Finding a black tang
- Thread starter jiggly75
- Start date
ATP
New member
Try: www.themarinecenter.com
www.liveaquaria.com
I have ordered fish/livestock from both of these vendors and recommend them. There are other online vendors that sell Black Tangs, but I do not have any experience with them in regards to fish purchases. Also, the Black Tang is not common, which you probably already know. You will have to keep checking for availability, or contact the vendor regarding when they may be in stock.
Do you have a good LFS that can order one for you? I have a great LFS that I purchase fish and corals from. Might be an option you could try.
Cheers
www.liveaquaria.com
I have ordered fish/livestock from both of these vendors and recommend them. There are other online vendors that sell Black Tangs, but I do not have any experience with them in regards to fish purchases. Also, the Black Tang is not common, which you probably already know. You will have to keep checking for availability, or contact the vendor regarding when they may be in stock.
Do you have a good LFS that can order one for you? I have a great LFS that I purchase fish and corals from. Might be an option you could try.
Cheers
naka
New member
http://justrarefish.com/html/just_rare_fish_new_arrivals.html
3" Black Tang on sale for $275
thanks,
James
3" Black Tang on sale for $275
thanks,
James
I'd pass on that species in my opinion. Page 95 of Kuiter and Debelius (Surgeonfishes and Rabbitfishes) shows a black tang on the reef in the Cook Islands and the darn thing has HLLE! There is a real good chance that your's will develop that same issue in captivity.
Jay Hemdal
Jay Hemdal
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
Jay
Amphiprion
Premium Member
HLLE in the wild, eh? I have never heard of that, either, until now.
falconut
New member
You could try www.petsolutions.com. They list them, but are currently out of stock. So, you could click the Email Me button for notification when they become available.
I recommend them because of personal experience - A+. Plus their shipping is only $24.99 for UPS Priority overnight. They did a great shop with the packaging too.
I recommend them because of personal experience - A+. Plus their shipping is only $24.99 for UPS Priority overnight. They did a great shop with the packaging too.
copps
Premium Member
This has been a very tough fish to get in the past year or so as very few have been coming in relative to recent years. Of the ones that do come in, they are usually either tiny or dinner plate size... larger than full grown yellow tangs practically. This may be due to flights to Japan now from Christmas Island which weren't available in the past... I'm still trying to figure the reason these have been in short supply, while other Christmas Island stuff has been coming in in droves...
There are many wholsalers that list these on there list out of Hawaii, but due to the small amount coming in they go to prefered customers (NOT your LFS calling them up). Serdar at phishybusiness got one in a few months ago (small) that sold for $600. I have a local guy I go through that has good standing with his Hawaii connection and so gets them in more than anyone I've seen online... The funny thing is I know one of the major wholesalers in Hawaii that supplies these guys (ALL Christmas Island stuff goes through there), and retail customers could buy black tangs (and anything else) straight from his tanks at unbelievable prices...
Anyway, I've had mine for a while, and have seen many over the past years (all the way back to the first one I saw come in at the place I worked at in high school 13 years ago or so), and have never seen or heard of HLLE at a greater number than other fish... these are die hard Zebrasoma just as much as the other 6 species...
Copps
There are many wholsalers that list these on there list out of Hawaii, but due to the small amount coming in they go to prefered customers (NOT your LFS calling them up). Serdar at phishybusiness got one in a few months ago (small) that sold for $600. I have a local guy I go through that has good standing with his Hawaii connection and so gets them in more than anyone I've seen online... The funny thing is I know one of the major wholesalers in Hawaii that supplies these guys (ALL Christmas Island stuff goes through there), and retail customers could buy black tangs (and anything else) straight from his tanks at unbelievable prices...
Anyway, I've had mine for a while, and have seen many over the past years (all the way back to the first one I saw come in at the place I worked at in high school 13 years ago or so), and have never seen or heard of HLLE at a greater number than other fish... these are die hard Zebrasoma just as much as the other 6 species...
