If you were me, what would you do?

[waverz]

So I have a heavily stocked 29 gallon with skimmer, fuge, bla bla bla, you name it. It's heavily stocked with coral and as it is right now very few fish. When I first started the tank I had some algae issues and bought a TINY Yellow Tang to help mow some of it down. He is still pretty small but fairly aggressive towards other fish.

Here is my dilema, I really like the tang, he still does a great job keeping my rock work picked clean and is non-stop about it. I just ordered some fish for myself as a birthday gift and am trying to decided if I should chance leaving him in there or not.

I ordered a PAIR of Yasha White Ray Shrimp Gobies, and a PAIR of Red Fire Fish.

Do I get rid of the tang now, or do I risk him not liking his new inhabitants and reeking havok?

I should probably get rid of him now but part of me wants to keep him in there and thinks everyone will be OK together.

I know at some point in time the tang is gonna have to go but I'm gonna miss him and his algae pickin'.

 

[Sk8r]

He shouldn't have any problem with gobies or firefish: he might spook the firefish into jumping, so watch that---but ok, except the problem of him getting too big. If you have a lot of coral, honestly, I'd pull him and get him back to the lfs, because if your coral grows, and he becomes a problem, you're going to have a much bigger unbuild to get him out. If you have him in there for an algae problem, I'd advise a fuge as a better recourse.

 

[RLeclerc]

I'd get rid of him cuz he's gonna out grow the tank anyways

 

[snorvich]

Well I would get rid of the tang for sure. Also a PAIR of firefish had best be a PAIR not jut TWO or you will have just ONE.

 

[waverz]

Well I would get rid of the tang for sure. Also a PAIR of firefish had best be a PAIR not jut TWO or you will have just ONE.

Yup, Pair. Divers Den.

Also, I just pulled the trigger on a Blue Spot Jawfish, so I've decided the tang has gotta go for sure do to bioload reasons.

I have a nice tight lid on biocube along with a Stevie T fish saver. No fish are gettin' out of my tank.

 

[cromedogg33]

The yellow will outgrow the tank failry quickly and will probably always pick on everything you put in there for the first 24-48 hours. He is already in a smaller tank than probably needed and with more fish coming in he feels they are invading his space.

 

[waverz]

I got a size 12 barbless hook and a piece of Mysis ready to go. Just gotta practice my cast.

 

[Dustin1300]

I got a size 12 barbless hook and a piece of Mysis ready to go. Just gotta practice my cast.

Id like to see that one

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

 

[29reef]

No matter the kind of fish, existing fish in an aquarium see newcomers as a threat to their foods and can often harrass new additions. Good idea to remove the tang.

 

[TampaReefer79]

I can't tell if this thread is serious. A tang in a 29 gallon? Removing it from the tank with a fish hook? If that part is for real, I wouldn't think you'd have much problem catching a yellow tang in a 29 without going the fish hook route...it isn't THAT big of a tank. You could probably catch it with your hand. I always used clear tupperware containers (never a net).

 

[waverz]

I can't tell if this thread is serious. A tang in a 29 gallon? Removing it from the tank with a fish hook? If that part is for real, I wouldn't think you'd have much problem catching a yellow tang in a 29 without going the fish hook route...it isn't THAT big of a tank. You could probably catch it with your hand. I always used clear tupperware containers (never a net).

YES! I tang in a 29 gallon!!!! Before you get your tazer ready to set to kill, re read my post, I also mentioned it was TINY. It's possibly 2 1/2" around and was temporary.

The part about the hook IS REAL. I have 50 types of coral in the tank all epoxied to the rock work. There is no way to just reach in catch him out. If that was an option I would have done it already. Also if you re-read my post I mention a size 12 BARBLESS hook. I little hole in the lip isn't going to hurt a thing.

The only thing you were right about is the fact that the tank isn't that big.



:uzi:

 

[TampaReefer79]

YES! I tang in a 29 gallon!!!! Before you get your tazer ready to set to kill, re read my post, I also mentioned it was TINY. It's possibly 2 1/2" around and was temporary.

The part about the hook IS REAL. I have 50 types of coral in the tank all epoxied to the rock work. There is no way to just reach in catch him out. If that was an option I would have done it already. Also if you re-read my post I mention a size 12 BARBLESS hook. I little hole in the lip isn't going to hurt a thing.

The only thing you were right about is the fact that the tank isn't that big.


:uzi:

I gotta say, I didn't feel my response was of the 'attacking' type. Believe me, you'd know if it was. And I def don't think it was deserving of the uzi. :hmm3:

If you want my honest opinion, I don't feel bad for you having to possibly tear the tank apart to catch the fish since it shouldn't have been in there in the first place. I feel bad for the fish. Not only is it in a tank it shouldn't be in, but you feel you have to catch it with a fish hook so you don't have to rearrange the tank and take rockwork apart. In other words, the fish has to suffer because you were irresponsible by adding it to the tank in the first place.

And I read your post originally, no need to re-read it. A 2.5" yellow tang isn't that "small' and didn't need to be in a 29. That's not the answer to your algae problems. If you're having an algae outbreak you need to find the SOURCE and fix the problem that way. Adding a fish that will eat it won't stop the underlying problem. It would actually probably make the problem worse because you added a ton of bioload (if the fish is being fed properly) by adding an eating/pooping machine to a tiny tank to take care of an algae issue.

