Atlantic blue surgeon

:) No worries, we lounge lizards sometimes forget to control ourselves when we're let out :D!
 
Actualy you didnt drop it, you just rehashed what you may have read on live aquaria. This makes you exactly what I thaught you were, a know it all who knows nothing but acts like he does. Must make being a student realy difficult.
 
In the end you werent trying to help you were just trying to tell someone they cant do something, I could smell it on you from the start and FYI that is why I ignored you in the beggining and why I should keep doing so.
 
I have lots of experience. I haven't ever had a problem with someone on here. I don't have a problem with you. Im just trying to help. Also don't always believe Live Aquaria. They just say that so they can get you'r money. They also have listed that a V. lion need a 55 gallon when they about 3 times that.

-Peace
 
Without ganging up too much, you can't really expect to get many questions answered on here when you're not comfortable talking about the size of your tank which is the most important consideration. Seems like a newbie move to me!
 
Just because he read it on liveaquaria doesn't mean it isn't true. I know you're asking for first hand experience, but people who have this tang probably don't have it in a 75. LA states minimum of 100g, and IMO, LA always downsizes so that they can sell fish. I wouldn't get the ABT. JMO
 
Please tell me then how you know that a 75 is too small for the ABT? Have you kept one? If so let me shut right up and let the knowlege flow.
 
Green Thumb said:
You however need to see that when you and your friends gang up on someone with the tank size question, your ganging up on someone, and they might take offence to that.
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I think you should take a second look at how you started this thread. The first reply was a single, simple and RELEVANT question to providing INPUT. You totally dissed Andrew by ignoring his relevant question and repeating your initial post verbatim. A simple "the tank size won't be an issue; I know the requirements already" would've taken this thread down a better path. If this thread got loaded with distraction instead of helpful information, you have only yourself to blame.
 
Green Thumb said:
Im referring to people who post an average of 16 posts a day on a reefing forum about everything but reefing acting like because they hang out on the internet all day they know something.
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Profile For Randy Holmes-Farley
Date Registered: 04/30/2001
Status: Chemistry Moderator
Total Posts: 31081 (20.66 posts per day)
Last Post: 06/12/2005 11:16 AM

Also just so you know, when we post in the lounge it does not count towards our post count. So our posts per day is posts outside of the lounge, and buy/sell/trade area. Just a little FYI.
 
Green Thumb said:
Anybody can go to liveaquaria.com and act like they done all and seen all, and I cant stand it.
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Just as a heads up liveaquaria does not sell this fish that I can find. also I previously stated I kept one of these, I was incorrect. I have kept a blue tang, not an Atlantic blue. I know see that they are different by there scientific name.
 
To get back on topic:

wouldn't want to place a fish that grows to 15.3543307086614" (thank you RC calculator) in a 75.
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According to quite a few books i've read, as well as observing them in the wild myself, Atlantic Blue Tangs only get to around 9". Granted a 9" fish is still to big for a 75 gallon tank. However if Green Thumb were to get one that was small he could get a couple years of it before it out grew his tank. Of course once it got to big he would have to find someone with a tank big enough to house it.

Also, I think there is a double standard with tangs, I bet there are 1000's of people on this site that have yellow tangs in 75 gallon tanks or less, despite the fact that even they grow to around 8" which is far to big for a tank that size. As well as sailfin tangs which reach 16", sohal tangs which reach 16", Naso Tangs which reach 18" and the list goes on and on.

I have no problem with someone putting a fish that will eventually outgrow his/her tank in their tank AS LONG AS they can find someone who can house it once it gets to big.

So in conclusion i'd have to say that putting a small Atlantic Blue Tang in a 75 gallon aquarium would be comparable to putting a small yellow tang in one. Which I KNOW for a fact quite a few people on this website have done. Probably even people posting in this forum. So lets all ease up a bit shall we? And stay on topic.
 
I think it would just look weird to have such a big fish in a tank that small. Just use your 20 year experience; I'm sure you've come across a couple tangs in that amount of time:)

Please tell me then how you know that a 75 is too small for the ABT? Have you kept one? If so let me shut right up and let the knowlege flow.
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I never had a ABT before, but I have seen them and IME/IMO most tangs behave the same, so just use your knowledge of other tangs. I don't think it would be difficult for you to decide whether the tang will fit in your tank or not if you look at it that way.
 
