Question for the "tang police"

[eisaiasjr]

Hello:

I have had an Elos system 70 (55 gal display - 29,52 x 22,44 x 19,7 h inch) running and populated now for about 6 months. its mostly a Seahorse tank which contains 4 erectus, a pair of naked percs, and a pair of helfrichi dartfish as well as some shrimp.

I have been playing with the idea of adding 1 tang into the system TEMPORARELY until my 1000 gal tank is installed early next year.

I have been looking at 3 different options - Chevron, Yellow or Blue tangs. I was hoping that someone with tang experiance would be able to help me with this.

1) Is it OK to add TEMPORARELY (9 months or so) a 2-3 inch specimen into this tank, knowing it will be placed into a much larger tank later?

2) Can you forsee any issues with any of these tangs towards the rest of the lifestock I currently have? My favorite is the Yellow tang, closely followed by the Chevron...

3) Would it be OK to place this tang for 15 days in a quaranteen tank that is 6 gallons?

Your feedback

Regards,

Estefano

[BrianD]

I don't think a quiet seahorse tank is the proper environment for a highly active fish like a tang. I would wait until the bigger system is set up.

[SDguy]

You might to check in the seahorse forum, but, yeah, I would think a relatively spastic tang (compared to horses) wouldn't be the best companion....

[flashyleopard]

The tang will probably eat all of the food, before the seahorses got any. Seahorses are also kept at cooler temps, than most people keep a reef tank. The cooler temps or a bounce from cooler seahorse temps to warmer reef tank temps is a sure way to bring out ick in a tang, which is already predisposed to it. If you have calurpa or other algaes as holdfast for the seahorses, the tangs will make short work of them also. From what I have read, seahorse tanks have higher nurtient loads due to the nature of the feeding required for the seahorses. Tangs are best kept in as pristine water as possibel, though same could be said for all fish, but with ick-prone tangs, I would be more concerned.

[d4a2n0k]

Might as well wait for your new tank. Its not like any of the three Tangs you want are hard to find fish.

[snorvich]

Agree with all of the opinions above.

[Chibils]

Sea horses:
- cool water (72).
- quiet.
- slow.
- poor feeders.
- tanks are generally higher in nutrient load from heavy feedings.

Tangs:
- warm water (reef, 78-82).
- active.
- fast.
- very aggressive feeders.
- require good water quality and heavy oxygenation.

I know it's really tempting, but I wouldn't do it.

[Macimage]

I agree with all the posters above. It would really be best to wait for the health of your seahorses and the tang.

Joyce

[ricks]

I agree with all the above...

I have 5 large Tangs in our 500, they require large open areas to swim. You would be stressing them out to much for even a short time. And a 6 gallon is way to small..

Good Luck, on your jump from a 55 to a 1,000, that is a mighty big step....

Happy Reefing