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Question for the tang police (1 Viewer)

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Erin

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Once I get a larger tank, I’d like to have an Acanthurus tang, ideally a lavender. It’s difficult to find a consensus on what size tank is best (minimum size...) and since I will be getting a shallower tank (18-21” tall) I can’t really rely on using gallons as a good indicator. Would a 60” x 24” footprint allow enough swimming room? Do I need to have 6 feet or larger?

It will be a while before I’m ready to purchase, so any feedback is appreciated. :)

 

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I think that should be fine. I used to keep Zebrasomas in my old 90 which only had a footprint of 48" x 15", and they seemed happy (especially once I finally learned that you have to feed them Nori no matter how much algae is in the tank, so they stopped dying after 2-3 years of HLLE).

And kudos on your taste in tangs! I have always wanted a lavender tang. If you find a good one, let me know and I'll come over and steal it, or at least admire it.
 
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I’ve had tangs in 48’s and they do well. Had a 150/G 60x24 and they seemed to like that extra swimming room.

A 180/G 72x24 is tang heaven. If you really enjoy them and want a lot of horizontal swimming space...180/G is an excellent choice.

They run the 48’s and 60’s really fast. Not so fast in that 72.
 
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Erin

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I think that should be fine. I used to keep Zebrasomas in my old 90 which only had a footprint of 48" x 15", and they seemed happy (especially once I finally learned that you have to feed them Nori no matter how much algae is in the tank, so they stopped dying after 2-3 years of HLLE).

And kudos on your taste in tangs! I have always wanted a lavender tang. If you find a good one, let me know and I'll come over and steal it, or at least admire it.
I also like the lieutenant tangs but I think they grow faster and get bigger than lavenders. I have a kole in my 90 gal (48x18) who’s pretty special and will be getting a foxface soon, so I’ll definitely take my existing flock into account before adding another similar fish.
 
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Erin

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I’ve had tangs in 48’s and they do well. Had a 150/G 60x24 and they seemed to like that extra swimming room.

A 180/G 72x24 is tang heaven. If you really enjoy them and want a lot of horizontal swimming space...180/G is an excellent choice.

They run the 48’s and 60’s really fast. Not so fast in that 72.
For me, a 60x24 will be about a 110 gallon display and a 72x24 will be about 130 gallons.
 
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Sorry to hijack this thread but I am looking to add a powder blue or lavender, purple or yellow, and a chevron to my 180. Does anyone see any issues with this combination. Currently I have a juvenile emperor, 4 lyretail anthias, 2 orange storm clowns, diamond goby, 3 yellow tail damsels, one spot fox face, and a flame hawk.
 
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Erin

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Sorry to hijack this thread but I am looking to add a powder blue or lavender, purple or yellow, and a chevron to my 180. Does anyone see any issues with this combination. Currently I have a juvenile emperor, 4 lyretail anthias, 2 orange storm clowns, diamond goby, 3 yellow tail damsels, one spot fox face, and a flame hawk.

I can't speak to the compatability of the other fish, but I believe the Chevron is a bristletooth like the kole, so shouldn't be a problem with a different species of tang.

On an unrelated note... chevrons and yellow are $$$$$... can I have a loan? 😂 (j/k... we all save up for that special fish or coral :) )
 
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Erin

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Acanthurus are swimmers. They will want lots of flow and need room to swim. You could start with a juvenile but eventually it will need a larger tank.

Steve, so even a 6 foot tank will be too small? Like I said, I'm still doing research and may not get one at all; I don't like to buy pets that I'll eventually have to rehome simply because I can't meet their environmental needs.
From what I've read, lavenders are slower growing and seem to be one of the smallest acanthurus, so I was hoping they might be a good option.
Thanks for the feedback.

P.S. my plan has been to get a 5 foot tank, but I thought if they need a 5-6 footer, I could go a little longer... I don't have the space for a monster tank like Triggerfan's old one ;)
 

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Eventually I would say yes but you are correct it is a bit smaller.

I had an Achilles in a 7’ so no preaching from me. My tank is setup so they can swim behind the rock work and that is exactly what it did. It would lap the tank. I just figured eventually it would have to go someone with a larger tank.

Try to get one in 3” range.

I think Reefaholic was asking because lower rock density allows more room for fish that like swimming vs. a rock wall that takes up a 1/3 or more of the swimming room.
 

steveb

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I can't speak to the compatability of the other fish, but I believe the Chevron is a bristletooth like the kole, so shouldn't be a problem with a different species of tang.

On an unrelated note... chevrons and yellow are $$$$$... can I have a loan? 😂 (j/k... we all save up for that special fish or coral :) )
You likely won’t be able to get a Chevron as it was principally imported from Hawaii and that is currently shut down.
 
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Erin

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You likely won’t be able to get a Chevron as it was principally imported from Hawaii and that is currently shut down.
Liveaquaria has a couple in their divers den section...
 
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Erin

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Eventually I would say yes but you are correct it is a bit smaller.

I had an Achilles in a 7’ so no preaching from me. My tank is setup so they can swim behind the rock work and that is exactly what it did. It would lap the tank. I just figured eventually it would have to go someone with a larger tank.

Try to get one in 3” range.

I think Reefaholic was asking because lower rock density allows more room for fish that like swimming vs. a rock wall that takes up a 1/3 or more of the swimming room.
Yes, I get that, but I will be taking those other factors into consideration once the tank is set up... for now, I just wanted to see if a 5 or 6 foot long tank would even be advisable for these fish.
 

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I'm not familiar with the Lavendar tang personally (as in I've never had one) but IMO, acantharus tangs are all different. My achilles and my powder blue use up some real estate, ie. they swim a lot. My fowleri (also an acantharus) on the other hand is twice the size of the other two but uses a lot less room. Probably need to speak with someone that has actually had one. My tank footprint is 8' x 3' and the achilles uses up every bit of that.
 
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Erin

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I'm not familiar with the Lavendar tang personally..... Probably need to speak with someone that has actually had one.
Thanks, that's part of why I asked about this variety specifically ;)
But joking aside, your info is similar to what I've found online... there's not a general consensus on this species of tang. I guess I should assume that if a 180 gal, for example, is recommended they are talking about standard tank sizes and that subtracting a few inches of height won't make that big a difference.
 
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Erin

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Let me be more relevant to your question. You don’t have the tank and if you actually did..I think the tang would likely die. Just my opinion though. There’s no way to actually know for sure right now, because again...you don’t have the tank.

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Jared, please stay on topic. I'm not sure why you feel the need to be so confrontational with me all the time, but it's really quite tiresome.

I like to break down problems and look at specific variables when asking for solutions, especially when doing so in writing, so I get the info I'm looking for - hence the very specific question about tank length vs actual gallons. Sorry if that doesn't fulfill your need to extrapolate and expound on other aspects. I do think it's funny that you posted keeping tangs in a 48 with no problem but think mine will die...
 
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Jared, please stay on topic. I'm not sure why you feel the need to be so confrontational with me all the time, but it's really quite tiresome.

I like to break down problems and look at specific variables when asking for solutions, especially when doing so in writing, so I get the info I'm looking for - hence the very specific question about tank length vs actual gallons. Sorry if that doesn't fulfill your need to extrapolate and expound on other aspects. I do think it's funny that you posted keeping tangs in a 48 with no problem but think mine will die...
Maybe because of how you responded. You should expect people to ask about the rock work. Completely relevant to your question. Any tank choked out with wall to wall rock and little swim room will create a stressful environment for tangs. Plain and simple.
 
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