Hippo or Yellow tang for my 90? Opinions please

fasteddie99

fasteddie99

New member
I am in the process of setting up my 90, I am moving from a 55 which I couldnt, and wouldnt put a tang in. I figured I could safely sqeeze 1 tang in my tank but I am unsure which to get. I think I have it narrowed down to these two, a hippo or a yellow. I love the looks of the powder blue as well so I'm not ruling out one of these either.

I like the yellow for the splash of color, and the hippo has awesome colors as well. I guess since I am liking the looks each, I would be narrowing it down by the charachteristics of each one. Never having a tang before, I have no idea about the dispositions of either one.

So in your opinions, which would you put in? :wave:

Thanks a bunch in advance!
 
yellow is best suited to this tank size. Hippo will outgrow the tank eventualy. powder blue is a bad choice for a first tang and tank is a bit small for one.

Also consider a purple or yellow eye kole for a 90
 
+1 on skipping the hippo and powder blue and going with a kole tang. Why does everyone seem to think that a yellow tang is 'perfect' for a 4' tank? It's my opinion that even the yellow tang will be cramped in a 90. (any 4' tank for that matter) And to the OP, you hit the nail on the head in your opening post..."squeeze 1 tang in my tank". ;) If you have to "squeeze it in there", then it's probably not a great idea. The kole would work best if you HAVE TO have one. =)
 
I would disregard the tank's gross VOLUME - it is the open swimming space that really matters for active swimmers - the NET volume. A 90 gallon tank with a really full LR reef structure won't have enough swimming room for many active fish, but the same tank as a FO with minimal decorations would be fine.

This seems to be the root of many differences of opinion on this subject. People get a "mind's eye view" of what your tank looks like - and then form an opinion based on that.

When I hear 90 gallons - I think of open space that is 48" by 24 by 18" tall - but a really full reef might only have a tiny space up front that is 36" by 8" by 16" - not much room at all.

What I've been doing lately is considering open water space only, based on length plus width (height is less important - most aquariums have a standard height for any given "footprint", and many fish don't utilize vertical space very well).

Jay
 
Thanks for the responses, I will look into the kole tang. I was leaning towards the hippo so I am glad I asked this question. btw, I am going to have alot of open space because I probably only have 50 lbs of rock in my 55 right now and I am using the same LR in the 90. I will "sqeeze" either a kole or yellow and hopefully be safe.:D
 
JHemdal said:
I would disregard the tank's gross VOLUME - it is the open swimming space that really matters for active swimmers - the NET volume. A 90 gallon tank with a really full LR reef structure won't have enough swimming room for many active fish, but the same tank as a FO with minimal decorations would be fine.

This seems to be the root of many differences of opinion on this subject. People get a "mind's eye view" of what your tank looks like - and then form an opinion based on that.

When I hear 90 gallons - I think of open space that is 48" by 24 by 18" tall - but a really full reef might only have a tiny space up front that is 36" by 8" by 16" - not much room at all.

What I've been doing lately is considering open water space only, based on length plus width (height is less important - most aquariums have a standard height for any given "footprint", and many fish don't utilize vertical space very well).

Jay
Click to expand...

Fantastic. This should be posted somewhere at the top of something. Thanks for sharing your insights.
 
Boxelder said:
Nope. Just tried of reading the same thing in every thread.
Click to expand...

If the thread was created with the question of whether or not a tang would fit into the OP's tank, then THEY wanted opinions on whether or not certain fish would be a good idea. I gave them my opinion. If you're tired of reading my opinion then hang out in the SPS section. Or another forum. Or ignore me. Whichever. But as long as people ask about tangs and ask for advice and opinions, I'll be here to give mine.

@Michaelprater: How was that? Worded better? Less confrontational? :D
 
JHemdal said:
I would disregard the tank's gross VOLUME - it is the open swimming space that really matters for active swimmers - the NET volume. A 90 gallon tank with a really full LR reef structure won't have enough swimming room for many active fish, but the same tank as a FO with minimal decorations would be fine.

This seems to be the root of many differences of opinion on this subject. People get a "mind's eye view" of what your tank looks like - and then form an opinion based on that.

When I hear 90 gallons - I think of open space that is 48" by 24 by 18" tall - but a really full reef might only have a tiny space up front that is 36" by 8" by 16" - not much room at all.

What I've been doing lately is considering open water space only, based on length plus width (height is less important - most aquariums have a standard height for any given "footprint", and many fish don't utilize vertical space very well).

Jay
Click to expand...


I agree about disregarding gallonage...it's the footprint we should consider when talking about big, active fish. And like you said, it's also a good idea to take into consideration how much 'stuff' (rock, coral, no fishing sign, scuba diver with treasure chest that has bubbles leaking out...) is taking up real estate in the tank. Another great point is that the vertical really has less relevance than length, especially in this case since we're talking about surgeonfish. The only thing I disagree with is that an 'open' 90 would be big enough for a tang. I still think that even if you had an EMPTY 90 gallon tank, it would be too small for a tang. The 48" just isn't that long for them to zoom back and forth. Just my opinion. :beer:
 
If this will be your first tang go with the yellow. They seem to be relatively hardy and disease resistant. When you feel confident you might want to try adding a small (less than 4 in) hypo or powder blue.
 
2006 said:
If this will be your first tang go with the yellow. They seem to be relatively hardy and disease resistant. When you feel confident you might want to try adding a small (less than 4 in) hypo or powder blue.
Click to expand...

With advice like that, it's no wonder the tang police are out to arrest you. They'll get you soon too! I saw you on the top 10 list, you're a priority. ;)

To the OP...don't go out and get a hippo for this tank. And DEF don't get a powder blue. It would require a tank larger than yours, and an expert level aquarist with an established tank (stable).
 
TampaReefer79 said:
If the thread was created with the question of whether or not a tang would fit into the OP's tank, then THEY wanted opinions on whether or not certain fish would be a good idea. I gave them my opinion. If you're tired of reading my opinion then hang out in the SPS section. Or another forum. Or ignore me. Whichever. But as long as people ask about tangs and ask for advice and opinions, I'll be here to give mine.

@Michaelprater: How was that? Worded better? Less confrontational? :D
Click to expand...

After his comments, he had it coming regardless. :thumbsup:
 
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