Which tang?

Marinemom · 06/16/2006, 12:10 AM

I have a 60 gallon reef that has been up for five and a half months. It has 89 pounds of live rock in it with several soft corals and a few stonies as well. Currently there is a green chromis and a gold striped maroon clownfish in this aquarium. I have a six line wrasse in quarentine that will stay there over the next few weeks. My question is the last fish I would like to add after the six line wrasse is a tang. Like I said this is only a 60 gallon reef so I need some suggestions on which tang would be appropriate for this size tank. A few have been suggested to me but I'm not sure if they will grow too large for my system. Yellow tangs I think grow quite large although that seems to be everyone's first choice for this size tank. Other suggestions have been the Kole(or yellow eye) tang, the scopas tang and the chevron tang. Out of all of these I think I perfer the chevron tang with the Kole coming in a close second. So naturally I have to ask what you all think of these choices or if you have suggestions on some other tang. I've always wanted a tsang in my saltwater tank if I ever had one and since I started this saltwater reef five and a half months ago I have been trying to decide which tang would be suitable and live happily in this tank. I do water changes every Friday of 10-15 gallons and the SG stays at 1.026. I test regularly and my water peremeters are fine. So please help me out in deciding which tang will go into quarentine after the six line wrasse gets out of jail.

Any and all suggestions are welcome. Thanks in advance for helping me with this delimma.

Marinemom

Bambalamb · 06/16/2006, 12:54 AM

Seems to me you have added fish in the correct order. If it were me, I would let the sixline out of quarantine before adding a tang. I think any tang you want to add would be ok in your tank given there is only 4 fish in a 60 gallon tank.

BTW, all the fish you have or are thinking of getting (or already have) could be considered aggressive. There might be some bickering for a day or two.

Avi · 06/16/2006, 07:22 AM

The only one that might be suitable for a 60-gallon tank, IMO, would be a Kole Tang. I have a Chevron Tang in my 120-gallon reef and it's barely large enough for it.

Capt_Cully · 06/16/2006, 09:17 AM

kole tang

JRistau81 · 06/16/2006, 09:21 AM

^^ agree

cyclops23 · 06/16/2006, 09:45 AM

not to try and change your mind or anything, the kole is a cool fish, but i just put a tomini in my tank a month ago. the colors are AWESOME. just some food for thought. here's the link:
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...cfm?pCatId=334

kevin2000 · 06/16/2006, 09:50 AM

I think your tanks too small for any tang .. including a Kole tang. You might consider substituting one of the dwarf angels which are just as colorful but will thrive in your size tank.

Marinemom · 06/16/2006, 11:57 AM

I'm only having four fish in this reef because really I want the focus to be on the reef and the corals with the fish there just to compliment the reef. Like I said before I really have my heart set on one tang for this reef which I think is possible with such a low bio-load and lots of swimming room in and out through the live rock and the corals. I have thought about the dwarf angels but it really is a crap shoot wheather or not they will bother the corals. I have some beautiful corals that are thriving and I just do not want to risk having an angel mess with them. I really like the chevron because of his beautiful colors but I will go with the kole if the chevron will get too big for my system. I was told that if I keep the fish to just four in my tank than this should be O.K. I have tried to find through my research on the net how big the chevron or the kole will eventually grow to but I cannot seem to find that piece of information. Can someone please tell me this soo I can make an informed decision.

My six line wrasse is in quarentine and he will stay there for a few weeks. I think someone said to get him out of quarentine before quarentining a tang which is exactly what I plan to do. The six line will go in to the reef in a few weeks and then it will be time for the quarentine to start with the tang. I just want to research the tang possibilities now so I can get the one I want when the time is right. This is proving to be a real dilemma and I think a little confusing. I want to find the right information for the right fish in my aquarium.

Any and all advice and suggestions are greatly appreciated. Please help me in making the right decision. Thanks in advace to everyone who is trying to help me out with this.

Marinemom

r0bin · 06/16/2006, 12:38 PM

I have researched the Kole tang, b/c I was thinking of getting one for my 75. Koles get 6-7 inches max. They seem like thay must be one of the smallest tangs available. I do not believe any fish reaches its maximum size in captivitry. I am not condoning you putting one in your tank nor discouraging you, just passing along the info.

namas · 06/16/2006, 01:43 PM

The bio load has nothing to do with the tank size.
The tang could be the only fish in the tank and would still be too small of a tank for a tang.
75 gallon is the recommended size tank for the smallest tang, so yours is too small for a tang.
Now with that being said. IMO if you know that you can not keep them long term and are willing to either upgrade your tank in a year or get rid of the fish in a year and you start with a small tang. It may be ok for short term, not that I suggest doing this, as most people don't want to give up a fish that they have had for 6 months to a years time as they become a friend.
So maybe consider upgrading to larger tank for your tangs health.

