Tank size for tangs...

[brad]

I disagree with the premise that a longer thinner tank is better than a wider tank of equal volume. I have a 4'x4' with fish that I know would never have worked in my 120. I hate seeing long, thin tanks with active fish that can barely turn around. Completely unscientific, but would you want to spend your life pacing back and forth in a line?

Don't look at the size of the fish, but the activity level. I had yellows in my 120, a hepetus for years, a mimic, or purple would probably be fine. A powder blue or Achilles is not much bigger of a fish than some you can get away with, but IMO needs a bigger tank than a sailfin.

I am also going to go against the majority and say it is fine to get a tiny tang and hope it doesn't outgrow your tank, as long as you are willing to give it up if it does. I have 3 yellows right now that are about 3 inches. They don't seem unhappy in any way, look perfectly healthy, but never got bigger. People advise you not to take a grouper or shark, as you won't be able to rehome it when it gets too big, but I doubt you'll have trouble finding a home for a tang.

 

[Salty150]

I disagree with the premise that a longer thinner tank is better than a wider tank of equal volume. I have a 4'x4' with fish that I know would never have worked in my 120. I hate seeing long, thin tanks with active fish that can barely turn around. Completely unscientific, but would you want to spend your life pacing back and forth in a line?

Don't look at the size of the fish, but the activity level. I had yellows in my 120, a hepetus for years, a mimic, or purple would probably be fine. A powder blue or Achilles is not much bigger of a fish than some you can get away with, but IMO needs a bigger tank than a sailfin.

I am also going to go against the majority and say it is fine to get a tiny tang and hope it doesn't outgrow your tank, as long as you are willing to give it up if it does. I have 3 yellows right now that are about 3 inches. They don't seem unhappy in any way, look perfectly healthy, but never got bigger. People advise you not to take a grouper or shark, as you won't be able to rehome it when it gets too big, but I doubt you'll have trouble finding a home for a tang.

:facepalm:

 

[Higher Thinking]

A thread about tank size for tangs is like a battle cry for the self righteous. Everyone comes flocking to give their opinion. Nearly every single fish swims for more than a square yard, yet I'm willing to bet most of these overly critical people keep fish in tank sizes less than that. So how does that fit the argument that because certain fish swim a lot, then they need big tanks? Every fish in the ocean swims in a space bigger than the average tank.

Does that make keeping a large fish in a small tank ok? No. But it also means that no one really has any "room" to talk. Pun intended...