Question for some tang experts

Polahbear

New member
Ok i currently have a 90Gallon, and my only Tang is a brown Scopas Tang. As it seems to be one of the few Tangs that can be housed in a 90, and I have read that they are great for reefs as they pick on algae.
Now my Tang question is about blue Hippo tangs, as my wife loves them. I know they are out of the question in my current tank.
Now I had said before my current residence won't allow for a larger Tank, But it seems that issue is cured, because I'm Moving! Our new house has a HUGE basement and My awesome wife has already blessed off on me having as many tanks down there as i want! I just have to get proper ventilation, plumbing and electricity installed. As i am planning to put my office down there anyway this will be awesome because i can finally enjoy my tank while in the room i'm in most. More great news is the basement floor is concrete slab so large tanks won't be dangerous to the floor, My original idea was one BIG display tank upstairs and plumbed into the basement, but that much weight scares me and while my wife is awesome, she is not so thrilled with me cutting holes in the floor.
So Now that i know i can get a bigger tank I have questions on these Tangs. On the Tang tank size chart it says they need a 240g and minimum length of 8 feet, I am not sure that I can get a 240g down the stairs and around the corner into place. But a custom thinner tank probably could. A standard 240 is 96x24x24 it may be to wide and tall, But if I had a custom tank built say 96x18x18 about 134 gallons, and i add a giant sump to make the total water volume over the 240 would that be ok? It would give enough length, but would those missing 6 inches in width and height cause issues for the Tang when turning around? Also could a hippo and a scopas live in this space without too much aggresion.
Or would it be possible to have a tank assembled in the basement? Its not that a 240g is too large to have in the basement, its just i don't think I can get one in there!
I'm still in the thinking things up stage, I don't have the funds to get the giant tank yet, but knowing what may be? will help with where my current tanks go.
 
It sounds like you are saying that you want to put a Hippo in a 134g tank that is 8 feet in length. I am no expert, but I hope that those who have experience will chime in on whether the other dimensions make a difference.
 
If 96x18 would clear the corner I'd go something like 96x36x18.

If you think about it, you're only fighting 2 dimensions... length and width. Turn it sideways and it's length and height.
 
My suggestion is to buy a couple boxes, tape them together to replicate the tank size that you want, and see if it will fit down the stairs. In my experience, blue tangs will grow quickly to 6-7 inches but then their growth rate seems to slow down.
 
Water volume is not the issue with tangs, the footprint of the tank matters most. Swimming room is paramount. The 134gal tank will not work IMO.

You could likely find a tank builder willing to build the tank on site.
 
the box idea is great i will be sure to try that. Now about turning the tank on its side does that put to much pressure on the side panel while holding it? I just wanted to ask because the way i read it the important factor was length because these are swimmers, but I figured asking is the correct approach, to figure out the best course of action.
 
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