Tangs in a 4' tank

  • Get the NEW AquariaCentral iOS app --> http://itunes.apple.com/app/id1227181058 // Android version will be out soon!

scottdwh

Da Bears
Oct 10, 2002
174
0
0
Visit site
I know Tangs are supposed to be in a big tank. I just got a 125 but its only 4' long. Would I be able to keep 2 tangs in there or should I stick to just one?
Thanks, Scott
 

clown-lover

AC Members
May 26, 2007
2,448
0
36
Fargo, ND
Personally I would just keep one.. With Tangs its more of the length of the tank and being able to swim all over the place. They are very active fish and consider the whole tank their territory.
 

gomrjoe

AC Members
May 22, 2006
374
0
0
50
Miami, FL.
I would agree with Clown-lover.

I have a 100 gallon, 5 ft. tank and I have two tangs, a yellow and a hippo, and I struggled with deciding to keep them in a 5ft. They swim all over the place, and my hippo especially will dart from one end of the tank to the other as if she is in a race.

125 gallon is a nice size, but I have often read that it is the horizontal length that is most important when deciding to keep tangs.

If you are torn as to what type of Tang to take in, I would consider a yellow personally, they tend to be more graceful not quite as race horse type of swimmers compared to the hippo and powder blues, at least in my experience anyways.
 

buzzbombtom

AC Members
Oct 11, 2007
256
0
0
if people say a bigger tank is needed how come grins keeps one in a 55 gallon? that is not nearly as big as the ones mentioned
 

gomrjoe

AC Members
May 22, 2006
374
0
0
50
Miami, FL.
That is because Grins is the bomb, queen of the reefers, that and she has a Yellow Tang, probably the most graceful of the tangs in terms of swimming and gliding through the rock formations. The hippos, powders, etc. tend to be the ones that get out in the open water column and zip around.
 

fsn77

AC Moderators
Staff member
Feb 22, 2006
3,076
2
38
SC
if people say a bigger tank is needed how come grins keeps one in a 55 gallon? that is not nearly as big as the ones mentioned
Tank length is considered important for tangs. While the total volume of a 55g is smaller than the larger tanks, it's still a 4' long tank, much like 75g, 90g, and 120g tanks are.

FWIW, a friend of ours keeps a blue hippo tang and a yellow tang together in a 120g tank. The blue hippo is pretty small still (maybe 3"), but the yellow tang is probably 5 - 6" snout to tail. He hasn't had any problems, but that's not to say there won't be any as the blue hippo grows larger.
 
zoomed.com
hikariusa.com
aqaimports.com
Store