06/16/2006, 12:10 AM	#1
Marinemom Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 534	Which tang? I have a 60 gallon reef that has been up for five and a half months. It has 89 pounds of live rock in it with several soft corals and a few stonies as well. Currently there is a green chromis and a gold striped maroon clownfish in this aquarium. I have a six line wrasse in quarentine that will stay there over the next few weeks. My question is the last fish I would like to add after the six line wrasse is a tang. Like I said this is only a 60 gallon reef so I need some suggestions on which tang would be appropriate for this size tank. A few have been suggested to me but I'm not sure if they will grow too large for my system. Yellow tangs I think grow quite large although that seems to be everyone's first choice for this size tank. Other suggestions have been the Kole(or yellow eye) tang, the scopas tang and the chevron tang. Out of all of these I think I perfer the chevron tang with the Kole coming in a close second. So naturally I have to ask what you all think of these choices or if you have suggestions on some other tang. I've always wanted a tsang in my saltwater tank if I ever had one and since I started this saltwater reef five and a half months ago I have been trying to decide which tang would be suitable and live happily in this tank. I do water changes every Friday of 10-15 gallons and the SG stays at 1.026. I test regularly and my water peremeters are fine. So please help me out in deciding which tang will go into quarentine after the six line wrasse gets out of jail. Any and all suggestions are welcome. Thanks in advance for helping me with this delimma. Marinemom

06/16/2006, 07:22 AM	#3
Avi Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Westchester County, NY Posts: 7,327	The only one that might be suitable for a 60-gallon tank, IMO, would be a Kole Tang. I have a Chevron Tang in my 120-gallon reef and it's barely large enough for it. __________________ I'd keep the whole ocean if my den were big enough Current Tank Info: 120 gallon reef with 210 lbs. of live rock, Aqua-C EV180 Skimmer, Aquactinic double 250W MH with blue plus t5 support; 58 gallon freshwater planted tank using CO2 and T5s; 30-gallon cube with a few fancy goldfish; and a 110 gallon FOWLR

06/16/2006, 09:17 AM	#4
Capt_Cully Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Syracuse, NY Posts: 13,574	kole tang __________________ People say cars are a bad investment. Those people don't have reef tanks. Current Tank Info: 120, Radion Gen 2 Pro x 2

06/16/2006, 09:21 AM	#5
JRistau81 Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Springfield, Illinois Posts: 264	^^ agree __________________ I like pigs. Dogs look up to us; cats look down on us, but pigs treat us as equals. - Winston Churchill Current Tank Info: 150 gallon, 2 Hamilton 400w 14K Metal halide, Red Sea Berlin Skimmer (Don't scoff, it works well), 150-200 lbs LR, 50 lbs LS, 100 lbs Southdown...anything else?

06/16/2006, 12:54 AM	#2
Bambalamb Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 102	Seems to me you have added fish in the correct order. If it were me, I would let the sixline out of quarantine before adding a tang. I think any tang you want to add would be ok in your tank given there is only 4 fish in a 60 gallon tank. BTW, all the fish you have or are thinking of getting (or already have) could be considered aggressive. There might be some bickering for a day or two.

06/16/2006, 09:45 AM	#6
cyclops23 Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Milton, WI Posts: 613	not to try and change your mind or anything, the kole is a cool fish, but i just put a tomini in my tank a month ago. the colors are AWESOME. just some food for thought. here's the link: http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...cfm?pCatId=334

06/16/2006, 09:50 AM	#7
kevin2000 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 3,805	I think your tanks too small for any tang .. including a Kole tang. You might consider substituting one of the dwarf angels which are just as colorful but will thrive in your size tank.

06/16/2006, 11:57 AM	#8
Marinemom Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 534	I'm only having four fish in this reef because really I want the focus to be on the reef and the corals with the fish there just to compliment the reef. Like I said before I really have my heart set on one tang for this reef which I think is possible with such a low bio-load and lots of swimming room in and out through the live rock and the corals. I have thought about the dwarf angels but it really is a crap shoot wheather or not they will bother the corals. I have some beautiful corals that are thriving and I just do not want to risk having an angel mess with them. I really like the chevron because of his beautiful colors but I will go with the kole if the chevron will get too big for my system. I was told that if I keep the fish to just four in my tank than this should be O.K. I have tried to find through my research on the net how big the chevron or the kole will eventually grow to but I cannot seem to find that piece of information. Can someone please tell me this soo I can make an informed decision. My six line wrasse is in quarentine and he will stay there for a few weeks. I think someone said to get him out of quarentine before quarentining a tang which is exactly what I plan to do. The six line will go in to the reef in a few weeks and then it will be time for the quarentine to start with the tang. I just want to research the tang possibilities now so I can get the one I want when the time is right. This is proving to be a real dilemma and I think a little confusing. I want to find the right information for the right fish in my aquarium. Any and all advice and suggestions are greatly appreciated. Please help me in making the right decision. Thanks in advace to everyone who is trying to help me out with this. Marinemom

06/16/2006, 12:38 PM	#9
r0bin Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Earth Posts: 1,132	I have researched the Kole tang, b/c I was thinking of getting one for my 75. Koles get 6-7 inches max. They seem like thay must be one of the smallest tangs available. I do not believe any fish reaches its maximum size in captivitry. I am not condoning you putting one in your tank nor discouraging you, just passing along the info.

06/16/2006, 01:43 PM	#10
namas Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Pottstown PA Posts: 81	The bio load has nothing to do with the tank size. The tang could be the only fish in the tank and would still be too small of a tank for a tang. 75 gallon is the recommended size tank for the smallest tang, so yours is too small for a tang. Now with that being said. IMO if you know that you can not keep them long term and are willing to either upgrade your tank in a year or get rid of the fish in a year and you start with a small tang. It may be ok for short term, not that I suggest doing this, as most people don't want to give up a fish that they have had for 6 months to a years time as they become a friend. So maybe consider upgrading to larger tank for your tangs health.