Are yellow tangs hard to take care of? They are my favorite fish EVER but I have freshwater fish at the present. I would like to go into marine aquariums in the future but I want to master freshwater first. Thanks for your answers!
Yellow Tang
- Thread starter beautifulfish
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They arent too hard to care for, but make sure you have a bit enough tank. Tangs need a lot of space to swin becuase they are grazers, they like to swim alllll over and graze the algae and pick at rocks. A 55 gallon tank for a yellow tang is a good size. Most tangs are prone to diseases, or so ive heard. Be sure to do a lot of research before you set up a marine tank, from experience, they require a lot more care and money then a freshwater tank.
I've had a yellow tang for two years now and he's had ick twice. Jullius Sprung has whole seaweed leaves of all varieties, also I feed San Francisco Bay Brand Emerald Entree soaked in selcon, wich is stabilized Vitamin C, a must have in my opinion for all of your fish. Live rock is what they graze on in the wild, and you can't beat that.
Actually, a Yellow Tang would need at least a 90gal (preferably 125gal. or bigger)...not a 55gal.
i have seen several yellow tangs housed in 55 gallon tanks that do suprisingly well. i think one yellow tang in a 55 is ok, assuming that it is the main focus of your tank, and you dont overcrowd with an additional dozen smaller fish.
BF, I would consider Yellow Tangs to be in the "medium" category of difficulty. They are hardy as long as water quality is good, but will NOT tolerate poor husbandry; often the first to show stress and die due to low PH, dissolved organics, poor filtration, etc. They could be considered a canary fish, or system indicator of overall aquarium health. YT's are removed from the Big Island at a rate of about 250,000 or more per year, causing some debate about sustainability. I have always thought they should command a higher price, considering their beauty, but they can still be had for about 15.00-20.00 each.
These fish should be reserved for systems 6 months old or more, which usually warrants some green micro algae for continuous grazing. Algae can also be farmed on rocks placed in grow-out jars located in a sunny window sill with an airstone, then rotated into the display as needed. These living greens can be supplemented with Nori and other processed algae products; YT's are not picky eaters but greens must be part of the diet for optimum health and vigor.
These fish should be reserved for systems 6 months old or more, which usually warrants some green micro algae for continuous grazing. Algae can also be farmed on rocks placed in grow-out jars located in a sunny window sill with an airstone, then rotated into the display as needed. These living greens can be supplemented with Nori and other processed algae products; YT's are not picky eaters but greens must be part of the diet for optimum health and vigor.
yellow tangs are good fish, but i would add it last so your other fish have time to settle in. my friend has one and it stressed out his other fish, which died