Copps
zemuron114
In Memoriam
The reason Hawaii gets them all the time is because we are close to x-mas island. AND there are many people who deal with them (connection wise, there is no possible way to communicate directly with the island)
I've seen them often. about once a month i go to LFS that gets in hundreds of x-mas island fish and they always have 10 or so a month. Granted most are dinner plate size. But i've sold a few 3" ones that have done awesome.
My friend got in a shipment from there and he had a 1" black tang in it which is Unheard of.. Small black tangs just dont exsist anymore!
copps - are you talking about coral fish Hawaii??? I can buy a small black tang for cheap (well a lot cheaper then any online place)
justrarefish.com never has them in stock, because they can't buy them cheap enough to sell them at 275$. their price will go up soon if they ever want to stock them.
I am going to bring one home for myself this christmas hopefully if i can find a healthy small one
I've seen them often. about once a month i go to LFS that gets in hundreds of x-mas island fish and they always have 10 or so a month. Granted most are dinner plate size. But i've sold a few 3" ones that have done awesome.
My friend got in a shipment from there and he had a 1" black tang in it which is Unheard of.. Small black tangs just dont exsist anymore!
copps - are you talking about coral fish Hawaii??? I can buy a small black tang for cheap (well a lot cheaper then any online place)
justrarefish.com never has them in stock, because they can't buy them cheap enough to sell them at 275$. their price will go up soon if they ever want to stock them.
I am going to bring one home for myself this christmas hopefully if i can find a healthy small one
Liveaquaria has one right now for $499.
zemuron114
In Memoriam
most from the wholesalers in Hawaii will be 5" + . They are not from Hawaii. They just get them in from x-mas island. There is a giant one though in Huanama bay that i saw 10" big.. HUGE one!)
messy1messmer
New member
Atlantis has one to for 300-399
LargeAngels
Premium Member
I got two 1 1/2" black tangs from Marine Center about 5 years ago. Unfortunately they were paper thin when I got them and didn't have much of a chance.
Vili_Shark
New member
John,
I wouldnt say it's very few coming in.
There is one Hong Kong importer who started importing directly from xmas islands along side hundreds of Flame angels he's importing 2-4pcs Black Tangs every shipment.
I agree on the size,last couple of years huge ones are coming in , just when you think you saw the largest black tang ever, a larger one comes in the next shipment.
Im not sure how smart is it to collect those full size specimens at this rate for future generations.
About smaller specimens, like 1.5"-2", saw them on few occasions and I strongly advice to check such specimens very carefully before buying them, as LargeAngels said , they are usualy paper thin, and I'd think it's cause of the rough handling they receive.
Such size Zebrasoma spp. must eat 5-6 times a day, when they are coming from xmas island, they usualy wait for the flight to Hawaii (and they DO have troubles in that line) and then from Hawaii to the states, sometimes too long for the small Black Tangs.
I wouldnt say it's very few coming in.
There is one Hong Kong importer who started importing directly from xmas islands along side hundreds of Flame angels he's importing 2-4pcs Black Tangs every shipment.
I agree on the size,last couple of years huge ones are coming in , just when you think you saw the largest black tang ever, a larger one comes in the next shipment.
Im not sure how smart is it to collect those full size specimens at this rate for future generations.
About smaller specimens, like 1.5"-2", saw them on few occasions and I strongly advice to check such specimens very carefully before buying them, as LargeAngels said , they are usualy paper thin, and I'd think it's cause of the rough handling they receive.
Such size Zebrasoma spp. must eat 5-6 times a day, when they are coming from xmas island, they usualy wait for the flight to Hawaii (and they DO have troubles in that line) and then from Hawaii to the states, sometimes too long for the small Black Tangs.
zemuron114
In Memoriam
small black tangs are always roughed up when they get to the final locations.
X-mas island packs soooo light and cram sooo many fish into one box. They had 50 flame angels in one box!!!! thats insane.. And if the black tang is small they will only put it in a 6" bag for the 6 hour flight to NHL. But the mishandling is very sad.. Such nice fish.
X-mas island packs soooo light and cram sooo many fish into one box. They had 50 flame angels in one box!!!! thats insane.. And if the black tang is small they will only put it in a 6" bag for the 6 hour flight to NHL. But the mishandling is very sad.. Such nice fish.
