yellow tangs need at least a 75 gal?

[fratern]

I have recently read many forums and several times i have seen mentioned that a yellow tang needs a 75 gal or probably more. I have kept a y tang in my aquarium for almost a year. It has been very healthy happy and have had no problems. I bought the tang at a size of about 3 1/2 inches and is still almost the same size. I highly doubt that the tang is going to reach some gigantic size. At the rate hes going maybe hell reach 6 inches in 5 or more years. I have not underfed this fish. He is not malnourished. I would show a picture if possible but the tang is not very photogenic. Also I am curious why people think it is necessary to put almost every latest piece of hardware in their marine aquariums, making it sound like the only very well off may appreciate the beauty of this hobby. I have been running my 55 gal for about a year running with only 2 strong power heads a sub gravel filter and a heater. I have it stocked with a yellow tang, yellow-tailed damsel, a yellow headed jaw fish, and two common clowns. They are all very healthy and have shown me there full colors and beauty. Please somebody respond I am very confused. According to all of you it sounds like I should have failed miserably.

 

[Oliver]

well it sounds like you are the anomaly. If you have live rock then it is essential for a skimmer, but even if you don't it is good to have one. Without a skimmer water changes become frequent and large, with one a skimmer takes out all the bad stuff and water changes become less frequent and smaller. The fish may seem healthy but they can be sick on the inside, not saying that your fish are but there is always a chance. What will happen with your tang is that it will become stunted, which means it will grow on the inside but the body will not change. This is very dangerous and they often die, if not get ginourmous eyes or get wide but not long.

 

[fratern]

I have thought about a protein skimmer a lot and I will probably get one to be safe. I was thinking of the seaclone for 100 gal aquariums. If my tang does start to appear to be suffering in any way I will give him to somebody with a larger aquarium because I dont want to see it die. Do you know from personal experience that tangs internal anatomy continue to grow and than it eventually dies or did you get your info from some book?

 

[FloridaBoy]

Fratern,
IME, as long as you don't overcrowd, overfeed your fish they will do fine in a simple undergravel set up like yours. Oliver is correct in that a skimmer is a good idea, but for a basic marine fish set up you don't need one and you don't need a lot of expensive equipment either. For all of its old school drawbacks, simple undergravel filtration still works. I have known aquarists with every kind of high priced gadget you can imagine who couldn't keep a yellow tang alive for a year. I know of others who have 200 lbs of live rock and 1,000.00 in lighting, kalk dosers, turbo skimmers, wave makers, etc. and they don't know how to cure the marine ich on their fish without killing their inverts. They got ich because with all their fancy equipment they didn't see the need for a 10 gallon quarantine tank. My point is; complexity does not guarantee success. As a teenager I kept yellow tangs and other species for years in simple systems no more complex than yours. The keys to success are not gadgets; they are patience, knowledge, research, balance. If you go adding sponges, clams and live corals, sure you'll have big trouble. If you overfeed and overcrowd, your water quality will suffer quickly. And, if you're not careful your substrate will eventually clog with so much detritus, you'll have to deal with it... even replacing part of the gravel from time to time. But that said, you cannot argue with success; so keep your system lightly populated and enjoy more of it. Always quarantine new arrivals for 3-4 weeks. Adding a few select pieces of live rock from time to time will help your system; another great idea is the sump refugium and live/deep sand beds (DSB's) with live rock and lighted macro algae... adding a 40 gallon sump onto your existing tank would bring your total gallons over 75 and the long term benefits would be great for your fish.