clown tang

ssdennis - you are absolutely correct we have all made mistakes in this hobby - i have made too many! My issue was having patience but I have come to respect this forum and others to learn. I made a great purchase of a sand sifter - was hard headed - guess what it starved to death. Thought I could add a pbt as the 4th tang in my 180 - guess what it got stressed and was beat up by my YT (was told)

I now come here first and search before I buy - I have saved many fishes lives and other critters. Nothing more depressing than losing a fish due to ego or arrogance.

You have a fantastic set up and look forward to your new build. Do yourself a favor and when to transfer fish take the clown fish back they will eventually turn into stress killers.

 

HAHA, tangs oughta feel special around these parts. They are delicacies in other regions of the world. (nom nom nom.....mmmmmmm tastes like chicken)

 

IMO these fish should have AT LEAST 10 ft x 3 ft of swimming room. I saw one at the academy of sciences pacing against the glass, swimming back and forth. That was on the huge reef tank.
Not to mention once they get big they are one of the most aggressive fish in the hobby.

 

Great thread lol. Good read. I say get whatever fish you want, and face the fish tank karma if things go south.

 

i dont think thats a very good way of thinking.....

 

The tang is tiny for now and when he gets to big I'll make a change, no big deal. I enjoy my tank and unless it's coral I don't plan on keeping a certain fish forever. That's what I love about this hobby, it's always changing and never gets boring. Everyone said that my gold band maroon clown would be the meanest fish in the tank and he schools with my other clowns. Life would be boring if we all did what everyone else said. Just like if someone said don't watch that movie cause is sucked. Screw that! I take advice as I go and I appreciate all that I get but in the end I do what I want and handle the problem if it arises. We only live once people, enjoy your selfs. I figured I would share a pic of a beautiful fish that I'm excited I got. Whoops! Lol.

 

the fish only live once too and on top of this they are stolen from their natural homes. hence the importance and moral obligation of providing it the best alternative home we can offer.

if you really are set on taking it back when it gets to large for your system then youre doing the right thing.

on a side note i have a juvenile hippo tang in my 118 gallon so im making the same mistake as you here. they grow very very quickly if properly fed. he is about the size of my adult coral beauty at the moment

 

Sad they are so aggressive and difficult, really is a beautiful fish.

When it comes to tank sizes I disagree with many here. However, when it is because of an aggression issue that I must jump on thebandwagon and agree. Having a lot of FW experience I often bought fish t hat were too big for the tank or mixed species people said shoudlnt be mixed without many issues, UNTIL I jumped into cichid land and had aggression lead to stress and starvation. Now that I am in SW I am very careful about selecting peaceful tankmates which is why I do not own a dottyback, damsel, or any other aggressive buggers.

 

So small fish don't swim as much as big ones?

 

No not really, a small fish does not need as much room to turn around. The whole idea of minimum tank sizes is not really even related to gallons per fish (besides dilution of waste) as it is to the footprint of the tank and the number of inches the fish has to swim in relation to the size of the fish. A 10 inch fish needs more room than a 2 inch fish of the same type/species