tang question

I'm looking at tanks on craigslist and would a tang do good in a 42" tank.
the tang would be a kole,yellow,or flame fin tang.
1 tang
six line or flasher wrasse
1 false percula clown
a shrimp goby
thats the stocking list. it would be a 40 gallon. or a 55 gallon and if we got that i'd get 2 clowns. would it work?

 

From what I have seen ,flame fin tominis are one of the smaller tangs but boy are they active. I'd say no on the flame fin. Kole tangs get too big for a 42" unless it more than 20" wide. There are plenty of nice free swimming fish for that size tank, like small foxfaces or most wrasses.
EDIT: I have a 55 and have found that it is just not wide enough for tangs.

 

i have a yellow in my 55 that's doing great. he's 4"-4.5" and will not grow anymore. he's also a model citizen and has formed a very odd pair with my squirrelfish. GL!

 

the tank is a 30 gallon right? no tang

 

found a 40 gallon thats 42" and a 55 gallon thats 48" long. lots of tanks on craigslist:

 

ok but foxfaces get almost one foot and fairy wrasse are to active.:-/

 

is it fine to add a yellow tang to a 48L,13W,21H 55 gallon or would a kole tang do better?

 

i wouldnt do either unless it was one of the only fish in there

 

Not so! Fairy wrasses are fine in a 55, probably the best minimum tank for them! Foxfaces grow slow and are more sluggish than tangs, so you could keep one for a while.

No, again kole tangs get big, I've seen them bigger than your average yellow.

 

Here is a post by steve wright about this exact subject (kole or yellow in 55) Well written and thought it might help: