View Full Version : Yellow Tang??
VickyH
06-30-2007, 10:56 AM
I think I may have done something wrong, I went to LFS yesterday to get new heaters for other tank and possibly get new fish for marine tank. I took a sample of my water for them to test before I decided on what fish and while I was waiting the guy told me I could have a yellow tang in my tank, he said it would be fine for a couple of years at least so I bought one. Now I'm home I'm wondering wether my tank is ok or wether I got sucked in to buying a fish I shouldn't have. It is eating well and swimming around happily, none of the other fish seem that bothered by it at all - I was worried what clowns would do as they seem to think it's their tank only! So far tank - named bubbles - has eaten flake and mysis but is this enough? I have put nori in and it is just starting to pick at it now although none of the other fish eat it, I was thinking of trying to get some seaweed for human consumption - ??
I also bought a leather coral as the 2 clowns in the shop were hosting in one and I know I definately can't have an anemone so thought i'd give it a go! And I bought a porcelain crab - beautiful!
Grins
06-30-2007, 11:19 AM
Sorry, I think your tank is too small for the tang.
If you do keep it until you can upgrade or give it away you'll need to change the diet so that it getting primarily vegetation. Nori on a clip works great. Some people use the seafood salad sold at the LFS and some buy nori in an asian market. Ocean Formula II is good for it as well. You can supplement with meaty foods but the vegetation should be primary. Some will also feed terresterial greens but others believe best to stick with marine greens.
Another thing...you really ought to QT before putting in your main tank. Take that from someone that thought she was safe with a clown that put ich in the display and is now having to go fallow.
Bryce
06-30-2007, 11:28 AM
Tangs in general are very active swimmers. To be happy they need to be able to make “runs” of some length. Personally, I would never put a tang in any tank under six feet in length. Other people feel five is adequate. I won’t debate that, but would consider that the absolute minimum.
Even though it is small at this time and may not look out of place in your tank, the fact that it can’t make the long “runs” that is in its nature to do, could cause stress. We all know what happens when tangs get stressed right?
VickyH
06-30-2007, 12:35 PM
I do intend on upgrading to a bigger tank within the next 12 months, the guy in LFS said it would be ok for this long.
clown-lover
06-30-2007, 12:52 PM
Sorry to butt in here, but there is a tang that I have been questioning on buying at my LFS for my 70 gallon. From what I read you suggest a larger tank..
However while this tang has a nice yellow around his head, dorsal fin, the center part of his belly appears to be white. Is this normal?
The user who started this thread, the picture of that tang doesn't look like that. Is this one sick? Diseased?
I also wouldn't put a Tang is a 40G tank. What are the dimensions of the tank?
As grins mentioned, Tangs are herbivores and although some will eat anything you throw in the tank, they should primarily have a vegetative diet. Besides seaweed/nori, spirulina is good too.
If you truly are going to get a larger tank I hope the Tang will be moved into it. If you think you may not get that larger tank I would bring the Tang back. You can always get one at a later time.
His coloring looks good! How large is he?
Edit- what kind of clowns do you have? Yellow Tangs are known to be aggressive so I wouldn't worry about the clowns bullying him! :)
VickyH
06-30-2007, 1:38 PM
I have 2 common clowns, the tang is about 4" including tail. My lfs has always given me good honest advice before so I trusted them to be right. Now I'm not sure what to do.
VickyH
06-30-2007, 2:06 PM
Sorry, dimensions of tank are 4ft x 15" x 15".
SHK_ATK
06-30-2007, 2:50 PM
by my calculations thats a 47G tank = too small for ANY tang (well maybe if they are juvies) tangs are notorious for having ich and HLLE some more than others two that come to mind for ich and HLLE outbreaks are YELLOWS and regals I have my blue hippo in a 30G QT and I feel like he is getting more stressed out as he was taken out of a big tank into a tiny one there arnt any more ich cysts but I know ich can also be internal so I am keeping him there for the time being. Yellows are aggresive and will prob be more aggresive in a lil tank, yellows are suppost to have a 75G minimun But I would push for more bigger tank, im afraid that the LFS conned you into buying a fish that your system cant support.
As far as food goes try giving seaweed (red or green) Nori, you could also try peas, romaine lettuce, spinnach. Just make sure its blached. Or even trying oranges full of Vit. C.
