Should I get a Yellow Tang?

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thomas.torode

thomas.torode

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I currently have a 55 gallon tank.

Stock:
1 Firefish; 2 clarkaii clowns; 1 bbt anemone; 1 lawnmower blenny; 1 damsel and 1 Fire Red Shrimp

I saw a baby yellow tang at my LFS and really want him. (about 3 inches big)

I am getting a 100 gallon tank in 3 months, which I think would be more
well suited for him.

Do you think he will be able to live in a 55gl for 3 months or should I just
avoid having one till I establish the new tank. Thanks! :beer:
 
I wouldnt put a yellow tang in a tank any less than 75 gallons.
I would wait until you get your new tank setup
 
They need bigger tanks. You said your upgrading in 3 months and were thinking about getting one to put in now.. Does that mean you don't quarantine? Just asking because when you start throwing in tangs like that your asking for trouble.
 
I'm upgrading now. I kept the 55 up to use as a qt for new fish after I moved everyone into the big tank. It's working well, I think the old sand and leftover rocks keep things nice and stable and more like their new home will be. If you've got room, it's a good way to go.

I'm glad I waited till I had the big tank to buy the fish for it. Moving is stressful for them, best to minimize it. And stuff always happens to slow things down. I got the big tank in October and finally moved everybody in last week. I'm the slowest upgraded ever though. Yellow tangs are one of the commonest fish in the hobby, they will be around when you're ready, no need to jump on it now
 
With the risk of offending someone...I have had a small yellow tang in my 55g for about a year. I also have a 3 chromis, 1 damsel, 1 clown and 1 bengai. The tang owns the tank, eats well and is healthy.
I have a 90g on hand that I will be replacing the 55g with eventually, but I see no reason to upgrade yet.
Anyway, mine is small..3" maybe but its growing, albeit slowly.

Pic of said tank and yellow tang:


Sorry about the dirty glass, its usually not :) This tank is also built into a wall between our laundry room and the den.

*edit* One other thing of note maybe...my rocks are arranged so that there is a complete 2"-3" gap (not touching rear glass at all) all along the back and sides, as well as the front. He can go around and around if he chooses., but he's pretty random with his roamings :)
Hope that helps and cheers.
 
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It's easy to say "oh they are fine in a ______ size tank" until you see them in the size for which they are rated.
I kept a YT in my 90 for almost year before moving to a 300 gallon. The difference in the fish behavior is astounding.
Tank ratings are not intended to keep you from getting the fish you want, they are for the long term health and well-being of said fish.
Kudos to the OP for asking BEFORE purchasing and for making a responsible decision.
 
I judge from my fish's behaviour and long-term health. Like I said, I have a 90g ready to go when I choose, but I see no need at this point. He is doing great...and if you think he is crowded, bored or stymied in there, I disagree. I have been keeping reefs since 1989 (Berlin method), from a 55g to a 135g. Anyway:




*edit* I found an old pic of my tank from 1991. (note: no SPS as we didn't know how to care for them that well then)


Cheers.
 
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Two bright yellow fish that are good beginner fish and do well in a 55: the yellow watchman or the midas blenny.
 
ComforablyNumb said:
I judge from my fish's behaviour and long-term health. Like I said, I have a 90g ready to go when I choose, but I see no need at this point. He is doing great...and if you think he is crowded, bored or stymied in there, I disagree. I have been keeping reefs since 1989 (Berlin method), from a 55g to a 135g. Anyway:




*edit* I found an old pic of my tank from 1991. (note: no SPS as we didn't know how to care for them that well then)


Cheers.
Click to expand...

why go from a 55 to a 90, arent both tanks 4 feet long. your not really gaining much

so confused by the tank police

a 2 to 3 inch yellow tank in a 55 gallon tank (4 feet)
a 6 to 8 inch yellow tank in a 150 gallon (6feet)

what is the difference. please dont tell me the fish is happier, been keeping fish for 34 years. never seen a happy fish. fish might get stressed, but never seen a fish smile in my life. also math wise a 3 inch fish can move better in a 55 then a 8 inch in a 150
 
ComforablyNumb said:
I judge from my fish's behaviour and long-term health. Like I said, I have a 90g ready to go when I choose, but I see no need at this point. He is doing great...and if you think he is crowded, bored or stymied in there, I disagree. I have been keeping reefs since 1989 (Berlin method), from a 55g to a 135g. Anyway:




*edit* I found an old pic of my tank from 1991. (note: no SPS as we didn't know how to care for them that well then)


Cheers.
Click to expand...

