Naso tang up and down what to do
- Thread starter amnbowser
- Start date
Exactly. My dog will do that when he wants to go out.
sandwi54
New member
this is a sign of stress and boredom, usually caused by lack of room. from my experience with naso tangs, sometimes this is an indication that the tank is lacking flow. how much flow do you have in your tank? tangs, especially large tangs such as naso, require a lot of flow, so much that you see dirt and detritus being blown all over the place.
the proposed theory behind this is that when there is not enough flow in the tank, tangs think that they have been swept ashore by tidal waves and will be left to dry out and die. when there's enough flow they have to work harder to move around the tank, and this makes them think there's more room than there really is. note that this is NOT the excuse for putting a fish in a tank that's too small, but rather something to make an appropriately sized tank more habitable for a marine fish.
in any case, start preparing that 350 gallon tank now as naso tangs grow huge fast. by 8-10" the 210g will start feeling small. my 225g is already looking small for my 8" pair of naso and i'm thinking about upgrading to a 400g. they really need a whole lot of room.
the proposed theory behind this is that when there is not enough flow in the tank, tangs think that they have been swept ashore by tidal waves and will be left to dry out and die. when there's enough flow they have to work harder to move around the tank, and this makes them think there's more room than there really is. note that this is NOT the excuse for putting a fish in a tank that's too small, but rather something to make an appropriately sized tank more habitable for a marine fish.
in any case, start preparing that 350 gallon tank now as naso tangs grow huge fast. by 8-10" the 210g will start feeling small. my 225g is already looking small for my 8" pair of naso and i'm thinking about upgrading to a 400g. they really need a whole lot of room.
Well I wasn't expecting the response automatically that my tank is to small. Now had I have put him in a 90 I would see the frustration. Expecting someone not to buy any tangs for a 210 is non sense. I will increase flow with more power heads I appreciate your help. This is not an adult naso and I should have clarified that. Thanks for all the help.
TruespeedEM1
New member
There are plenty of tangs that can be kept in a 210, but out of them all, a naso is arguably one of the largest growing, if not THE largest
This is known as stereotypy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereotypy#In_animals
It's unclear why this happens in some animals but not others, but it's related to an unnatural environment (too small, inadequate stimulus, inability to engage in natural behaviors, etc.). Your tank is definitely larger than most, but there's probably no normal-size tank that guarantees that a tang - Naso, Hepatus, Yellow, etc. - won't have this problem. Even a 10-foot tank - like Snorvich suggests - is no guarantee, although logic suggests that it would reduce the chances of this happening.
I think that your best shot is changing the tang's environment substantially. That could be by re-arranging live rock, adding/changing flow, or moving the tang to a different tank for a while -- even possibly a smaller tank. Hopefully, the brain changes involved aren't permanent. Good luck.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereotypy#In_animals
It's unclear why this happens in some animals but not others, but it's related to an unnatural environment (too small, inadequate stimulus, inability to engage in natural behaviors, etc.). Your tank is definitely larger than most, but there's probably no normal-size tank that guarantees that a tang - Naso, Hepatus, Yellow, etc. - won't have this problem. Even a 10-foot tank - like Snorvich suggests - is no guarantee, although logic suggests that it would reduce the chances of this happening.
I think that your best shot is changing the tang's environment substantially. That could be by re-arranging live rock, adding/changing flow, or moving the tang to a different tank for a while -- even possibly a smaller tank. Hopefully, the brain changes involved aren't permanent. Good luck.
sandwi54
New member
not sure why you made this statement. none of the replies even remotely mentioned that you shouldn't buy any tangs for your 210.
most tangs can comfortably live in a 210 for their entire lives. naso tang, reaching 18" max length, requires a 10-foot tank. you just happened to pick one that's not suitable for your tank. i can think of 20 other tangs that can. why don't you look into those?
sandwi54
New member
The following is an excellent write-up by snorvich on naso tangs. Steve, let me know if it's ok to post your blog here.
The Naso tangs grow to be a spectacular reef fish; they are hardy, eat well in captivity, doesn’t bother sessile invertebrates, and rarely quarrels with other reef fish. Sounds like the perfect addition to your reef aquarium, right? The problem is that it grows to an adult length of almost two feet!
