Suitable tangs for 4ft tank

[Oxymoron]

Hi there, I have a 90 gal with 30 gal sump, approx 150 lbs of live rock (about 10 in the sump and 140 in display)and aprox 120 lbs live sand. Tank dimensions are 48"w 18"d 24"t.

I have plans to upgrade to a much larger system in approx 2 years.

Through my research it seems that some people have the opinion that no tang should be kept in a 4 ft tank.
On the other hand several reputable business's (mind you they are in the fish selling business) suggest a lower amount of gallons to care for these fish.

I am hoping to be able to keep 2 tangs in this tank and start them out at around 2.5" and eventually transfer them to the new tank when the basement is completed.

I was wondering about this forum's opinon on the matter.
Is it possible to keep 2 small tangs in this tank?
Which tangs would you recommend due to the size constraints?
Does anyone else have a similar build with 1 or more tangs in it?

Thanks all for the opinons they are always appreciated.

[BMW Rider]

My tank is a little larger at 48"w x 24"d x 32"h. Its 135 gallons and I have two tangs, a Yellow and a Kole in it. Both are doing fine and have been for some time. The Yellow is about nine years old, the Kole is about two.

[atcguy]

have 3 yellow and a powder blue in my 120G 4x2x2 they have been doing well for 3 plus years.. healthy!!!

[Aquattro]

I have a yellow and a red sea sailfin in my 90, they're doing great. I have only 65-70 pounds of rock, so they have a fair amount of room to swim. Sure 6ft is better, but so is 8, or 10, etc.
Uncrowded 4ft, IMO, is fine for many species of tangs.

(ya, I know, Wayne is gonna yell at me :))

[JDigital]

I'll probably have a Powder Brown, and Kole in my tank..

[Aquattro]

I'll probably have a Powder Brown..

I'm told these are tough to keep, although I had one that lasted 3 years and probably would have been around longer if I'd been paying more attention to my tank. I believe it was the A. nigricans, not the A. japonicus

[kellehar]

We have a purple tang, a yellow tang and a naso tang also. They are doing fine, eat alot but get along great. We have a 90 gallon, withonly about 40 pounds of liverock in, so alot of swimming space.

[Oxymoron]

This is great to hear. Perhaps I can get away with 2 small tangs after all.
Any opinions on how much liverock would be "too much" for my tank and 2 tangs?

[Oxymoron]

Im assuming an achilles tang would be unsuitable?

[Aquattro]

Im assuming an achilles tang would be unsuitable?

Ya, I wouldn't recommend one of those, and I'm pro 4ft tang tank :)

[Oxymoron]

Ok you bet.
Im a bit surprised that no one has responded with a resounding "no, do not keep tangs in a 4 ft tank".

[Ryan_Lap]

Ok you bet.
Im a bit surprised that no one has responded with a resounding "no, do not keep tangs in a 4 ft tank".

You can go to RC for that answer if you like...:lol:

[Oxymoron]

LoL.
Yeah that did seem to be the general tone over there

[Oxymoron]

The Yellow is about nine years old, the Kole is about two

Wow 9 years old!!!
Congratulations, that is quite a accomplishment.

[Aquattro]

My Yellow was 9 also whe she passed away. Again, with more care and less moves, I think she had a few more in her.

[Oxymoron]

How big was it fully grown?

[Aquattro]

My tangs never grew beyond the size I bought them. Nothing noticeable anyway. My YT was typical pet store size, maybe 4" nose to tail?
I feed daily, broccoli, kale, nori and a variety of meaty bits, but never had a tang grow.

[rstar]

I keep a YT and a Powder Brown in my 90, both are doing very well, very happy, ive had the yellow for about a year and a half and the PB for about 2 months now!

[skylord]

I would suggest getting the book "Marine Fishes" by Scott W. Michael. Good info on 500+ fish. Worth the $25. This book mentions 4 or 5 tangs that might work in your tank.

Scott

[Leah]

When I started I didn't know about the 4 ft rule but I have 2 tangs in my 72 bow. Not
sure of the exact measure. I first had a yellow tang and It grew large and mean. Sold
him and got a smaller yellow tang. I also have a hippo who is growing by the minute. If
I could get the yellow out I would. I did have a book that tells you how many gallons are
needed that was what I went with. I also have a 95 gal with 3 tangs in it.

[Floop70]

Honestly now! I can't believe anyone would condone placing a tang in anything smaller than an 8 ft tank! It must feel like a prison for these poor fish!

:D Just kidding... I intend on keeping a tang or two in my 4ft 90 gallon when it gets setup in the new house. :D

[Doug]

How about we just leave RC out of the discussion.
Thanks

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

I'm told these are tough to keep, although I had one that lasted 3 years and probably would have been around longer if I'd been paying more attention to my tank. I believe it was the A. nigricans, not the A. japonicus

I have an A. japonicus, & it's the beautiful boss of my 120g.