You had plenty of other algae eating options if you absolutely had to have it eaten rather than fix the issue from the source. Things like snails, crabs, sea hare even...even other reef fish that eat algae that don't require a large tank. Something like maybe a lawnmower blenny etc.

 

[waverz]

Ok, maybe the UZI was a little harsh. My apologies,I get that way around the POLICE sometimes.

For whats is worth I was expecting someone to bring it up.

Trying to make me feel bad about putting a hook in its mouth isn't going to work. I have done nothing baby that fish since it was just a little bigger than the size of a quarter, and now it gets to go live in a 300 gallon tank.

I probably could take the rock work apart and catch it but I'm in it for sport.

Catch and Release!

I gotta say, I didn't feel my response was of the 'attacking' type. Believe me, you'd know if it was. And I def don't think it was deserving of the uzi. :hmm3:

If you want my honest opinion, I don't feel bad for you having to possibly tear the tank apart to catch the fish since it shouldn't have been in there in the first place. I feel bad for the fish. Not only is it in a tank it shouldn't be in, but you feel you have to catch it with a fish hook so you don't have to rearrange the tank and take rockwork apart. In other words, the fish has to suffer because you were irresponsible by adding it to the tank in the first place.

And I read your post originally, no need to re-read it. A 2.5" yellow tang isn't that "small' and didn't need to be in a 29. That's not the answer to your algae problems. If you're having an algae outbreak you need to find the SOURCE and fix the problem that way. Adding a fish that will eat it won't stop the underlying problem. It would actually probably make the problem worse because you added a ton of bioload (if the fish is being fed properly) by adding an eating/pooping machine to a tiny tank to take care of an algae issue.

You had plenty of other algae eating options if you absolutely had to have it eaten rather than fix the issue from the source. Things like snails, crabs, sea hare even...even other reef fish that eat algae that don't require a large tank. Something like maybe a lawnmower blenny etc.

 

[fishybudguy]

dude i have to agree with tampa reefer that fish should have never been there in the first place and yet this is your fault, i also blame the lfs cause they should have known this guy didnt belong.......just sit back relax and if you wantmore fish and corals it is time for a bigger tank.......and just how stuffed is this tank with 50 corals......that in it self concerns me.....anyway good luck and happy reefing

 

[palmer373]

if i were you, i would keep the yellow BUT buy a new tank while your spending some $$ on fish you cant settle in reefing, you always have to 1-up something and in this case 1-up your 29g and spring for a 180 or something...

 

[waverz]

dude i have to agree with tampa reefer that fish should have never been there in the first place and yet this is your fault, i also blame the lfs cause they should have known this guy didnt belong.......just sit back relax and if you wantmore fish and corals it is time for a bigger tank.......and just how stuffed is this tank with 50 corals......that in it self concerns me.....anyway good luck and happy reefing

Fault? There is no fault here. I put the fish in there to do a job. I'm not going to argue there were other methods but this one was cheap and the fish was fun to watch. He did his job and now it's time for him to go. It could be worse, I could have raised him up and butchered him like people do everyday with cows and chickens. Instead he gets to go to a good home.

Last time I checked we are at the top of the food chain, I paid for this fish and I can do what I please with him.

Reality sucks don't it?

 

[waverz]

if i were you, i would keep the yellow BUT buy a new tank while your spending some $$ on fish you cant settle in reefing, you always have to 1-up something and in this case 1-up your 29g and spring for a 180 or something...

Funny, I just downgraded from a 300 gallon SPS system to a 29 last year. Once I get a new house I'll upgrade again. For now, the 29 is working great.

 

[fishybudguy]

wow..........beat your chest and climb to the top of the empire state building........do what you want ........huh.........your great for the hobby

 

[palmer373]

i agree there are no faults here. in my 75 i had a bad GHA problem so i got a yellow tang to fix it. walla its fixed and i like him so im keeping him. if i feel he is too big for the 75 ill find a good home for him or maybe ill just upgrade who knows. i know there is a difference between a 75 and 29 but in reality there is a huge difference between a 75 and the ocean which these fish live in. i wouldnt be surprised if a biologist or someone said keeping a yellow tang in a 180 all by itself is cruel cuase a 180 is a pebble compared to what these fish live in in the wild. in a sense you could call his 29 a grow out tank cuase that is essentually what he is doing. dont you think keeping a big yellow in a 10g or 3 different kinds of large angels in a 55 is cruel? if you do go riot and petetion at all the LFS cause im fairly sure all of them keep them in very small tanks and we dont riticule them much. ya i know your gonna say "but that is only for a little while until they are sold", pretty much that is what waverz is doing, keeping a yellow in a 29 to grow out, its a temp. home not a lifetime home. im not trying to be mean with this post but i agree with waverz, reality sucks cuase you dont have to follow rules.

 

[Iwishihadgills]

I think that tang is fine in their for a couple of months just not much longer . And the barbless hook method works fine but id use a super small circle hook so it doesnt hook her deep. That also needs to be barbless. Circle hooks almost always hook them in the side of the mouth.