Some aquarists such as ones on this thread say they plan to keep a particular fish until it outgrows their home aquarium and then donate it to a public aquarium, another aquarist or their LFS. While this sounds reasonable, it shouldn’t be assumed that the local public aquarium, LFS, or fellow hobbyist will accept your donation. Most public aquariums are inundated with donations of fish and simply don’t have the room or need for many fish. And of course, the health of your environment, no matter how good, is an unknown to public aquaria. LFS will only take fish they can sell. Large fish require large tanks and few folks really have LARGE tanks; some do most do not.
I’ve often seen the statement, “I’ll get a bigger aquarium when it grows.” While this is honorable, it rarely materializes. My estimate of upgrades that NEVER happen is about 90%. The fish frequently suffers and dies long before a new and appropriate habitat is obtained.
Then there is the attitude that you’re not going to keep the fish alive long enough for it to outgrow your aquarium anyway. While this is rarely said aloud, we all know it’s out there and came up implicitly in this thread. Aquarists with this mentality should find another hobby.
The other side of the argument is illustrated by these statements: “So what if we purchase a fish that will outgrow its cage.” “After all, we’re not obliged to recreate a natural habitat for a fish to live out its natural lifespan.” “It’s already been taken from its “home” and placed in a glass box, so what difference does it make how long it lives?” “Let’s not kid ourselves; we’re not coming close to creating a natural reef in our homes anyway.” “Assuming it’s not an endangered species, there’s no harm done.” “After all, we capture many species of fish to eat and no one complains about that.” There is some validity to these arguments. After all, what is the point of our home aquariums? Guilty pleasures, a home decoration, an educational instrument. In any case, the goal is rarely to see how close we can come to keeping a fish alive for its natural lifespan.
Let’s return to Naso tangs. The Naso tangs are part of the large family of tangs and surgeonfish, Acanthuridae. It belongs to the sub- family, Nasinae, which contains the single genus, Naso. There are 20 species of Naso tang. Naso tangs are distinguished by the two fixed spines on the caudal penduncle. In other tangs and surgeonfish, the spines retract into a sheath. Some Naso tangs develop nasal protrusions as they mature. These can be small humps or single large horns, hence the name “unicornfish.”
All the Naso tangs get very large by aquarium standards. Adult sizes range from 12 inches up to 36 inches ( Naso annulatus)! Most of the Naso tangs are somewhat understated in coloration, with the exceptions of perhaps N. lituratus and N. elegans. Even the Vlamingi tang is a bit of an ugly duckling. The magnificent coloration doesn’t manifest itself until the fish reaches 8-10 inches in length.
Naso tangs are primarily mid-water planktivores. They cruise reef walls in large numbers and feed on passing zooplankton in the tidal currents. They will also graze the substrate for algae, a trait that is more pronounced in some species than others (e.g., N. lituratus and N. elegans ).
Naso tangs are a widespread species and occur throughout the Indo-Pacific Ocean, but are not present in the Atlantic Ocean. Because of their size and swimming habits we recommend a 10 foot tank minimum. Tank length is most important not gallons.
The Naso tangs grow to be a spectacular reef fish; they are hardy, eat well in captivity, doesn’t bother sessile invertebrates, and rarely quarrels with other reef fish. Sounds like the perfect addition to your reef aquarium, right? The problem is that it grows to an adult length of almost two feet!
Some aquarists such as ones on this thread say they plan to keep a particular fish until it outgrows their home aquarium and then donate it to a public aquarium, another aquarist or their LFS. While this sounds reasonable, it shouldn’t be assumed that the local public aquarium, LFS, or fellow hobbyist will accept your donation. Most public aquariums are inundated with donations of fish and simply don’t have the room or need for many fish. And of course, the health of your environment, no matter how good, is an unknown to public aquaria. LFS will only take fish they can sell. Large fish require large tanks and few folks really have LARGE tanks; some do most do not.