[superduperwesman]

I have 3 tangs in my 10 gallon

[dabandit]

I keep a blonde naso in a 75g for about a year now he has grown from3'' to about 6'' and is extremelly happy swimming against my koralias. I've heard of people having problems with them growing,I've allowed some macros to grow in my display so he can graze when he feels the need and I give him a meatier diet than most do. Tangs are one of my favorite fish,everyone I've ever had ate from my hand allmost immediatelly,when you look into the tank they swim right infront of you to be admired lol Carefull with that powder brown you look at them wrong and they get sick not to mention the powder blue and brown I tried just hid under the rocks all the time.

[Ryan_Lap]

I have a powder brown that has never given me a problem. Hes my favorite fish as he is always swimming around and very active. He is in a 90g and I plan on possibly adding another tang in the future.

[rstar]

I also have PB that doesnt give me any problem, he is a very active swimmer, though he does enjoy chasing my Lemarcks Angel. The PB is definatly one of my favourite fish to watch! He is usually the first to rise in the morning even before the lights go on, and one of the last to go to sleep at night, definatly has a personality of his own!

[Underwater]

Well, in light of the "pro multi-tang" atmosphere, here's my list:

Naso Tang
Regal Tang
Sailfin Tang
2 Mimic Tangs
Clown Tang
Powder Brown
Antlantic Blue
Kole Tang

(And that's just the tangs) I keep these is a 150 gal-that's 4 ft long-but really deep. I have about 150 lbs. of live rock in the tank and another 80 in the sump. I have never had a problem with fighting, being territorial or eating. They are all kept fat, happy and sociable. I think that as long as you pay attention to the fish, they will let you know what is working and what isn't. People may have their "rules" about what can or can't be done, but every case, tank, situation is different-and not all rules apply.

I say go with your gut and let your fish tell you how to proceed.

[Ryan_Lap]

^^^^^^^^^^
Thats a nice list..

[superduperwesman]

well, in light of the "pro multi-tang" atmosphere, here's my list:

Naso tang
regal tang
sailfin tang
2 mimic tangs
clown tang
powder brown
antlantic blue
kole tang

(and that's just the tangs) i keep these is a 150 gal-that's 4 ft long-but really deep. I have about 150 lbs. Of live rock in the tank and another 80 in the sump. I have never had a problem with fighting, being territorial or eating. They are all kept fat, happy and sociable. I think that as long as you pay attention to the fish, they will let you know what is working and what isn't. People may have their "rules" about what can or can't be done, but every case, tank, situation is different-and not all rules apply.

I say go with your gut and let your fish tell you how to proceed.


dang!

[OCDP]

dang!

No doubt. Nice post.

[parkinsn]

Well, in light of the "pro multi-tang" atmosphere, here's my list:

Naso Tang
Regal Tang
Sailfin Tang
2 Mimic Tangs
Clown Tang
Powder Brown
Antlantic Blue
Kole Tang

(And that's just the tangs) I keep these is a 150 gal-that's 4 ft long-but really deep. I have about 150 lbs. of live rock in the tank and another 80 in the sump. I have never had a problem with fighting, being territorial or eating. They are all kept fat, happy and sociable. I think that as long as you pay attention to the fish, they will let you know what is working and what isn't. People may have their "rules" about what can or can't be done, but every case, tank, situation is different-and not all rules apply.

I say go with your gut and let your fish tell you how to proceed.

I have seen this tank and they are all happy healthy fish

P.S i have a purple tang and a blue tang in my 120g (4'x2'x2') and they are fine, however i wish i would have waited on the purple as i cant put any more tangs in or he will kill them (RIP kole tang)

[Underwater]

...for the compliments. It's a work in progress-like many tanks.

http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg87/MW6349/Tank%20Shots/Sept019.jpg

It's hard to see (and may not be in this picture) but I also have a seahorse and a snowflake eel in there. Like I said-make your own rules.
:wink:

[Lance]

Hey Michelle. Tank looks great!

[Trigger Man]

That really is a nice looking tank, makes me want to get more tangs.

[fishoholic]

Glad to know I'm not the only one to stuff my tank with fish :mrgreen: I have six tangs: Salfin, Naso, Sohal, Clown, Regal, and a yellow in my 230g. Once our other 230g is cycled we plan on moving over the angels and possibly adding a valmingi.

Smaller tangs (kole and yellow) are fine in 90g. Other tangs might be ok for a while but will need an upgrade later on.

[StirCrazy]

Im assuming an achilles tang would be unsuitable?

I had mine in a 3 foot tank for 3 years, did well till the tank crashed from a heater mishap.

but I will say they are a tank that is a little more on the difficult side to keep, and are very demanding of really good water. I wouldn't keep it in a small tank with another tang, Nor would I personally put two tangs in anything less than a 120. been there done that, I got rid of the second tang after 5 months.

Some people do but I think they are forced to get a long in a smaller tank and may cause undue stress.

the problem with a standard 90 is it is only 18" wide, my 94 was 36 x 25 x 24 so there is really a lot more maneuvering room with that extra 6" of width. for a standard 90 I would stick to 1 tang.

Steve