Attention Tang Police!!!!

ct103 · 01/09/2009, 06:00 PM

I have been watching a scopas tang at the lfs for about a month he appears very healthy, I have observed him eat. He is very beautiful and I would love to have him but I know nothing about the care of this species. Info please. Should I or should I not get him. Minimum tank size, care level etc.

seapug · 01/09/2009, 06:07 PM

This might be helpful:
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...hreadid=739380

WaterKeeper · 01/09/2009, 06:07 PM

It would be a smart move to pass it up. Keep it on your list for when you get a bigger tank. They are close cousin of the yellow tang and are herbivores. Because they are small, under 6", people tend to shoehorn them in to a small tank. My own feeling is they need at least a 90.

giapam · 01/09/2009, 07:50 PM

got 2 scoupa adult sized, in a 80g tank. hehe

Tswifty · 01/09/2009, 09:12 PM

spleify · 01/09/2009, 09:25 PM

Definitely read seapugs thread, that is a good read.

Also Live Aquaria is a pretty good source for info on fish.

HTH

and BTW I would stay away from the tang for now too.

Good luck and happy reefing.

Spleify

Misled · 01/09/2009, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by giapam
got 2 scoupa adult sized, in a 80g tank. hehe

You're Being Watched!!!

Tswifty · 01/09/2009, 09:39 PM

That's great.

jubjub · 01/09/2009, 11:31 PM

shrug.....i love this forum but that tang police picture and the attitude is one thing i really dislike....

there was a thread a while back about how big of a tank they really need...not the one seapug linked...but to make a short story short, tangs want alot of swimming because they graze, and need to move to the food, this guy did some research and found that if the food always stayed in the same place they wouldnt really move.... i mean heck if my g/f brought me del taco and beer everyday why would i leave my computer room right; same concept

Tswifty · 01/10/2009, 12:02 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by jubjubrsx
shrug.....i love this forum but that tang police picture and the attitude is one thing i really dislike....

.... i mean heck if my g/f brought me del taco and beer everyday why would i leave my computer room right; same concept

You should see if she can add a sense of humor to that list as well.

Anyway, I don't know how Waterkeeper does it? Maybe typing in red helps.

Good luck... lighten up... it's a hobby.

MotherFish · 01/10/2009, 12:07 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by jubjubrsx
shrug.....i love this forum but that tang police picture and the attitude is one thing i really dislike....

there was a thread a while back about how big of a tank they really need...not the one seapug linked...but to make a short story short, tangs want alot of swimming because they graze, and need to move to the food, this guy did some research and found that if the food always stayed in the same place they wouldnt really move.... i mean heck if my g/f brought me del taco and beer everyday why would i leave my computer room right; same concept

Actually, ALL of the marine fish that we keep in our tanks require a massive amount of room for a healthy and active natural lifestyle.
The environment they are adapted to is MASSIVE compared to the tiny boxes we keep them in.
Did you know that in the wild a simple clownfish, not a Tang mind you, but a simple clownfish that we hardly ever see swim more than 12" from it's host in our tanks, normally swims over an area equal to 10,000 gallons? (Julian Sprung, 2007)

It is the same as any zoo you might go to.
You see the tigers living together on a couple of acres of land surrounded by a moat, yet in their natural habitat, they might travel over an area 100 square miles in a single day.
What should be considered natural or healthy?
Is surviving the same as living?

Yeah, we've learned how to keep a cow alive in a pen small enough that it can't stand-up until we can eat it as tender, tasty Veal, but does that might it humane or right?
I'm not trying to put down anyone's way of thinking, we are all entitled to disagree, but I would like everyone to stop for a moment and think about the quality of life that we impose on our pets.
Happy reefing to both you and your fish.

Misled · 01/10/2009, 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by jubjubrsx
shrug.....i love this forum but that tang police picture and the attitude is one thing i really dislike....

I'd usually let this go, but how do you know my attitude from what I posted? If you look at "ANY" of my posts you'd know better!!!

T J, I'll talk to you later today!!!!!

qfrisco · 01/10/2009, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by MotherFish
Actually, ALL of the marine fish that we keep in our tanks require a massive amount of room for a healthy and active natural lifestyle.
The environment they are adapted to is MASSIVE compared to the tiny boxes we keep them in.
Did you know that in the wild a simple clownfish, not a Tang mind you, but a simple clownfish that we hardly ever see swim more than 12" from it's host in our tanks, normally swims over an area equal to 10,000 gallons? (Julian Sprung, 2007)

This is exactly what I think everytime I see rules-of-thumb around tank sizes for fish, etc. I mean, how do we really know a 6' tank is actually much better than a 4', etc? A 6' tank, though bigger than a 4', is still tiny compared to what those fish are used to in the wild.