Think you're missing the point... the 90g won't cut it either. I CAN keep most any fish in the trade in a 10g tank, that doesn't mean it should be. This is always the debate, especially with tangs. To prove that point let us know how it goes when you add anything to the tank after the yellow tang is established in the less than ideal tank size wise
 
Sapelo said:
It's easy to say "oh they are fine in a ______ size tank" until you see them in the size for which they are rated.
I kept a YT in my 90 for almost year before moving to a 300 gallon. The difference in the fish behavior is astounding.
Tank ratings are not intended to keep you from getting the fish you want, they are for the long term health and well-being of said fish.
Kudos to the OP for asking BEFORE purchasing and for making a responsible decision.
Click to expand...

I agree a 55g is to small for a YT

But..... Your saying its better if he left the tang at the fish shop so some kid could come in a buy it for his 10g? Four things could have happen to this yellow tang.
1: he dies at the LFS
2: Someone buys him for their 10 or 20g tank
3: Someone buys him for their 55-75 witch is to small but at least the tang will live
4: Someone with a 150+ gallon tank comes along and buys him. This is by far the rarest option for the fish and unlikely to happen.

In my opinion I would rather be alive in a ticked out bedroom then be dead in the bathroom.
 
Most fish in the hobby will die. Fact. Like 90 precent of fish caught die before they get to the pet shop. So thst means your happy tang in your 300 gallon tank 9 others had to die. Anyone who keeps there fish alive for years in ok in my book. I won't tell an experienced fish guy what to keep in there tank. Keeping fish alive for years is proof enough to me that you know what your doing
 
" To prove that point let us know how it goes when you add anything to the tank after the yellow tang is established"

The tang was put into the aquarium a year ago, along with the 3 chromis when I first started this particular tank. I added the bengai not long after, but the clown and damsel are more recent and added well after the tang had been established. Nothing changed with the tang at all...he chased the new guys around for a bit until he established his dominance and he basically has ignored them ever since, as they do him.

"The difference in the fish behavior is astounding."

I would be very interested in exactly what changed with your fish's behavior.

I'm not trying to start an argument here, I'm willing to listen...but my personal experience with yt's goes back 25 yrs and I've always been proud to provide a good healthy home for them, my other fish and corals. My fish don't die young deaths...nor are they mistreated or neglected. My tang does not go back and forth, back and forth like a caged tiger does. He acts, eats and grows normally. He cruises the tank, he knows its his domain and appears quite comfortable and "happy" (altho I am loath to assign human qualities such as the emotion "happy" to a fish).

Cheers, Tim
 
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There should be a catchphrase that is the opposite of "tang police" for the folks that post the same tired logical fallacies, rhetorical questions, and derailments in every single thread with "tang" in the title. I can't think of any family-friendly ones just now.

This is the new to hobby forum. People should get advice for best practices. Of course people will disagree about what those are, I mean it's not like we can ask the fish what they think, but IMO new reefers have a better chance of success if they err on the side of caution. Also, what works for experienced reefers may not fly in a new tank with less "wiggle room." Both this forum and liveaquaria suggest 100 gallons for yellow tangs, liveaquaria revised their recommendation in the last few years, presumably in light of better understanding of the fish. The forum's recommendation sticky here http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1946007 explains the considerations that went into picking diff sizes for diff species to give the best chance of a good outcome.

Cranks who are trying to bait the tang police with bad logic and asking them to "prove it will never work" are not trying to help newbs increase their chances of success, they are trying to win an Internet fight and justify their choices. People who are genuinely curious as to the basis of recommendations can find answers to all their questions and more by using the search function.
 
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