Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Cuda
Just so I get a full understanding, what do you believe is an adequete size tank for a tang and what is that based upon, (experience in tanks, or viewing in the wild)?  Thanks |
my experiences and shared anecdotal experience of people I know who have had tangs in smaller tanks. They might do fine for a while, but will eventually become stressed, and more than likely die of ick or starvation.
Every site that sells tangs or has info on tangs will recommend different sizes for each tang.
Yellow's, on average, usually say minimum tank size is 50-75 gallons.
(an example stat box from
http://www.liveaquaria.com )
Quick Stats
|
|---|
Minimum Tank Size: 50 gallons
| Care Level: Easy
| Tank Conditions: 72-78°F; sg 1.020-1.025; pH 8.1-8.4; dKH 8-12
| Max. Size In Aquarium: Up to 8"
| Color Form: Bright Yellow
| Temperament: Semi-aggressive
| Reef Compatible: Yes
| Diet: Herbivore
| Compatibility: View Chart
| Origin: Hawaii
| Family: Acanthuridae
|
|
This is NOT based on their size...but more on their swimming/activity habbits. While clowns tend to peer and dart, and angels swim around something...tangs are long-distance lateral swimmers. They swim a LONG ways in one direction...then a long ways in another. This means they need a tank that supplies them with a good horizontal distance.
Ideally...a >10 foot tank would make them happy. But they CAN be kept in smaller tanks. But in ALL cases, openness and length of a tank are of major importance when it comes to almost all tangs.
Granted...of all the tangs, Yellows tend to be less demanding on the size limitations, but they still have a minimum point of comfort.
A yellow tang, trapped in a smaller than recommended tank, will live for a while, and appear fine. But there will come a day (sooner than you'd think), where it will become stressed...making it more suseptable to disease/infection. And if that doesn't kill it..."unhappiness" will, and more than likely, the tang will stop eating as much and eventually wither away.
While I know your intent wasn't to present an unsuitible habitat for him..and I'm sure your interest lies in sharing in his beauty AND providing him a happy home, just be aware of the "norm" that I'm explaining to you.
Providing him with good feedings of a mostly veggie based diet WILL help combat this...but I'd still look to get a larger tank soon.
(and is that really a bad thing?
)
