Finding a black tang

[Vili_Shark]

Agreed!

They have serious troubles the past years with the flight from xmas to hawaii, I heard sometimes they had only 2 flights a month, so they were collecting fish and main export destination which is Hawaii(by far) was taking the cargo twice a month, they cant keep delicate fish as a 1.5-2" black tang in a good condition for that long.

 

[copps]

zemuron, yeah I'm talking about Randy in Aiea... it's right near the gate where I leave the Pearl Harbor base when I work on Oahu... I got mine from my local guy over a year ago and it has grown to be about 6 inhces or so now... It was very tough to find... as again they are either in the 1 to 2 inch range or the dinner plates... I did get a small one a few months ago from my local guy for my buddy in Michigan Nick (nbd13 here on RC). It was very healthy... Hwaii sees them all because that is the gateway to the US from Christmas Island!...

The one in Hanauma Bay I've read about... it's talked about here...

jiggly that's one of the problems... everyone and their brother wants that medium size, yet these the toughest to come by...

messy... the one listed on Atlantis has been there for ages on their site... I don't believe they have any available... especialy at that price...

Vili... I'm talking relative numbers here... my local guy used to bring in a ton on a regular basis over the past few years... at $135 retail... They were available online fairly regularly... Over the last year or so the numbers have sharply declined... even though they're still coming in. The ones that are coming in are HUGE... the tiny guys used to even be more common... I've never personally been to Christmas Island, but have spoken to people who have and apparently numbers on Christmas Island itself are way down... while in the other Line Islands numbers are much higher (maybe due to collection?) If they keep taking these 1 foot dinner plate breeders it's a shame... As you said... these things are HUGE... just when you think you couldn't see a bigger one you do...

The shipping conditions from Christmas Island have always been that way and that's nothing new... neither are the limited flights...

It's just sad that this is another fish where the price has gone nuts... $500 to $600 when a fish used to cost $135... which now would be a good wholesale price... The smaller Zebrasoma do not have the fat reserves to survive this... LAst year a shipment of little gem tangs came in from Mauritius with 3 of 4 dead, and the 4th died the next day... very sad.

Anyway, here's a shot with mine in the center at feeeding time (with flash under actinis only)... it's neat to see the only true JET black reef fish in the trade... with his little white scalpel...

 

[SDguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7832785#post7832785 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by copps

Anyway, here's a shot with mine in the center at feeeding time (with flash under actinis only)... it's neat to see the only true JET black reef fish in the trade... with his little white scalpel...

Let's not forget about C. nox

So yours doesn't have that airbrushed looking grey back (where the dorsal fin meets the back)? The one at the Long Beach aquarium has this, and I've seen other pics with it. Is it due to size (the LB aquarium one is huge), or a population anomoly?

Love your tank pics BTW. Never get tired of them.

 

[copps]

The gray back is only seen on larger individuals and mine showed it when I bought it, but since settling in it has gone to black. I believe stress caused this coloration to be shown... but is not completely do to that...

 

[zemuron114]

i've sold a few 4-5" black tangs. They do exsist but very hard to find. I have to get there the day after the shipment arrives to get one.

the shipments from x-mas have become more regular now. There are weekly fish arrivals and then the monthly arrivals which is when they send out 3000 flame angels at a time. these shipments lack quality as there are so many fish. More and more wholesalers from Hawaii are beginning to get the weekly flights. The cost for shipping is more, but the quality is 10x better. however, very rarely do you get a black tang in these shipments. X-mas island knows who are the "big guns" and all the rarer stuff goes to them

 

[just dave]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7824642#post7824642 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JHemdal
Yeah, and the mortality rate of all fish over time is 100%, but cripes - I've never seen ANY other fish get HLLE in the wild! That, plus all the black tangs I've seen that got HLLE in captivity, plus their cost makes it a bad bet in my opinion. Oh, I don't buy lottery tickets either, even though there is a chance I might win...there is a bigger chance that I won't.

Jay

Perhaps the fish photographed was a released fish. I've heard that sometimes collectors will release fish they are holding if they start to do/look poorly.

 

[achillesheel]

i looked for one for a good 8mo to a year across the country. then found two 3" ones in a week. one from atlantis, the other from a (sort of) lfs. i paid 300 ea. the first one got killed by my powder blue tang. still have the 2nd. i love him so! i'm still looking for acouple more.

 

[twon8]

a lfs near me had one in a few weeks ago, large 7"+, black