Vlamingi advice

[brad]

I have always wanted this fish, so I purchased 2 of these from saltwaterfish.com on special for $30 each. They advertised "2.5-3 inches" but what I got were closer to 1". They are not emaciated, which was my biggest worry. They are happily swimming around and eating pellet food. Any special advice to keep them alive? I have heard ones that small usually don't make it.

Assuming they make it, how likely will they be to outgrow my tank? Everyone on the web quotes the 60cm as the adult size, but I think most of those quotes are from people who never had a Vlamingi tang. The 60cm is the largest wild specimen, which means typical aquarium specimens will be smaller, but I am not sure how much smaller. I have a 270, but it is only 4' long.

 

[anbosu]

If they live long enough they will outgrow a 4' tank pretty quickly. I have seen numerous specimens on RC over 12".

 

[marlin85]

Ive never seen a vlamingi tang that was 1 inch, thats pretty small, but its good they are eating. Ive had several, if you feed them good they will probably outgrow your tank in 2 to 3 years. They should be in a tank atleast 6 feet once they get larger.

 

[geaux xman]

my buddy has 4 in his 6ft 280g. even a 6ft tank, i think is too small for these fish. his two big ones are easily 10-12" long and still growing. like marlin85 says, i think you are okay for a couple of years.

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[brad]

Thanks. The tank is 6' from corner to opposite corner, so I hope they do okay for at least 1 year. I can post back then.

My largest tang is a Acanthurus pyroferus (chocolate tang, yellow mimic tang, etc). He has been in the tank longer than I've owned it, and hasn't changed size the last few years, so he is fully grown. Do you think my Vlamingi will be okay as long as they are smaller than he is?

 

[brad]

FYI - marlin85, these guys really are that tiny. I've never seen a tang dwarfed by swimming next to a yellow tail damsel, it is comical.

 

[runintoluck]

These guys adapt readily to captive life and are big, messy eaters that poop a LOT. Other than getting pretty long and big they're not that difficult to care for.

 

[anbosu]

Thanks. The tank is 6' from corner to opposite corner, so I hope they do okay for at least 1 year. I can post back then.

My largest tang is a Acanthurus pyroferus (chocolate tang, yellow mimic tang, etc). He has been in the tank longer than I've owned it, and hasn't changed size the last few years, so he is fully grown. Do you think my Vlamingi will be okay as long as they are smaller than he is?

I think once they get to six inches or so (which I would think is bigger than your mimic tang) it will be time for them to get more room.

The little ones are pretty cool looking, so I understand the temptation.

 

[brad]

My Acanthurus pyroferus is more than six inches. Fishbase lists these as 25cm (almost 10 inches), but mine isn't that long. I am not sure how to measure fish - net them and flop them down on a ruler?

 

[fsbbn@hotmail]

I got one a year and half ago at 5". It is now 12 inches including the tail. He is in a 16 ft long tank and loves to pace back and forth. Sometimes when he is agitated and swims fast even this tank seems small. I had one in a 10ft tank before and IMHO that is about the smallest length i would keep one as they love to pace back and forth. Finally, I have seen then 2 ft in the wild and in some public aquariums but never in a personal one. However, the unicorn does get 2 feet (I have one) and would avoid that at all cost. My 2000 gal tank sometimes seems too small for it and i would give it away if i could to a larger public aquarium but don't have access to one.
One more thing about my valmingi is that it sometimes picks a fight with my 10 inch male cross hatch trigger and for a couple of weeks after that has a swollen eye that eventually goes away.

 

[Eric the half-bee]

Beautiful fish and very gentle. They don't belong in anything under 400 gallon or less than 8'. I had one for nearly 4 years in in my tank, he was quickly cramped. These fish need length to swim.