I was Wondering

[CiroFuentes22]

I was told at my LFS that i am running a risk by haveing a Blue Damsle, ocellaris clown fish, and Blue tang all in a 15 USG tank. Is this True or not.

[SDguy]

Damsel and clown will be OK. Ditch the tang: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=739380

[BTTRFLYGRL]

The Tang will grow to around 1'..It needs a 6' tank

[CiroFuentes22]

im going to move it in to my 55 gallon but im letting it cycle for another 2 week hopefully and i know it wont grow i just wanted to know if one might kill the other. And if so which one will kill.

[Amphiprion]

Hmm... there is potential that the damsel may bully the clownfish. I would add the clown first, if possible.

[CiroFuentes22]

it is actually the other way around. my clown is the one that is pushing the dams around and the tang just swims around and bothers the dams every once in a wile and then starts to pec at my crab.

[eskymick]

If the blue tang is one of those 1" "babies" we so often see at LFS, then I'd say it'd be ok to keep it in the 15 gallon tank for the two weeks time.

Keep an eye on your water chemistry, though.

[hgbarwick]

No its not ok to keep any tang in a small tank. I am not part of the ploice but a 55 gallon will not be big enough. You need at least a 6 foot tank for your tang to be happy.

[Rothie]

I think the LFS was referring to the tank size,not the combination.

[CiroFuentes22]

Well the thing is that i know that it will survive in the 55 becuase my dad has had his in his 55 for about 2 years now with no problem. I honestly dont think that it needs a 6 foot tank to live in, cause there are many people who have thiers in a 90 gal. and they have no problems with the fish not haveing enough room to swim. And yes eskymick it is one of the 1" tang you find at your LFS.

[Arch01]

A 90 gallon is still considerably larger than a 55. Full grown, the tang will be longer than the tank is from front to back, but it is unlikely the fish would ever make it to that size...

[BTTRFLYGRL]

No, it won't...It will die from STRESS before it reaches it potential size..I waited until I got an 8' ,240 gallon to get my Hippo, I wouldn't even get one when I had my 125..I want to provide the best care I can for my fish..Forcing a fish to live its life in a tank that is entirely to small just because 'we want the fish' is cruel and selfish, IMO. Kind of like forcing a Great Dane to live in a closet

Okay...stopping here before I say too much

:D

[SDguy]

OK, time for devil's advocate to rear his head.

1. "It WILL die from stress" While I agree with the theory behind this statement, I avoid saying it so frankly since I have no proof/experience to confirm this. If someone has an 8" hippo for 15 years in a 120g and it dies, technically, yes, what you said exactly happened. Is that bad though? I mean, who here has fish that old, stunted or otherwise? I'd say 15 years would be a good run. I do know there is one person on here with a 9-10 year old scopas in a 40. Is that bad?

2. I think "potential size" is misleading. Do you think your hippo will hit 12" in your 240? I actually don't. Why? Because I have yet to see a 12" hippo in captivity (in person or picture) other than in a public aquarium. If I'm wrong or I've missed one, I apologize in advance.

3. Please don't compare warm blooded mammals to fish. Metabolism, skeletal/muscle development....too different.

So, I'm not arguing with you here. I agree with what you are saying, and that a 15g and 55g are too small. I just don't want the OP to feel overwhelmed, and think you need a swimming pool sized tank for some of these fish.

Hope I didn't ruffle any feathers :D

[eskymick]

Bottom line .... if you already have the damsel and the clown and the 1" blue tang in the 15 gallon tank, they'll be fine for two weeks (provided the water paramaters are kept optimal). If you don't already have the blue tang, it'd be prudent to wait untill you have a larger tank ready for it before you purchase it.

There is no need to rush such a purchase, they're one of the most common fish on the market.

[BTTRFLYGRL]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7965244#post7965244 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SDguy
OK, time for devil's advocate to rear his head.

1. "It WILL die from stress" While I agree with the theory behind this statement, I avoid saying it so frankly since I have no proof/experience to confirm this. If someone has an 8" hippo for 15 years in a 120g and it dies, technically, yes, what you said exactly happened. Is that bad though? I mean, who here has fish that old, stunted or otherwise? I'd say 15 years would be a good run. I do know there is one person on here with a 9-10 year old scopas in a 40. Is that bad?

