New 90g All Because Of Dori

[rjwilson37]

I finally stepped up to the plate and got my Dori a 90g tank. A 4 foot 75g/or 90g tank is probably the minimum you want for a Hippo Tang.

I caught a lot of slack over the past year and a half for having a Blue Tang in smaller tanks and didn't think much of it. There are a lot of people who buy a hippo tang because they are so beautiful, and when they are smaller it seems fine to put them in a smaller tank. But boy, do they grow up fast and really need some running...... I mean swimming room and a bigger tank is not that much more expensive if you want this kind of fish. It cost me a lot more to go from a 29g to a 55g breeder to a 90g tank, but I finally got there and love it.

I filled the 29g over the period of a year, and then filled the 55g over the period of a year and a half. The 55g looked really nice, but my Dori was looking a little cramped being 7" long in a 3ft tank. I was feeling bad for her as you can see in the below pictures. She looked fine in the 29g being so small and even in the beginning looked fine in the 55g, but at the end there, she was looking to big for such a small crowded tank.

 

[rjwilson37]

Now, she is verry happy in a 90g, where I am hoping to keep it a more open look only adding a few more choice corals with plenty of room for the fish to swim.

 

[Entropy]

Congrats...

Your corals should be just as happy (if not happier) than Dori...

 

[rjwilson37]

I am hoping that you too will step up to the plate and make sure you put your fish in the appropriate environment that they deserve. Good Luck and Good Reefing!

Here is my happy Dori.

 

[jedimike]

Congrats on the new tank! What kind of tridacnid is that? Squamossa? Looks great.

 

[Entropy]

LOL! I did. That is why I traded my 90g in for a 150g.

 

[rjwilson37]

Congrats on the new tank! What kind of tridacnid is that? Squamossa? Looks great.

It was a beautiful Derasa clam that I got rid of because I was stupid. I did not think I was going to be able to upgrade very quickly and wanted to get back some more space since the clam was growing very quickly. I made the move to the 90g about a month later and realized it was a big mistake to get rid of such a gorgeous clam.

 

[rjwilson37]

Yep... I am probably just like the movie What About Bob, baby steps... baby steps.... going 29g, to 55g, to 90g.

I am thinking I will have this tank for a while anyway, but you never can tell with the reefing bug biting you all the time.

 

[Ky_Yaker]

Beautiful colors in your tank!!! I love the open look.

 

[bad2]

just curious how long she took to grow from that small to that big?

 

[rjwilson37]

Thanks spalmer114! My wife and I like a lot of color.

just curious how long she took to grow from that small to that big?

It took her almost 2 years, but I am thinking that her growth was maybe held back being in a smaller environment. I have heard of them growing to almost there full size of 12" after a year and a half to two years, but I am not sure on this. When they are in the Ocean or in a large tank from the start, I think they grow faster.

 

[rjwilson37]

Here is a few more pictures of the left and right side of my tank. One of my skunk clown pairs is hosting in a feather duster, I am hoping to get an Anemone after the tank matures some more. I have had that feather duster since the 29g tank was first setup almost 3 years ago.

 

[bad2]

Ive had mine 3 months now in a 75G and she has doubled in size from about just under and 1" to about 1.5" now. hoping it takes her at least a year to get full grown as i wont be getting my larger tank until then

 

[rjwilson37]

Ive had mine 3 months now in a 75G and she has doubled in size from about just under and 1" to about 1.5" now. hoping it takes her at least a year to get full grown as i wont be getting my larger tank until then

You have your Dori in a 4 foot 75g tank already, which is a great place to start with a Tang. I love my Dori and hope you have great success with her over the years, but full grown is 12" and that may take longer than a year.

 

[rjwilson37]

I got a new camera because my other one is kinda crapping out, so here are a few more pictures a little better quality and a tank video. I also included a video of my refuge with all the life which partially ends up as food back into my main tank.

http://rjwilson41.com/docs/aquarium/90g/movies/20051028.mov

http://rjwilson41.com/docs/aquarium/90g/movies/refuge.mov

 

[Dubbin1]

Very beautiful fish and tank. So what is your plan when she outgrows the 90?

 

[rjwilson37]

Well... They say that a 4ft tank is the minimum for them and I am glad she at least has that from where I was with the 3ft 55g tank. She should be good for a while and we shall just see over the next year or two what happens, but I am going to leave the open look in this tank so there is a lot of room for the fish to swim.

 

[kingsord0]

I love your tank:thumbsup:

 

[rjwilson37]

I love your tank:thumbsup:

Thanks kingsord0, I am trying for somethng beautiful that I get to enjoy every day. I hope the fish enjoy there home as well.

 

[jay24k]

Looking good. I think your other camera took much better pictures though. I used to think how clear the pictures were. These aren't even close to your quality you used to have. They are still nice but I liked your others better.