I’ve often seen the statement, “I’ll get a bigger aquarium when it grows.” While this is honorable, it rarely materializes. My estimate of upgrades that NEVER happen is about 90%. The fish frequently suffers and dies long before a new and appropriate habitat is obtained.
Then there is the attitude that you’re not going to keep the fish alive long enough for it to outgrow your aquarium anyway. While this is rarely said aloud, we all know it’s out there and came up implicitly in this thread. Aquarists with this mentality should find another hobby.
The other side of the argument is illustrated by these statements: “So what if we purchase a fish that will outgrow its cage.” “After all, we’re not obliged to recreate a natural habitat for a fish to live out its natural lifespan.” “It’s already been taken from its “home” and placed in a glass box, so what difference does it make how long it lives?” “Let’s not kid ourselves; we’re not coming close to creating a natural reef in our homes anyway.” “Assuming it’s not an endangered species, there’s no harm done.” “After all, we capture many species of fish to eat and no one complains about that.” There is some validity to these arguments. After all, what is the point of our home aquariums? Guilty pleasures, a home decoration, an educational instrument. In any case, the goal is rarely to see how close we can come to keeping a fish alive for its natural lifespan.
Let’s return to Naso tangs. The Naso tangs are part of the large family of tangs and surgeonfish, Acanthuridae. It belongs to the sub- family, Nasinae, which contains the single genus, Naso. There are 20 species of Naso tang. Naso tangs are distinguished by the two fixed spines on the caudal penduncle. In other tangs and surgeonfish, the spines retract into a sheath. Some Naso tangs develop nasal protrusions as they mature. These can be small humps or single large horns, hence the name “unicornfish.”
All the Naso tangs get very large by aquarium standards. Adult sizes range from 12 inches up to 36 inches ( Naso annulatus)! Most of the Naso tangs are somewhat understated in coloration, with the exceptions of perhaps N. lituratus and N. elegans. Even the Vlamingi tang is a bit of an ugly duckling. The magnificent coloration doesn’t manifest itself until the fish reaches 8-10 inches in length.
Naso tangs are primarily mid-water planktivores. They cruise reef walls in large numbers and feed on passing zooplankton in the tidal currents. They will also graze the substrate for algae, a trait that is more pronounced in some species than others (e.g., N. lituratus and N. elegans ).
Naso tangs are a widespread species and occur throughout the Indo-Pacific Ocean, but are not present in the Atlantic Ocean. Because of their size and swimming habits we recommend a 10 foot tank minimum. Tank length is most important not gallons.
sandwi54
New member
yeah don't get defensive. we're all here to help and don't mean to criticize. one thing you can try is to cover up the side of the glass where the naso paces with a sheet of towel. he should stop pacing immediately. leave the towel there for 3 days, remove it, and see if it's still doing the same thing. my guess is that it should stop. although, the ultimate solution will be for you to get more flow in the tank. for a 210g, you should have at least two powerheads that can do over 3000g/hr. put one on each side of the tank and aim them towards each other to create large water disturbances as well as undertows on the bottom of the tank.
how big is your naso and how long has it been in the tank by the way? if it's new to the tank, it'd generally take a few days for it to settle down and get familiar with the tank.
how big is your naso and how long has it been in the tank by the way? if it's new to the tank, it'd generally take a few days for it to settle down and get familiar with the tank.
It's new and I added two more power heads tonight total of 5 plus I have a dart for return pump it's rocking in there now. I think all will be well he is about 4.5 inches I would say. I will honestly go to a ten foot tank eventually in fact I was looking at them today. I try to do my research before I buy stuff and I must admit this naso was an oversight on my part.
sandwi54
New member
remember, it's not really about how many powerheads you use, but rather the strength of them. two powerheads at 3500gph pointed at each other will create more turbulent flows than five at 1500gph.
at 4.5" you should have a good 2-3 years before you need to upgrade the tank. just make sure that happens though.
at 4.5" you should have a good 2-3 years before you need to upgrade the tank. just make sure that happens though.
jjk_reef00
New member
My old 8" Naso would pace the 8' front of my 300 at least twice a day...
Extremely active and powerful fish.
Extremely active and powerful fish.
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