Tang Growth
 

So we always hear the rules about Tangs and tank size, because we know Tangs grow really big. Right?
So here's the thing. I've been doing this a long time, always keeping tangs, and not one of them has ever really grown bigger than the day I got it. Example, bought a 4 inch Yellow Tang. 8 years later, still 4 inches.

What's everyone else's experience with this? I did see a Naso that was about a foot long grown from a baby, but never my own tangs. And I feed a lot. Probably too much. I currently have 5 Tangs, none have grown at all.

Same here, my yellow tangs seem to stay the same size.
I have kole tangs and one was quite small but it's growth has been very minimal...hardly noticeable.
Years ago I purchased a Juvie shoulder tang and it grew no more than two inches, if that, as it matured and grew the shoulder stripe.

Growth
 

I would have agreed with you a few months ago, especially with the tangs we normally keep, the yellow, purple, hippo, etc. I have a black spot and a fowleri tang, these two I know have grown a lot in the last 6 months. To the point where they are starting to be quite impressive, I'm starting to hope they slow down.

Most of the "smallish" tangs grow fairly slow. The bigger ones I've seen many grow real fast, like Hippos, Unicorns, Sohols, Vlamingis, Clowns, Nasos, Sailfins, Achilles. I have seen a 10 year old Hippo tang that was only 5" or so, but it was not in good condition. It does seem that (dare I say it) fish kept in smaller tanks tend to grow slower.

Me too. Max. I see is 4"-5". I buy small tangs 2" max. and see they grow.
If you have small tank they will stay small. If you have big tank they will grow big.

I've got both of these, no growth in 3 years.

My experience with the smaller tangs dont grow much, if most 1"-1 1/1" from the size i bought it. But they do get thick, Arnold in his prime thick. I also feed pretty heavily.

After 2 years my Achilles is still the same size as the day I got him. And he's in a large tank and constantly grazing

I have a Milli frag with no growth in 2 1/2 years. That doesn't mean Millis don't grow. ;)

I have a yellow tang that might have grown an inch in 7 yrs and had an achilles tang that grew from 3" to 10 " in less then 3 yrs.

Right now I have a Naso that has grown approx 4" in less then a year, a powder blue that has barely grown half an inch and a bristlemouth that started out smaller then the powderblue and is now easily twice the size......in my experience there is no rhyme or reason to fish growth :lol:

Agreed!

Maybe some of us just get the "teacup" or "toy" versions of a fish

I purchased my Hippo Tang when it was the size of a toonie less than a year ago. It is now a good 4 to 5". I bought a Fowleri about 8 months ago as well. Started out about 5" and is now approx. 8". My Purple Tang looks the same as the day I bought it though and my Sailfin has grown a good 1 to 2" as well over 8 months.

I've had my desjardini (Red Sea) sailfin for 12-13 years - when I got him he was about 3". He's easily 8"-9" now, but I think the majority of that growth was early on. He was in a 4' 75g for many years, then temporarily (maybe about a year) in a 30" cube, now in a 280g 6' for the last 2 years. I wish I had thought to measure him (or at least do a better job of remembering better his size at the time) at the tank transfers. Intuitively, I feel like he has grown a little in the last 2 years but I have no empirical data to confirm it.

My lavender tang (Acanthurus nigrofuscus) was purchased pretty small. Maybe 3"-3.5" tip to tail. Lived in the same 30" cube for the first year, then into the 280g. He's 7"-8" now, so definitely bigger. But similar to the sailfin with the growth curve, most of the growth was in the beginning and has been more or less the same size the last 2 years now.

My lieutenant tang was a trade-in at J&L. I don't think he's grown much in the time I've had him (2-3 years). Hard to say, he might be a bit bigger since then, but not much. Certainly wider (I feed well too :lol:).

Not a tang, but, interesting to note. In my 280g I have a double-barred rabbitfish (Siganus virgatus). Bought him at a tiny size (1.5"-2"), was the second largest fish in the tank after the sailfin within 2-3 months (8" ish). In my 65g, I have Siganus doliatus (which is very similar to virgatus but more blue stripes). He was 2" at purchase, and in 2 years has grown to maybe 3.5". The species may be different technically but I've seen S. doliatus at public aquariums at 12" long so the size potential is there. So it makes me think that tank size does play a little into the equation.

Is that one of those things where if I twist my head just right it might make sense?? :)

Having owned dozens of tangs over 15 years, in various size tanks, and not a single one has grown in length tells me there may be a pattern to this. And while some report some tangs growing, most mirror my experiences. In fact, other than clowns and a couple damsels, I've never had a fish grow in length.

My point to all this is the speculation that a tang will outgrow a given tank. IME, if you buy a 3 inch YT and put it a 75g, it isn't going to outgrow it, usually.

I think this is an exception to the typical tang experience, I often hear of hipos getting very large, very fast.

:-) <3


~Tony

My 3" sailfin did fine in that 75g for something close to 8 or 9 years. Towards the end maybe there was a size issue but he never seemed distressed or uncomfortable to me. I wouldn't have purchased him at that larger size and put him in the 75g, but having grown up into the tank seems to have made a difference maybe.

Thing is though I think there is a time that a fish does stop if not significantly slowdown its growth. If you purchase after that point then conceivably that's going to be their size permanently. It would be interesting to observe if a change in environment can trigger a new growth phase though (ie., transferring to a much larger tank).

There must be something that influences growth rates though, there is just no comparison to the sizes of fish in the wild (and large public aquaria) versus those in the hobby.

Most of the tangs I've had over the years have grown. Yellow tangs tended to grow slowly, but species like A. mata & vlamingi grew fast.

I have an aquaculture background and most fish tend to have their fastest growth rates while young. That being the case, if your tang hasn't grown much in the first 3-4 years it is in your tank, it is unlikely to exhibit much growth after that.

