what is the smallest tank for a tang?

moonstream

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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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
 
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¢
 
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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