Tang question

[zchauvin]

Is putting a 1" tang in a 36" tank any worse than having a 8" tang in a 96" tank? I always see people saying that these fish need more room and certain tanks are too small and on and on. Just wondering why it would be such a big deal to have a 1" blue hippo in a 36" tank ( 36 x it's body length ) versus a 8" blue hippo in a 96" tank ( 12 x it's body length). I know the argument is always over the fact that they need swimming space but in this situation would the smaller fish not be better off??

 

[Nina51]

the issue is that any tang will outgrow a 36" tank. then you are left with a very stressed fish which can lead to its demise, becomes aggressive to other tank inhabitants, or you are left with a fish you will have to either re-home or do an upgrade for.

 

[zchauvin]

Ok I understand and it's taken into account, obviously this is not the best situation but it is possible, no? I am only curious as I have heard several people be so against it when it seems as though it would be better ( taken you re home fish or move to a larger system).

 

[Dmorty217]

Rule of thumb is IF the specimen can live out its entirety in the tank at max recorded size... So a tang that gets over 1ft isn't advised in a 36" tank even if you purchase at 1". Fish that are fed properly can grow a handful of inches a year easily depending on species

 

[zchauvin]

Yeah I understand. I guess working at an lfs for a few years blurred my judgement. I've seen so many people keep small tangs in 40b and similar only to get scolded and told how wrong they were but the person telling them this has a 120 with 200lbs of rock and a 6" naso with streamers.... The fish moves its tail twice and is in the next corner swimming up the glass.

 

[jbvdhp]

Tang question

People will always be entitled to an opinion. I don't know how people can judge how happy or "sad" a fish may be, but the truth is people are putting fish that will potentially get large in small systems all the time. Not the best thing, but it's done.

I have friends who have 60 cubes, or 4' tanks with tangs that never grow. One blue tang has stayed 2" for over 4 years. Stunted growth? Probably, but it ain't dead and still swims and eats like normal...

I dunno, this hobby is weird and frustrating at times.

 

[Browndawg80]

The other side of the coin is that life happens. A power outage, kid dumping something into tank etc could wipe out the fish long before it reaches maturity. Growing a fish out from 1" to full size is hard to do and not for everybody. A 1" fish will be fine in that tank for a year or so, if you're willing to upgrade tanks for it or trade it in once it gets to be too big then go for it.

 

[Betta132]

With a growout tank like that, you just have to be absolutely certain the fish will have a new home the day it's too large. Either be certain you'll have a larger tank by then, or find someone who'll take it if you don't have a tank by then.
If you're certain you have a place for it, though, a baby tang in a small tank is fine.

 

[PaletteSurgeon]

Blue Hippo Tangs, or Palette Surgeonfish get to be 1', and should be housed in an aquarium with higher flow and ample swimming space.

 

[Azedenkae]

Is putting a 1" tang in a 36" tank any worse than having a 8" tang in a 96" tank? I always see people saying that these fish need more room and certain tanks are too small and on and on. Just wondering why it would be such a big deal to have a 1" blue hippo in a 36" tank ( 36 x it's body length ) versus a 8" blue hippo in a 96" tank ( 12 x it's body length). I know the argument is always over the fact that they need swimming space but in this situation would the smaller fish not be better off??

You are correct in saying that a small fish would still have plenty of swimming room in a smaller tank. In this case the tang will outgrow your tank, but so long as you plan for that eventuality, that should be fine.

I personally have a small Regal (Hippo) currently residing in my 10 gallons and doing great. I know it'd probably only last in there for another half a year or so, but is moving in about three months and gonna do an upgrade so not worried. Plus I work for a LFS, so can always bring it there in the worst case scenario.

A bit of preparation is all it takes. So yah imo if you are prepared for the eventualities, then go ahead.

[EDIT]

Thought I'd just mention:

I've actually had a few customers add a tiny fish to a huge tank, and they had trouble being comfortable venturing out, didn't get any food, and eventually died. Happened quite a number of times now. So in a way, it's probably actually better to let a small fish grow in a smaller tank first.

Sometimes it's not necessary as some would add multiple fish at once and they'd be comfortable from the getgo, but without properly cycling most only add one at a time and well, the result is as above.

 

[pktech]

I've never seen a fish grow as rapidly as my trio of regal hippos! They were the size of a thumbnail & within 3-4 months popped to 2+ inches. And continued to grow.. They were gorgeous & developed the yellow belly right away so unfortunately, I knew it was time to rehome them.