what is the smallest tank for a tang?

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moonstream

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Nov 5, 2007
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Jayne
I was wondering what the smallest size tank would be for a tang, and out of these species what would be the best one?

Purple tang
Yellow tang
Hippo tang
Convict tang

I am thinking about doing either a 40g br (36 by 18 by 16) or a 75 (48 by 18 by ~20)

the 40br is the more likely at the moment.

also, the display will have TONS of open swimming space and lots of room to move around.
 

clown-lover

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May 26, 2007
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Minimum size for Yellow tang would be a 75 but I honestly after having one would suggest even larger because mine liked to swim.. A lot.. Hippos even more so and I wouldn't put them in anything less than an 8 ft long tank personally. Sailfins the same as the hippos as they get large like the hippos. Convicts and Purples I am not sure about.
 

Ace25

www.centralcoastreefclub. com
Oct 3, 2005
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Yellow/Purple are about the same. Very minimum is 75, but they will NOT be happy in it once they grow. I recommend at least a 120 or bigger for those 2.

Hippo Tang, personally, I say 150 is minimum, 225+ more ideal.

Convict Tang also called a Convict Surgeonfish. They are similar to the Yellow/Purple.. 75 minumum.. 120+ more ideal.

With tangs.. you can never have a big enough tank.. they swim hard and fast and require A LOT of room. Personally, unless I get a 400+G tank later in life, I will not try any more tangs. I have tried a baby yellow myself, went back in a month because it grew insanely fast and I could see it was not happy and needed a lot more room. My neighbor has tried both a yellow and purple in his 75G and neither made it to their 2nd anniversary.
 

wantvws

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Jul 15, 2007
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Waynesboro, VA
I can vouch for the Hippo tang needing a ton of room....mine uses every bit of the 7' long tank. He came from a guy at my LFS...it outgrew his 75 pretty quickly. He knew it would have to go somewhere when he got it as a juvenile.
Robbie
 

Marcus Fenix

bicolor anglefish-one of my favs
Jul 21, 2007
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just to add a different opinion on Tangs needing lots of space. on reefvideos.com, Carl's tank is a 150g, but in length it's only 48 inches and look how all the Tangs seem happy.

they don't have 5 or 6 feet of swimming length, but it doesn't seem to bother them. there's not an incredible amont of swimming space...but still, those Tangs look to be happy nonetheless.

just my 2¢
 

moonstream

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Nov 5, 2007
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Jayne
I have gotton a 75g and plan to get the smallest possible tang I can find (species adult size, not speciman size).

I will most likely end up with a yellow tang, because it is my mom's fave and the parents are funding this hobby, so I promised they could each pick a fish.
 
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