Anthony

I have had a hippo and yellow in a 90 g. Both started at 3-4 inches and have only grown an inch (at best) in 2-3 years. I think I feed a bit sparingly but there has never been any aggression etc.

I imagine genetics, food type, and cough... tank size... play into it. I just upgraded to a 150 g so it will be interesting to see what happens to growth now.

Moving my YT from a 75 to a 90 then a 180 had no impact. I do think they grow in the first couple years then stop, regardless of environment. Although I've bought very small yellows and still nothing. Maybe I release FGI from my skin?? :)

Growth of my achilles tang in the 175g bowfront using the nori clip for size comparison

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...02brad0001.jpg

and then 2 yrs later
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2.../april6016.jpg

and yet my powder blue tang has grown very little if at all in the 8 months I've had him in my 300g.....I wonder if position of dominance also has something to do with growth because the powder blue gets put in his place by my other 3 tangs on a daily basis

I have a yellow, kole and a naso in my 90 g, all have grown a little and eat well. What ever FGI is maybe a good thing! :lol:

I have a Yellow tang, Yellowed Eyed Kole, Hippo

Yellow has shown no growth other than getting fat (had him 3 months).
Hippo tang I got at maybe 2" and is now easily 4" (had him just over 3 months).
Kole Tang Has gotten fatter for sure but he hides anytime im near the tank so I dont see him much, but I dont think hes really grown much.

Interesting side note.

My 2 clown fish being moved from a 35gal to a 125gal have doubled in size in 4 months and show no signs of stopping.
My 6 line has grown quite a bit as well with the extra swim space.

Fish Growth Inhibitor :)

My clarkii clowns easily have grown faster than my tangs, , my female is the size of my hippo, bigger than my yellow. My hippo has grown a bit since adding, not much though. Yellow and sailfin have stayed the same, as has my blue throat trigger, all are just fatter.

I noticed the female clarkii's growth started right after moving her from the 55 gl to the 180. Maybe size does matter (tank). :lol:

That's a very interesting question.

Would say my Purple Tang is about the same size as when I got him about 11 years ago (~4"). The Regal has grown maybe 2" over the 6 years I've had him (to ~6").

To add to this, my Emperor Angel hasn't grown either.

On the dominance thing, I'd expect that could impact rate, but not sure if that would span species?

fish release a pheromone into the water column.... when this pheromone reaches a saturation point it triggers a reduction in the growth rate in the fish.....so in a way tank size can have an effect on growth rate do to the time it takes for the pheromone to reach its saturation point in a given tank.....the smaller the tank, the quicker this saturation point will be reached.....this will vary a lot of course depending on water change schedules and volumes.....diet will also play a part and so will stress.....

what is the size of your tank Aquattro?

Currently a 180. No difference than when it was a 75 or 90 or 150

[quote=Aquattro;843958]Currently a 180. No difference than when it was a 75 or 90 or 150[/QUOTE

so, looking back when you kept these tangs in the 75gallon.
Can you comment on the activity of your tangs in your small 75 versus your current 180. By activity I include the constant swimming that is easily seen by reefers who have had the chance to view them in the wild.?
My commented the tangs have more swimming room. They appear to me to be happier swimming to and fro rather than kind of just 'hanging' around. The difference in their behaviour 4' versus 6+ is really noticeable.

Would you agree with my comment brad?

I would also ask those who have moved from small to 6+ tangs to comment as well. Thanks

[quote=naesco;843964]My yellow tang has been in 2', 4', 6' and now an 8' tank. I have seen no difference in behavior, granted he was only in the 2' for 5 months but he spent over 5 yrs in a 4' tank and has been in the 8' tank for about 8 months now. The bristletooth tang on the other hand, acts like the 8 footer is too small and is a complete jerk :frown:

I really want to, but can't :) I haven't found any difference in behaviour in any tang going from 4' to 6'. Even the faster acanthurus species, who get a bit squirrelly in the 4' stay that way in a 6'. I agree a 10' might make a difference, but not going from a 90 to a 180.

I think what might make a difference is a newbie starting with a 75g stacked with too much rock. Then moving to a larger tank where they scaped differently and provided a more secure feeling environment.

My kole tang seemed much more relaxed in its swimming patterns after it moved from my 97 to the 404. That's not to say it didn't seem happy in the smaller tank... it did seem happy.

I am assuming you mean 6' + tanks?

I put a 3/4" long Blue Hepatus tang in my daughters 29g bio cube. After 1 yr it had grown to about 2". The tank was taken down and the fish went to a customers tank that was a 240 gallon @ 7' long. The tang doubled in size in about 6 months. The only other tang in the tank was a 3" Yellow Sailfin.

I have had a Purple Sailfin in a 4' x 8' tank for several years and it has not grown much more than 1/2". It grazes all day and is also feed Pacifica Plankton once a day. System volume is about 800 gallons and I use Ozone on a regular basis, which will break down any pheromones.

So really who knows why fish grow and don't grow. Change sexes etc.

my yellow grew, but it was tiny when I got him, went from about 2" to about 5, my sailfin went from about 4" to probably close to 7" and my achilles tang doubled in size to about 6"

so I don't know what to think as this was all in a tank 1/2 of what you got.

Steve

Yeah thats what i heard to, but my hippo was 4" when I bought it, and 2 years later its 4".

Now that I think about it, all my tangs are pretty much the same as when I bought them. Maybe different tanks cause fish to grow, and other stunt them?

I've gone with the open and less live rock look on my rebuild and the tangs love the open space and are darting all over! My tangs are fat but have not noticed any growth since I have them (4+) yrs.. However, I should revisit this in a yr to see if it does make a difference.