WaterKeeper · 01/10/2009, 01:33 PM

Frisco,

We don't know but experience with tangs shows they need more swimming room than other fish of similar size. People keep tangs in a 55 all the time and some have good results while others lose them. I'm not on the tang police bandwagon, where a reefkeeper is told to get a 300 gallon tank for a yellow tang. I do tend to err on the side of caution when a new to the hobby reefer asks about keeping one in a smaller tank, however.

qfrisco · 01/10/2009, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by WaterKeeper
Frisco,

We don't know but experience with tangs shows they need more swimming room than other fish of similar size. People keep tangs in a 55 all the time and some have good results while others lose them. I'm not on the tang police bandwagon, where a reefkeeper is told to get a 300 gallon tank for a yellow tang. I do tend to err on the side of caution when a new to the hobby reefer asks about keeping one in a smaller tank, however.

Fair enough. :-)

WaterKeeper · 01/10/2009, 05:17 PM

I'm not so sure; CT has not returned.

ct103 · 01/10/2009, 06:08 PM

I'm back, debate after debate, it seems! i've seen the threads on yellow tangs but just ran across this guy and was interested.

01/09/2009, 06:00 PM	#1
ct103 Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Enterprise, AL Posts: 420	Attention Tang Police!!!! I have been watching a scopas tang at the lfs for about a month he appears very healthy, I have observed him eat. He is very beautiful and I would love to have him but I know nothing about the care of this species. Info please. Should I or should I not get him. Minimum tank size, care level etc.

01/09/2009, 06:07 PM	#2
seapug Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: 4980 ft. Posts: 7,954 Blog Entries: 1	This might be helpful: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...hreadid=739380 __________________ insert clever saying here. Current Tank Info: 200 gallon custom Marineland DD peninsular tank. LPS dominated mixed reef. Previous 90 gallon mixed reef TOTM April 2009.

01/09/2009, 06:07 PM	#3
WaterKeeper Bogus Information Expert Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 16,147	It would be a smart move to pass it up. Keep it on your list for when you get a bigger tank. They are close cousin of the yellow tang and are herbivores. Because they are small, under 6", people tend to shoehorn them in to a small tank. My own feeling is they need at least a 90. __________________ "Leading the information hungry reefer down the road to starvation" Tom Current Tank Info: 130 Now out of service and a 29

01/09/2009, 09:12 PM	#5
Tswifty Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: PA Posts: 14,022	__________________ "Enough light? Heck I could go barebottom and grow SPS in the stand!" - DiscoReefRover

01/09/2009, 09:25 PM	#6
spleify Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 9,579	Definitely read seapugs thread, that is a good read. Also Live Aquaria is a pretty good source for info on fish. HTH and BTW I would stay away from the tang for now too. Good luck and happy reefing. Spleify __________________ Make it a Great Day!!!! Current Tank Info: 60 gal SPS cube, with 25 gal refugium, 400W MH, DIY Lumenarc III, DIY skimmer, DIY stand and canopy. 40 breeder LPS with 40 gallon sump, DIY stand, 250W MH

01/09/2009, 07:50 PM	#4
giapam Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 67	got 2 scoupa adult sized, in a 80g tank. hehe

01/09/2009, 09:39 PM	#8
Tswifty Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: PA Posts: 14,022	That's great. __________________ "Enough light? Heck I could go barebottom and grow SPS in the stand!" - DiscoReefRover

01/09/2009, 11:31 PM	#9
jubjub Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: vacaville, cali Posts: 2,698	shrug.....i love this forum but that tang police picture and the attitude is one thing i really dislike.... there was a thread a while back about how big of a tank they really need...not the one seapug linked...but to make a short story short, tangs want alot of swimming because they graze, and need to move to the food, this guy did some research and found that if the food always stayed in the same place they wouldnt really move.... i mean heck if my g/f brought me del taco and beer everyday why would i leave my computer room right; same concept __________________ "The world holds two classes of men - intelligent men without religion, and religious men without intelligence." - Abu Ala Al-Maari

01/10/2009, 01:33 PM	#14
WaterKeeper Bogus Information Expert Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 16,147	Frisco, We don't know but experience with tangs shows they need more swimming room than other fish of similar size. People keep tangs in a 55 all the time and some have good results while others lose them. I'm not on the tang police bandwagon, where a reefkeeper is told to get a 300 gallon tank for a yellow tang. I do tend to err on the side of caution when a new to the hobby reefer asks about keeping one in a smaller tank, however. __________________ "Leading the information hungry reefer down the road to starvation" Tom Current Tank Info: 130 Now out of service and a 29

01/10/2009, 05:17 PM	#16
WaterKeeper Bogus Information Expert Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 16,147	I'm not so sure; CT has not returned. __________________ "Leading the information hungry reefer down the road to starvation" Tom Current Tank Info: 130 Now out of service and a 29

01/10/2009, 06:08 PM	#17
ct103 Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Enterprise, AL Posts: 420	I'm back, debate after debate, it seems! i've seen the threads on yellow tangs but just ran across this guy and was interested. __________________ Some people are like slinkies, not really good for anything, but they can still make you smile when you push them down the stairs. Current Tank Info: 55 gallon reef/ 1-55 gallon cichlid tank