sailfin tang?

[fiorano]

i have a 125 gallon tank and i currently have a regal tang but wanted to add another tang. I like sailfin tangs but apparently they get massive and was wondering if he would get to big for my tank and if he would fight with the regal. If he won't be able to stay in my tank which tangs would fit that wouldn't harass my regal?

[Trigger Man]

When adding a new fish there is always a chance for harassment. When adding a tang to a tank that already has one that is established there is a slight increase to the chances. I had both of those fish in my tank a while back when I was doing a fowlr tank with no problems. My Regal was 5 inches long and was the in the tank for a bit before I added a 4.5 inch Desjardinii tang (related sail-fin) with no problems. It was actually my purple tang that had problems with the Desjardinii, but to solve that I added a mirror for a bit and moved around rockwork. The tangs all lived together with no issues till I decided to change up the tank and found them new homes. I have seen many tanks with both of these fish in them with no problems, if you are worried about the fish out growing the tank then maybe buy it in a smaller size, I always find the 3-4 inch size to adapt well to tank life and it will be a while before it outgrows your 125g, and then it just gives you a excuse to get a larger tank.

[fiorano]

thanks for the advice i think i might pick one up soon then :) actually i was looking at pictures of the desjardinii and i think i like the looks of him even more. are they harder to find then the normal sailfin?????

[MikeP]

I have both a Sailfin and a Regal in my tank. They get along just fine. I've had the sailfin for almost 2 years (he lived in a 55g for a bit while my 190g was being set up). And while the Sailfin has grown he hasn't grown very much. My Regal has grown a lot faster.

HTH

[Trigger Man]

thanks for the advice i think i might pick one up soon then :) actually i was looking at pictures of the desjardinii and i think i like the looks of him even more. are they harder to find then the normal sailfin?????

The Desjardinii is a beautiful fish, they are available in Calgary quite a bit, but expect to pay twice of what you would pay for a regular sailfin. In my opinion it is well worth the price difference, being that I like the coloring and shape of the Desjardinii better.

[fiorano]

thanks guys ill keep my eyes open for one of those then :) i've always been partial to tangs but didnt know if getting more than one was a good choice or not

[Myka]

I think Sailfin's should not be kept in tanks smaller than 180g. They just get too big.

[fiorano]

well if this is the case what is a really neat tang i can keep in a 125?

[naesco]

well if this is the case what is a really neat tang i can keep in a 125?
Thanks Myka for having the courage to post. I will send you a badge.
Thanks fiorano for asking before you buy.
The sailfish tang grows to 18 inches (picture a pie plate swimming in your tank and now double the size)
If your tank is a 6 footer, choose an acanthurus species. www.wetwebmedia.com lists the good and bad ones.
If your tank is shorter, choose a kole. They are beautiful fish with and endearing personality.

Some reefers with the best of intentions attempt to justify a tang purchase by saying that they will upgrade to a larger tank later. But, plans change; financial, family or a move.
We can't make those plans but we can look forward to getting that tang when we we do have the size of tank necessary to accomodate their needs.
As reefers, we owe it to the fish we keep to provide optimum conditions for them and nothing less.

[Myka]

Well said naesco!! Thanks for the badge. :lol:

[Aquattro]

I have a sailfin in my 90, but if I don't feed it, it won't grow big! Good plan, huh? No badge for me, I bet...

[muck]

I have a sailfin in my 90, but if I don't feed it, it won't grow big! Good plan, huh? No badge for me, I bet...
:lol:... grain of salt ...

[fishoholic]

I have a sailfin in my 90, but if I don't feed it, it won't grow big! Good plan, huh? No badge for me, I bet...

:rolleyes::razz: I think that when they are smaller it's fine, but plan to go to a bigger tank when they get bigger.

[fiorano]

well i checked out that website and the achilles tang was pretty cool looking as was the clown tang and the powder blue. but i heard clown tangs and powder blue tangs are super agressive and i dont really want a super agressive tang at all. and i've never actually seen an achilles before. so maybe ill just get a really small desjardini and upgrade the tank down the road. mhmmm i need to ponder lol

[Drock169]

Achilles tang is the most difficult tang to keep, check the lifespan polls, followed by the powder blue. They are both extremely prone to ich and picky eaters at the start, pretty much if you choose either one of these I highly recommend a QT, mostly to save all of your other fish until you get either of them extremely fat. Clowns are aggressive but also very nice looking, easier to take care of then the other two.

[OceanicCorals-Ian-]

I have a couple Desjardin's Sailfin Tangs (http://www.oceaniccorals.com/shop/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=53)in stock and are doing very well. I would suggest a larger tank for these guys but they would be ok right now until you upgrade.

Oceanic

[fiorano]

how large are they and how quickly do they grow? if i got one id want one thats super small hahaha

[OceanicCorals-Ian-]

how large are they and how quickly do they grow? if i got one id want one thats super small hahaha

The ones I have are about 3-4" with the larger one being slightly larger.

[Myka]

I have a couple Desjardin's Sailfin Tangs (http://www.oceaniccorals.com/shop/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=53)in stock and are doing very well. I would suggest a larger tank for these guys but they would be ok right now until you upgrade.

Oceanic

This is a horrible selling catch. Shame on you!!

[OceanicCorals-Ian-]

This is a horrible selling catch. Shame on you!!



Sorry!

[OceanicCorals-Ian-]

I had a small Tang in my 34G tank knowing that it was too small for it long term.... I knew that I was upgrading within the next 6 months. The Tang was happy and fat in the 34G and is now very happy and very healthy in my 150G. If someone were to say they wanted a Tang and had NO plans to upgrade then it would naturaly be a bad idea.

[2manytanks]

I think you'll do fine with a Desjardini, particularly since the Regal was there first and the sailfin will likely still be a baby. Mine has grown up now, and is definitely the boss, but he really doesn't pick on the other tangs. Occasionally he'll have a little tiff with the foxface, but the foxface knows how to defend himself just fine. (envision a tang swimming away puckering his lips after getting a taste of spiney fins)

[OceanicCorals-Ian-]

I think you'll do fine with a Desjardini, particularly since the Regal was there first and the sailfin will likely still be a baby. Mine has grown up now, and is definitely the boss, but he really doesn't pick on the other tangs. Occasionally he'll have a little tiff with the foxface, but the foxface knows how to defend himself just fine. (envision a tang swimming away puckering his lips after getting a taste of spiney fins)

:lol:

[AJ_77]

No badge for me, I bet...

must... stop... laughing...

[Aquattro]

must... stop... laughing...

shoosh! :)

[Myka]

95% of people who say they "are upgrading soon" either don't have the money for it, have pipe dreams, or end up upgrading much later than planned. Buying a fish with plans to upgrade is a horrible idea. Just wait!!!! It's not that difficult! Us First World people always want, want, want, and not later - NOW, NOW, NOW!!! Get the fish when the upgrade is DONE!

[Trigger Man]

95% of people who say they "are upgrading soon" either don't have the money for it, have pipe dreams, or end up upgrading much later than planned. Buying a fish with plans to upgrade is a horrible idea. Just wait!!!! It's not that difficult!

There is always plan B, sell it back to the LFS for half of what you paid for it, done it a bunch of times while trying to find out the perfect fish mix for my tank.

[fiorano]

plan b ... fair enough maybe try that or itd probably be easier to just ... not hahaha maybe its just a bad idea to buy one of these guys ... there so cool though