Small Blue Tang- Space requirments

[The_Reef_Keeper]

How much space would an 1 1/2 inch blue tang need?
:fish2:
:fish2:

Same with the yellow tang (1 1/2 in)

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Which blue tang, there are actually two different ones and they look totally different. One is shaped like the yellow and the other is the Hippo tang or "Dori" as in the movie.

But short answer is they won't be that size for very long and fish need to be purchased for the size they will become. In the case of these two you need to go with the larger suggested tank size for the Hippo tang if that is in fact what you're talking about which is a minimum of 180 gals. The Hippo tang also gets to over a foot long.

 

[Dmorty217]

If Dori is what blue tang your referring to then 180g. A single yellow should be kept in a 125g minimum

 

[scooter31707]

IMO, I think the Hippo may need a 8ft tank. The way I am taking in your question, is really how long do you have in your tank before they get big to get rid of them. You didn't state your size tank and I am going to step out and say don't get neither one if you don't have the tanks sizes that was recommend ^^^. We hear this all the time, I am planning to upgrade when they get bigger. Guess what, sometimes life doesn't go the way we plan and then you are suck with two big and aggressive fish without an upgrade. Just my 2 cents.

 

[ThRoewer]

How much space would an 1 1/2 inch blue tang need?
:fish2:
:fish2:

Same with the yellow tang (1 1/2 in)

As much as a big one needs.
That's simply because in a year he will be big and he will need room to swim and territory to claim.

With tangs it's like with sharks - only those with appropiatly sized tanks should get them. 250 gallon should be considered the bare minimum for one of the smaller species.
Unfortunately too many people cram tangs in tanks that are too small and then have nothing but problems.

 

[The_Reef_Keeper]

Thanks Guys

 

[Dmorty217]

As much as a big one needs.
That's simply because in a year he will be big and he will need room to swim and territory to claim.

With tangs it's like with sharks - only those with appropiatly sized tanks should get them. 250 gallon should be considered the bare minimum for one of the smaller species.
Unfortunately too many people cram tangs in tanks that are too small and then have nothing but problems.

Good advise. Unfortunantely, in this hobby most don't have a 250g tank but there are plenty of tangs sold everyday

 

[jbvdhp]

Had a 4" hippo in a 3' 70 gallon for 4 years, healthy fish, didn't look right in that tank though. Had since smaller, and I bought a 6' tank for it but had a heater blow up in the middle of the night and killed the poor thing, while in its holding bin.

Have a friend who had a 2" hippo that never grew. Kept him in a 60 cube. Maybe it's cuz he kept it in a 60 cube? But he had it for 3+ years at that size.

Personally they look great in a large, long tank cuz they swim all the time. Zipping back and forth, it's cool. But man some are fugly as they're super big.

 

[ThRoewer]

Good advise. Unfortunantely, in this hobby most don't have a 250g tank but there are plenty of tangs sold everyday

The manager of a LFS told me that the average tank sizes their customers have are in the 55 to 100 gallon range and almost everyone has or wants a tang.
So you can safely assume that about 95% of all tangs in hobbyist hands are housed in tanks too small for them alone, but often there are actually multiple tangs together...
That's just disaster waiting to happen...

 

[kmbyrnes]

One of the reasons I got a larger tank was to house some bigger fish.
It was always a struggle going fish shopping with my wife because she would see cute little fish and I knew they would require more than the 125 gallons we had to work with.
And I know I will now be able to give at least one or two fish the kind of room they deserve after an LFS sells Dory to some unsuspecting new reefer.

 

[SaltwaterTeabag]

My LFS tried to sell me a "Dory" and a yellow tang, I told her I only have a 60gal. cube tank. Her response was "oh that's plenty of room".
Good thing I knew better........thanks to this board...

 

[T Haynes]

The manager of a LFS told me that the average tank sizes their customers have are in the 55 to 100 gallon range and almost everyone has or wants a tang.
So you can safely assume that about 95% of all tangs in hobbyist hands are housed in tanks too small for them alone, but often there are actually multiple tangs together...
That's just disaster waiting to happen...

250 seems a little high for a minimum size. There's some tangs that would do fine in a 125. Idk that a hippo is one though

 

[Dkuhlmann]

250 seems a little high for a minimum size. There's some tangs that would do fine in a 125. Idk that a hippo is one though

I'm pretty sure that's his self imposed min size.