is much more "fraught", and you knew that going into it.

 

[DOGMAI]

The dimensions on the tank are what will get me into trouble with the “tang police”. It is 48x24x24. I bought this tank over the 6’ 125 because I think it looks better to be deeper and taller than longer (when it comes to fish tanks).

Thanks,
Shane

 

[Anonymous]

Well.. I think it would be tres cool if you checked out some of those smaller tangs I linked to. They're not commonly offered, which is part of what would be so cool.

 

[Minh Nguyen]

Our fish can really growth if given optimal condition. Three months ago in mid November, it fot two tangs for my tank (450 g tank). These two fish are two tiny Purple and Yellow tangs. The body barely fit a quater. The lenght with the tail included is only about 1.5 inches. They are the smallest Tang I have ever seen.
Today, both are pushing 4 inches. The are always full and alwasy have plenty of Nori to eat. The Purple tang have lateral line errosion but this resolve within three weeks or so in my tank.
Recently, I added a 4 inches powder Brown tang and a two inches Powder Blue tang into my tang. All four are doing well. This will be it in term of tangs. I got a Copperband Butterfly, two Marine Betta (also tiny when added but grew very fast) and will add a Majestic angel into the tank. This will be all the large fish I will have in my tank.
Low stocking lever is really much healthier for fish. But to each his own
Minh

 

[teevee]

My favorite thing about these reefing boards is how everyone here holds a Ph.D in animal psychology (comparative psychology) - "I know my tang is fat and happy".