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View Full Version : Tang - Yellow Zebrasoma flavescens


Chin_Lee
09-26-2007, 11:14 PM
Please provide your experience in this poll:

Use the top 9 poll questions if your fish has passed away.
Use the bottom 7 poll questions if you currently own this fish.
Multiple polls are allowed.
Select the best answer to the best of your knowledge.
Adding comments or elaborating on the cause of death in a post is encouraged.The options are as follows:

died within 0-3 months
died within 4-6 months
died within 7-9 months
died within 10-12 months
died within 13-18 months
died within 19-24 months
died within 2-3 years
died within 3-4 years
died after 5 years +
currently alive 0-6 months
currently alive 7-12 months
currently alive over 1 year
currently alive over 2 years
currently alive over 3 years
currently alive over 4 years
currently alive 5 years +

BMW Rider
12-04-2007, 09:31 PM
My yellow tang is now nine years old. It's my very first saltwater fish.

Tom R
12-11-2007, 03:32 AM
The Yellow Tang is a very nice fish to have in your tank. My Yellow Tang is 7 or 8 years old. Their vibrant yellow colour is a stunning addition to your tank. These fish are always moving through the reef and bring a active roll to your reef presentation.

Tom R

EmilyB
12-11-2007, 04:08 AM
Mine was 8 years old when I sold it, I hope Spiffy is alive and well.

Chowder
12-11-2007, 04:11 AM
Had a young one for 7 or 9 months but died unexpectingly . Was eating and swimming normal, the next time I looked at the tank he was floating by.

niloc16
12-11-2007, 04:17 AM
how aggressive are they compared to other tangs. i have always been so hesitant to add one because i have always heard they are bastards

Aquattro
12-11-2007, 09:50 AM
Mine was almost 9 when she died. Probably my all time favorite fish.

michika
12-11-2007, 03:54 PM
One of my most favorite fish, great personality. Died when someone added something to my 90g holding tank.

fishoholic
02-09-2008, 05:02 AM
how aggressive are they compared to other tangs. i have always been so hesitant to add one because i have always heard they are bastards

My yellow is the most aggressive tang out of our 6 tangs, however he mostly leaves my sailfin (8") alone. My sailfin is the boss of him.

Snappy
02-09-2008, 05:11 AM
healthy & happy and going strong about 3.5 years in.

Sebae again
02-09-2008, 05:18 AM
Had one for a few years.Best fish I ever had. Believe it or not he would break up fights /arguments between other fish.He was the ref of the reef. IME with tangs and angels, I look for fish that look healthy but have had some one chomp on their tail or fin ie. select the abused not the abuser.So far,nock on wood, I haven't been wrong with tangs or angels.

Palster
02-09-2008, 06:16 AM
This has to be one of my all time favorite fish due to their hardiness and good looks. I was skeptical about getting one originally because they are so common but with all of the rookie mistakes that I have made since I got into the hobby I was unable to kill this fish, even through Ich outbreaks and poor water quality issues (all from my own doing). The only 2 fish that are with me from my original Salt Water tank are my Yellow Tang and Falco Hawk Fish.

SeaHorse_Fanatic
02-09-2008, 10:00 AM
One of my yellow tangs is also one of my oldest sw fish.

mike31154
11-08-2008, 10:59 PM
My Yellow is a cool dude. Wouldn't say he's aggressive at all but he will defend himself. I've also noticed him kind of being a ref at times, swimming into the midst of scuffles between other fish and defusing the situation. I got this guy along with a Singapore Angel when I bought a 60 gal system being sold locally. Introduced both into my 75 and since they were bigger than any one else, no one bothered them in the least. They're kind of buddies since they were tank mates in the 60, but I do see them tail wagging at each other from time to time, he he, the Singapore thinks he's a Tang. Nothing serious though and everyone gets along. I've had them for over a year now and suspect the previous owner probably had them at least that long.

trilinearmipmap
11-09-2008, 12:06 AM
I forget how long I've had my reef, this is the 2nd fish addition to my reef after my Ocellaris clowns, I've had him either 4 or 5 years. Through ups and downs he has been fine. Survived a heater failure that sent the tank into the 60's. He doesn't bother any other fish. I would recommend this as a first Tang for anyone, particularly those with tanks of borderline large enough size for a Tang. I appreciate that this fish is always front and centre in the tank compared to other fish which frequently hide.

untamed
01-09-2009, 10:18 PM
Mine is currently 1yr, 8 months in the tank. Seems to be doing just fine. No problems whatsoever.
Update: Almost 2.5 years now. No issues at all.
Update - May, 2010: 3 years. No issues at all.
Update - April, 2011: 4 years. No issues at all.