ABT's are very active and do get fairly large rather quickly. We have 2 eight inch ABT's in our 3500 gallon exhibit. We raised them in a 450 gallon exhibit. i don't think that a ABT would be a good choice for a 75 gal. IMO, although they are beautiful and could be happy for a short period of time before it starts to outgrow the tank. We have had ours about 6 yrs now. They grow rather quickly when they are young. They are very hardy as long as you get a healthy specimen if you decide to get one. They should be de-wormed, coming from the caribbean/Florida waters. There are better choices for 75 gallon tanks like kole tangs and yellow tangs. They seem to grow much slower. Hope this helps.
 
Ok, I've got a question on this fish. The first thing I did when I saw this thread was grab the book that many on here recommended I use when choosing fish, Scott Michael's Marine Fishes.

That book says that the minimum aquarium size is 75 gallons. Now I don't pretened to know one way or another, but Michael has over 25 years experience studying captive marine fishes.

So do I believe my book or not?

I don't plan to keep an ABT, but the advice in this thread brought the question to mind.
 
The following thread seems to be worth a read.

what the big deal about tangs and tank size?

I wonder how many people really give up a fish when it outgrows its environment. I only ever had a 55g, so I never even considered getting a tang. I'd be encouraging the line of thought where you choose livestock based on how they will fare well into adulthood in your existing tank; i.e., livestock acquisitions should happen after "planned upgrades" have actually occurred.
 
Thanks zfunk, this was exactly what my train of thaught was with regards to reponsibly keeping the ABT. It being one of the smaller tangs and notably a peacefull fish, I think would be an exelant candidate for my 75. Of course to be moved to a larger tank weather it be an upgrade on my part(inevitable anyway in this hobby) or a move of sorts elsewhere(big tank)

QUOTE Zfunk: Also, I think there is a double standard with tangs, I bet there are 1000's of people on this site that have yellow tangs in 75 gallon tanks or less, despite the fact that even they grow to around 8" which is far to big for a tank that size. As well as sailfin tangs which reach 16", sohal tangs which reach 16", Naso Tangs which reach 18" and the list goes on and on.
So in conclusion i'd have to say that putting a small Atlantic Blue Tang in a 75 gallon aquarium would be comparable to putting a small yellow tang in one. Which I KNOW for a fact quite a few people on this website have done. Probably even people posting in this forum. So lets all ease up a bit shall we? And stay on topic.


Couldnt agree more with you on that one!


Jeffie, thank you very muchfor your input and the heads up on the deworming. However I need to make an observation, in my experience fish are more likely to QUICKLY grow to their potential in a larger display. Which could explain your observations in your set up, which is a REALY huge set up. At 6 years they are 8" you say. So how long did it take them to get to say 5"? I agree that the kole might be better due to its smaller size however even it will require an upgrade to bigger tank eventualy.

My thaughts on this is I would personaly want to move the ABT to a larger tank when it got to 5 or 6". My guess would be that I would have close to 2 years till that time.

LanT the plan would obviously be to get a small one. Surely you do the same when you buy a fish for your 29:) BTW I disagree, not all tangs behave the same, not drasticaly different however different(20 years is a long time to stare at fish) Surely some day when you fill up your 240 and get to stare at tangs for long periods of time youll agree wholeheartedly.

Anemicoak, thank you for bringing that in. Surely Scott Micheal has lots of experience, I havent heard of him, however logicaly he saw the ABT as one of the smaler tang specimens tat could probably bare with a tank that small, however I dont think any tang could REALY be happy long term in a 75. Surely the consensus on keeping fish has changed in favor of the fish over the years. When was the book writen?

Thank you for clearing that up AJP
 
Green Thumb said:
Anemicoak, thank you for bringing that in. Surely Scott Michael has lots of experience, I haven't heard of him, however logically he saw the ABT as one of the smaller tang specimens tat could probably bare with a tank that small, however I don't think any tang could REALLY be happy long term in a 75. Surely the consensus on keeping fish has changed in favor of the fish over the years. When was the book written?
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Written in 2001. It's consistently recommended by many as an excellent resource for choosing fish. I mean they guys spent a good portion of his life photographing, observing & studying marine fish both in the wild & in an aquarium environment. If I can't trust his recommendation then who am I to trust? His minimum tanks sizes are the minimum recommended aquarium for an adult individual of the species.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1890087386/reeflink/002-6310325-1861624

Also I can't see as he'd have any reason/motivation to skimp on his sizes like a retailer might.

Not trying to cause trouble or anything. BTW here are the tangs he says are ok for a 75...
Atlantic Blue Tang
Powder Brown Tang
Whitecheek Tang
Chocolate Tang
Convict Tang
Indian Mimic Tang
Kole Tang (Goldring Bristletooth)
Yellow Tang
Brown Tang (Scopas Tang)

I've been considering a Kole Tang myself
 
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