BadRoma1
06-30-2007, 2:59 PM
i did the same thing as you and got a yellow tang and put it my 40 gallons because i was a newbie then and some idiot told me that 30 gallons was the minimum that i could keep my tang in, so 40 would be great. tangs are super dirty because they need greens and they don't pass on the meal when you feed your other fish. if the tang and clowns is all you have, you will be fine for a year, but you need to monitor the tang's overall look and make sure he eats. putting carbon in on the regular bases is a must from now on. before i moved my tang, i was strugeling with dropsy in my yellow tang and high nitrates for a good year. carbon kept dropsy from reocuring. it has been a while and my yellow tang had a very difficult jerney and survived all my mistakes, several dropsys, and several ick break outs. his beggining started directly from the ocean, then he was shiped to me, the shipper didn't beg him right and he arrived with only his nose in the water in the corner and his body was a little dry, i just through him in the tank because it was the only way out. i still have him. i love him very much because of his will to survive. by the way, clowns won't eat greens like tangs do. the color of the fish is very nice, actualy nicer than avarage.
SHK_ATK
06-30-2007, 3:08 PM
clowns WILL eat greens like tangs do as ALL clowns are omnivores, my clown picks at the seaweed right along with the tangs as well as eat peas and lettuce.
clowns WILL eat greens like tangs do as ALL clowns are omnivores, my clown picks at the seaweed right along with the tangs as well as eat peas and lettuce.
Hehe, so do mine. They eat the seaweed and anything else I throw in there, including greens.
Catpicklesdog
06-30-2007, 5:40 PM
clowns WILL eat greens like tangs do as ALL clowns are omnivores, my clown picks at the seaweed right along with the tangs as well as eat peas and lettuce.
My clown and my bangai cardinals are the only ones who WON'T eat my algae sheets:)
Back to the topic of your tang - I'm afraid I've got to agree with the others. My Tang is 3.5 inches in a 60 (US) gal and she's too big for it and has been really aggressive towards my other fish and feather dusters.
Sorry to butt in here, but there is a tang that I have been questioning on buying at my LFS for my 70 gallon. From what I read you suggest a larger tank..
However while this tang has a nice yellow around his head, dorsal fin, the center part of his belly appears to be white. Is this normal?
The user who started this thread, the picture of that tang doesn't look like that. Is this one sick? Diseased?
Sounds like you might have seen one with his fright stripe or night coloring showing. It happens when you first turn the lights on or they get stressed.
Reefscape
07-01-2007, 5:52 AM
Sounds like you might have seen one with his fright stripe or night coloring showing. It happens when you first turn the lights on or they get stressed.
or it could be the start of the tang getting HLLE...
VickyH
07-01-2007, 10:16 AM
My tang doesn't seem at all stressed and is swimming around and eating quite happily without bullying any other fish. I have been feeding more often though as I was only feeding once although I am feeding smaller amounts. I will go out tomorrow and get some more different foods to add variety and will hopefully will be making my own frozen food too. If I kept him/her in this tank temporarily until I get a bigger tank would it be ok?
clown-lover
07-01-2007, 10:42 AM
or it could be the start of the tang getting HLLE...
I am not sure if it is HLLE. He seems to eat during feeding time and swims around the tank quite readily (not in a stressed out manner).. He does seem quite shy however and hides behind anything he can.
I wish I could get a shot of him, but like I said he has a tendency to hide unless you are "not looking directly at him".. He really is quite comical.
I was just wondering because her had a beautiful yellow coloring, and he has this area that is not really yellow.. It is and it isn't. Its hard to explain.
Reefscape
07-01-2007, 10:50 AM
I am not sure if it is HLLE. He seems to eat during feeding time and swims around the tank quite readily (not in a stressed out manner).. He does seem quite shy however and hides behind anything he can.
I wish I could get a shot of him, but like I said he has a tendency to hide unless you are "not looking directly at him".. He really is quite comical.
I was just wondering because her had a beautiful yellow coloring, and he has this area that is not really yellow.. It is and it isn't. Its hard to explain.
A picture would certainly help on this matter..
Niko
BadRoma1
07-02-2007, 7:44 PM
V, just keep him for now just don't add anymore fish. clown-lover, just keep an eye on an overall condition and apetite of your tang and don't worry.
darkcirca
07-02-2007, 7:56 PM
Yellow tangs are nice fish, mine, also named Bubbles, died on Sunday. I had him in a 56 gallon tank and he grew from 1" to 4" in just 3 months. We upgraded to a 90 gallon to make him happier, and to have a nicer looking tank. He loved it, but we don't know why he died (was fine, then just died randomly). Just plan on upgrading, and start saving up for it soon. I decided not to wait any longer, wish I could have had a 125 or 150 for a 6ft length but I have no where to put it.