acchilles tang fit in a 120

[rogerwilco357]

I have a 4x2x2 tank 120 gallons and wonder what the max amount of tangs would be I would love to buy an acchilles tang but I already have the hippo and the purple tang with a foxface would adding another tang be too much ?

 

[jcm8839]

yup too much

 

[TampaReefer79]

IMHO opinion, yes that is too much. I honestly feel that he hippo is too large for that tank as well. The purple should be good though.

Edit: My opinion that the Achilles is too much for your tank isn't due to the fact that you have other big fast swimming fish in your 120 already. Even if all other fish are removed, I feel the 120 is too small for an Achilles.

 

[Toddrtrex]

IMHO opinion, yes that is too much. I honestly feel that he hippo is too large for that tank as well. The purple should be good though.

Edit: My opinion that the Achilles is too much for your tank isn't due to the fact that you have other big fast swimming fish in your 120 already. Even if all other fish are removed, I feel the 120 is too small for an Achilles.

Good point -- and I agree with it -- the current stock list doesn't matter, the tank alone is too small.

 

[snorvich]

I agree with both of the above. However, a bunch of large fish, all of which require a fair amount of swimming room, would make the addition even more problematic.

 

[rogerwilco357]

so the tank needs to be 180 to 300? 120 is too small? the 3 fish I have in there now have been together for years and have grown in it maybe this would be the reason for me to get a larger tank lol..

 

[extreme5450]

Tank to small

 

[snorvich]

so the tank needs to be 180 to 300? 120 is too small? the 3 fish I have in there now have been together for years and have grown in it maybe this would be the reason for me to get a larger tank lol..

If you need a reason to get a larger tank, let this be it!! :wavehand:

 

[MrTuskfish]

IMO, the length of the tank (for tangs) is really more important than the volume. Example: I think a 6', 125 gal tank is better for tangs (and most fish) than a 5' 150 gal. An 8' tank is even better. Tangs are not only quite large, for captive fish, they are very active. They live on the outer edges of the reef and really cover some distance. A 4 foot tank just doesn't give any tang (IMO) enough swimming room and this is bound to increase stress levels. Also IMO, a grown tang just looks out of place pacing back and forth in a 4' tank. I kept an Achilles for many years before moving and have had one for about 4 years now. I can't imagine these magnificent fish in a 4' tank.
Or, get a big circular tank and the fish can swim in nonstop circles. (Better add: just kidding)

 

[skh]

IMO, the length of the tank (for tangs) is really more important than the volume. Example: I think a 6', 125 gal tank is better for tangs (and most fish) than a 5' 150 gal. An 8' tank is even better. Tangs are not only quite large, for captive fish, they are very active. They live on the outer edges of the reef and really cover some distance. A 4 foot tank just doesn't give any tang (IMO) enough swimming room and this is bound to increase stress levels. Also IMO, a grown tang just looks out of place pacing back and forth in a 4' tank. I kept an Achilles for many years before moving and have had one for about 4 years now. I can't imagine these magnificent fish in a 4' tank.
Or, get a big circular tank and the fish can swim in nonstop circles. (Better add: just kidding)

Actually, the circular tank idea is not a bad one. I think a circular layout is far better than a rectangle for exactly the same reason that a long and narrow tank is better than a short and wide tank.

 

[Reefsnob]

Actually, the circular tank idea is not a bad one. I think a circular layout is far better than a rectangle for exactly the same reason that a long and narrow tank is better than a short and wide tank.

Huh? Wouldn't a circular be more similar to a short wide tank? Just a little confused, but that happens to me a lot.

 

[MrTuskfish]

Most circular tanks have very limited surface & bottom areas. This makes gas exchange & keeping enough LS/LR difficult. Great for Doctor's offices that have maintenance companies and just keep a few very hardy fish. Many shy fish stress out and perish in them; because they can't find a corner to tinkle in.

 

[skh]

Many shy fish stress out and perish in them; because they can't find a corner to tinkle in.

Really? I don't have any personal experience but I'd think a circular tank would be great if it's the right size -- say, 5' in diameter and 20" high. That's 250 gallons, but provides ~16' to swim before lapping the tank. And you'd have a ton of space at the center of the tank to put a huge reef structure for fish to hide in. It may not be convenient for maintenance, etc. but I think it would be a happier home for your fish than, say a DD 250 tank (60" x 36" x 27").

 

[skh]

Huh? Wouldn't a circular be more similar to a short wide tank? Just a little confused, but that happens to me a lot.

I was thinking that a fish could swim around the circumference of a circular tank without having to turn around (or make 90 degree turns) and that the circumference of a circular tank will be much longer than the long side of a rectangular aquarium for a given volume (although debatable, I think it's fair to compare these particular dimensions). This assumes that you put a lot of rockwork in the center of the circular tank to break up lines of sight and effectively put a swimming track around the tank's cirumference.

 

[snorvich]

Except, of course, fish don't swim in circles.

 

[cakemanPA]

This is kind of one of those "does a bear $hit in the woods?" kind of question... But if the tank is circular and big enough, does the fish really know that it is swimming in a circle? I have seen a decent sized circular tank and the tangs in it just cruised around. Of course they could have been dizzy from swimming in circles and not really been happy. S

 

[skh]

Except, of course, fish don't swim in circles.

You mean just like they don't swim 6'-8' then turn 180 degrees and swim back?

 

[skh]

This is kind of one of those "does a bear $hit in the woods?" kind of question... But if the tank is circular and big enough, does the fish really know that it is swimming in a circle? I have seen a decent sized circular tank and the tangs in it just cruised around. Of course they could have been dizzy from swimming in circles and not really been happy. S

Yeah, some actual experience by someone with a tank like this could answer our questions. But I vaguely recall seeing a huge cylindrical tank in a public aquarium with hundreds of pelagic fish swimming around and around in circles. Maybe tangs do the same.

Edit: I was thinking about the anchovy cylinder at Monterey Bay Aquarium.

 

[Reefsnob]

In a rectangle tank, couldn't they just curve around the corner, or do the tangs have to stop at the corner then turn? That would be frustrating, having to stop at the corners.

 

[skh]

In a rectangle tank, couldn't the just curve around the corner, or do the tangs have to stop at the corner then turn? That would be frustrating, having to stop at the corners.

A fair point. They certainly could "curve" around the corners. But the angle obviously matters. The closer you get to a straight line the better, I suppose. And a circle (with sufficient diameter relative to the size of the tang) is a closer approximation of swimming in a straight line than curving through a 90 degree angle (assuming the tang stays reasonable close to the glass in both cases).