120G for purple tang?

[UncleSalt]

I have a baby purple tang, he's my favorite fish. The wife and I are looking at upgrading tanks. We found a 120G rimless tank that we liked, but it's 4' x 2'. I'm reading that maybe 4' isn't enough space for the tang to swim? Should we maybe look at a traditional instead of a rimless?

 

[AuburnTiger1]

About 5 or 6 feet would be a bit better than 4 feet.

 

[maxxII]

The purple is among the smaller species of tangs. While AuburnTiger1 is technically correct, you can house a Purple Tang in a 4 foot tank just fine.

I did for about 7 years with no issues.

 

[AuburnTiger1]

Yes you can do it but if you can add another foot or two.

 

[planedoc]

They can be ok I'm a 4' tank but like said above will be much happier in a 6 foot or longer tank. Do you want to sentence a fish to a small cell or give it a federal prison sentence with a roomy place to live but still a far cry from the wide open ocean. It's your prisoner, do you want it to survive in thrive

 

[CoralsAddiction]

It's possible. I am yet to see a 6+ inch purple tang in captivity. However, I would keep that fish tank lightly stocked with may be 2 or 3 small-medium sized fish. Also, probably a good idea to keep the tang as the only herbivore which means no blennies, etc. Good luck!

 

[SkySoldier173]

Where the tang police at?

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

I had a purple tang in a 4 foot 120 for 10 years. He seemed happy enough, was fat, healthy and never got too aggressive to any of the smaller fish I kept him with.

I know a 6 ft plus tank is said to be better, but mine seemed to do just fine.

Best of luck

 

[anbosu]

I would plan on it being your only tang and the alpha fish but it should be ok for life

 

[maxxII]

I had a purple tang in a 4 foot 120 for 10 years. He seemed happy enough, was fat, healthy and never got too aggressive to any of the smaller fish I kept him with.

I know a 6 ft plus tank is said to be better, but mine seemed to do just fine.

Best of luck

This...

Mine was in the 120 with a Tomini Tang, a pair of Percs, and a Regal Angel for 7 years with no issues....

 

[Dmorty217]

The 120g could work but a 180g is better

 

[maxxII]

The 120g could work but a 180g is better

A 180 would work, but a 300 would be better.

 

[ingtar_shinowa]

You might have some big aggression issues with a purple in a smaller tank.

 

[ramon1181]

I have a purple in my 120 for 3 years now with my achilies with no issues yet they r both small still though

 

[Dmorty217]

A 180 would work, but a 300 would be better.

A 300g is good but a 625g is better......

 

[SaltyWalter]

It's possible. I am yet to see a 6+ inch purple tang in captivity. However, I would keep that fish tank lightly stocked with may be 2 or 3 small-medium sized fish. Also, probably a good idea to keep the tang as the only herbivore which means no blennies, etc. Good luck!

My LFS has a purple tang over 6" in their 220gal acropora colony tank, they kept it from a tank breakdown, guess the previous owner got sick but had it in a 90gallon corner for 5 years, and that's not even 4 feet! It was with a yellow tang almost as big and a 8" hippo. Is it fair to the fish? I wouldn't say so, but they did survive just fine and were very happy. Lots of well placed live rock was probably key.

So to answer your question, yes I'm sure you would be fine for now and maybe 3 yea down the road plan for a bigger tank. It always happens sooner than we think anyway

 

[jcdeng]

A 300g is good but a 625g is better......

625g is good but why not release it back into the ocean? its WAYYYY better

 

[Dmorty217]

625g is good but why not release it back into the ocean? its WAYYYY better

This was a joke mostly, and if we all thought like your talking(and I'm with you for the most part) this forum wouldn't exist and none of us would have fish in our tanks.

 

[jcdeng]

of course, for the most part this is a selfish hobby. Just pointing it out that we are all guilty of jailing fishes and robbing them of their freedom no matter how big a tank we throw them in. And although harsh to say but true, we are building our happiness from the fish's "suffering".

 

[ken6217]

Yea can just hear the thought process in the tangs head"¦"¦. Gee I wish I was in that 6 foot tank instead of the 4 foot tank. That extra 2 feet makes it so much closer to the couple of miles of reef that I used to live in.