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Fish%20pictures/ef2490b9.jpg

fdiddy
01-09-2009, 10:38 PM
1.4 years in my tank. +1 on the ref thing. weird how they do that.

chevyjaxon
01-10-2009, 01:22 PM
my yellow tang has been with me a year now and has been a bastard since day 1 I love his bad attitude around the reef and dont even think about turning the lights on any where in the house around the tank in the night or else he comes out of the reef looking real grouchy and pale

RuGlu6
08-08-2010, 03:30 AM
I know a guy who has a yellow tang that is 17 ! years old

nlreefguy
08-08-2010, 10:56 AM
Had one for a few years.Best fish I ever had. Believe it or not he would break up fights /arguments between other fish.He was the ref of the reef. IME with tangs and angels, I look for fish that look healthy but have had some one chomp on their tail or fin ie. select the abused not the abuser.So far,nock on wood, I haven't been wrong with tangs or angels.

My experience exactly, my first yellow tang would insert himself between an aggressive fish and his chosen target and cover the poor fish with his body, risking becoming the abused himself. Great fish, very hardy and adaptable. Always eats well and quickly, adjusts to tank life immediately. My favorite fish of all time for his activity and vibrant color.

fsjman
08-08-2010, 01:22 PM
Have two in a 150 and one in a 90 they are all doing fine found that a brown tang was the bully but It died at about 6 monthes

banditpowdercoat
08-08-2010, 02:04 PM
I've had mine for over a year, and the prev owner I think he had her for about a year too. She can be an agressive lil snot tho. I havn't been able to introduce new baby fish to tank as her and my Hippo seem to pester them to death :(

untamed
05-03-2012, 03:33 AM
May, 2012: 5 years in the tank now.

Otardifus
07-14-2012, 02:21 PM
Yellow tangs are an excellent addition to almost any tank.
They are nice to look at, they are always out swiming around and the best thing is they will eat hair algae and caulerpa.

paddyob
07-14-2012, 06:40 PM
I have personally owned my yellow for almost two years...In a 70 gallon display. No other larger fish.

However it is 5 yrs of age or more. Before I had this fish, Codfather owned her. Before Codfather, my good buddy Jason (Bignose) owned her.

I estimate her age at around 5 years, minimum.

mike31154
07-15-2012, 05:27 AM
So yeah, mine's got to be about 5 years old or more now. Doing fine, although he is missing some finnage from a weird disease he had quite a while ago. Never determined what the ailment was, but he had some brownish lines & spots & lost a good portion of his top fin & one lower fin is only a short stub. None of my other fish were afflicted. The brown lines appeared on his body & also seemed to be in the bones of the fins that deteriorated. He never slowed down or acted ill/lethargic thru the whole thing, kept eating well. Strange. Wounded warrior. I keep hoping the top fin will regenerate, but if it does, looks like it will take a looong time. Adds character I guess, can't mistake him for another.

untamed
05-08-2014, 03:00 PM
Update May, 2014. Mine is still dong fine at 7 years now.

mike31154
05-08-2014, 03:22 PM
Update on mine as well, regretfully not positive. Mine finally expired last month. To the best of my knowledge over 7 years old. No idea what happened, simply didn't see him come out at feeding one day, thought nothing of it, then saw him lying at the bottom, end of tank.

Added a new one last week. Doing well after some initial tussles with existing inhabitants. The pecking order seems to have sorted itself out fairly quickly without much in the way of damage or injury.

Aysha
08-02-2014, 05:03 AM
Mine is beautiful and about 6 years old
He was purchased at a LFS and returned to the owner 5 years later as a(very) large adult. I saw him and fell in love with "Spartacus" instantly.
My favorite fish!https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/t1.0-9/10152466_10151938885171736_1679437110_n.jpg

Doug
08-02-2014, 05:06 PM
Beautiful.

Snappy
08-04-2014, 01:27 AM
Since this thread/poll has been resurected I thought I'd post an update. It will be 10 years next month (in Sept) that I have had mine - still fat & healthy. :biggrin:

mike31154
08-04-2014, 04:14 PM
I think it's great when a thread like this comes back from the deep black hole of the forum. Useful info on life expectancy of the fishes.

untamed
05-06-2016, 03:59 AM
My yellow tang is now 9 years in the tank.

BMW Rider
07-01-2017, 09:04 PM
My yellow tang is now nine years old. It's my very first saltwater fish.

Nearly twenty and still going.

untamed
10-16-2017, 12:44 AM
Nearly twenty and still going.

20! That is awesome. Mine is 10.5 years now.

ReefMadness
10-16-2017, 12:46 PM
Nearly twenty and still going.
how big does an elderly, tank raised yellow tang end up being?

Frogger
10-19-2017, 10:22 PM
Generally the size of the fish is related to the size of the tank. My yellow tang was over 20 years old when it died 4 months ago. Who knows how old she was when I got her in 1997. Most of her fins were gone from the battles she lost many years ago. A 20 year old yellow tang is about the size of any adult yellow tang no bigger and only smaller if housed in a small tank.

I have a male clown fish that I have had for at least 21 years and he is still tiny because the female (over twice the size) is 22. They are both still doing well. It has been about a year since they laid their last batch of eggs.

how big does an elderly, tank raised yellow tang end up being?

untamed
04-22-2018, 08:56 PM
Mine has now turned 11 years old.