2. I think "potential size" is misleading. Do you think your hippo will hit 12" in your 240? I actually don't. Why? Because I have yet to see a 12" hippo in captivity (in person or picture) other than in a public aquarium. If I'm wrong or I've missed one, I apologize in advance.

3. Please don't compare warm blooded mammals to fish. Metabolism, skeletal/muscle development....too different.

So, I'm not arguing with you here. I agree with what you are saying, and that a 15g and 55g are too small. I just don't want the OP to feel overwhelmed, and think you need a swimming pool sized tank for some of these fish.

Hope I didn't ruffle any feathers :D


:eek: How dare you!!

Just kidding:D I have read more experienced hobbyist say the same...Will try later to find quotes

A 120, while not 6', has a lot more room than a 55...And though I recommend a 6' tank for these fish..I won't say anything about someone keeping one in a 120.

Will the fish reach its full size in my 240? Can't say..I do feed my fish well and I do use Vitamins and other supplements , I do weekly water changes and I stock lightly..etc..etc...so I hope they will live a long time...Potential size probably varies with each fish, that's why I always say they will reach 'around' 1'


I do apologize to Cirofuentes22..I sometimes get a little 'emotional' about the subject....And no, you don't need a swimming pool to house these fish;)

[Arch01]

I'm with Kim... no feathers ruffled. I'm not going to argue you HAVE to have a 6' tank to keep those fish, just that they will live longer, fuller lives in something more appropriately sized. Even a young adult hepatus will struggle in a 55g, IMO.

[Arch01]

BTW, a 4'x4' tank has almost 6' of diagonal distance from corner to corner, so that should be plenty of room, right?? :D

[SDguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7966229#post7966229 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Arch01
BTW, a 4'x4' tank has almost 6' of diagonal distance from corner to corner, so that should be plenty of room, right?? :D

Oh no, geometry class flashbacks :eek2:

Excellent point though :D

[jmaneyapanda]

I think we should all make another point very clear. Just because someone has a 250 or 500 or 8 million gallon tank DOES NOT mean that their fish will live full happy lives and grow to maturity. Water volume is but one of MANY variables which aquarist must consider when housing fish.

I person wih a 50 gallon and impecable husbandry standards will surely keep a tang longer than a person with a 500 gallon who does not feed, care, or monitor their fish properly.

[Arch01]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7966588#post7966588 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jmaneyapanda
I think we should all make another point very clear. Just because someone has a 250 or 500 or 8 million gallon tank DOES NOT mean that their fish will live full happy lives and grow to maturity. Water volume is but one of MANY variables which aquarist must consider when housing fish.

I person wih a 50 gallon and impecable husbandry standards will surely keep a tang longer than a person with a 500 gallon who does not feed, care, or monitor their fish properly.

A fair point, but that doesn't make a small tank more appropriate. It just means you have to care for the animals in your keep, and part of that is providing ALL of their needs not just the ones that are convenient.

[localdeltarider]

Wouldn't the size needed for a tang have more to do with the ratio of the tangs size to to length and volume of a tank than simply stating that tangs idealy need a 120-210 gallon tank.

Lets say someone has a 1" Tang in a 20 gallon that is 24" long
is that any worse than having a 8-10" tang in a 210 that's 72" long. I mean heck even a 3"-4" tang is probably 30 to 40 times greater in volume than a 1" tang yet it's okay to keep it in a tank that is only 3 times the length and 10 times the volume of a 20?

I know that when Tangs get larger they should be moved to larger tanks. I'm just saying that it seems like the tank size compared to the size of the fish should be factored instead of making the blanket statement that Tangs need 6' of space to swim.

[jmaneyapanda]

Arch01- I agree with you 1000000%. It just seemed to be turning into a discussion of 250+ gallons=success, which is far from true.

localdelta- also a good point- however the guidelines of 210 gallon, 250 gallon etc are based on common and typical sizes of the fish in retail. Would a 12" fish do better in a 5000 than a 500, most likely. Is it improper to keep it in a 500- perhaps, but that really depends on a alot of factors. The main point trying to be raised is that a small tang will outgrow a 24" tank in short order, and should not be intended to be kept long term.

[Serioussnaps]

oh man is this a joke????? dont react to it

[SDguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7966898#post7966898 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Serioussnaps
oh man is this a joke????? dont react to it

How this adds to a perfectly civil and mature conversation, I don't know. :rolleye1: