big question??

ob_on3

ob_on3

Reefing newb
Everyone seems to make a huge fuss about tangs being in small tanks...saying its unfair and cruel....and I hear ur point...but sumtimes they seem to be kept in good condition and turn out fine.... how come no one makes the same fuss about clowns being in nano tanks...sometimes 15g and even 10g?

:grumble:
 
Tangs are always swimming and almost never stop, in the ocean tangs are never in the same place twice. So they need a very large tank. Clowns on the other hand find something they like and host it. A clown in the ocean will find a spot and will rarely go far from that spot. So a clown can live in 10g because they dont swim as much.
 
Because in the ocean tangs swim long distances at a time just grazing the rocks for algae. They are very fast, active swimmers that NEED that tank length for their overall health.

The reason clowns don't need a large tank is because they can spend their entire life in a 2 sq ft area living in an anemone. They just aren't active swimmers.
 
BL1 said:
Because in the ocean tangs swim long distances at a time just grazing the rocks for algae. They are very fast, active swimmers that NEED that tank length for their overall health.

The reason clowns don't need a large tank is because they can spend their entire life in a 2 sq ft area living in an anemone. They just aren't active swimmers.
Click to expand...

Beat you to it,:mrgreen::mrgreen:
 
uh yeah, that would of been my answer too! Mine did a lot better when he went from a 3' to a 6' tank. he always is moving from one end to the other, where my clowns just move around without a care.
 
OK...but not all clowns end up hosting something.... and they're also recommended a 20g plus....no one seems to care when that happens but tang police come out the wood works...and grozier- u said yours did better when u made that change...better in what? Swimming patterns? Or did u notice a real change in health/color/etc
 
I've had my clown for 4 years. Moved him from a 45 g to a 125g 2 or 3 years ago. In those 4 years, he occupied one spot except during feeding time. I haven't seen or heard of a clown who spends all day darting around the tank unless they are being chased or threatened.

I also watch my tang. He is never in one spot for too long. Always moving and grazing. It's in his nature. It's not a matter of guessing a fish's needs. What I know is that these requirements are accurate, given what I have personally observed. plus you really don't know how long these fish last in a small tank. for all you know these people who shove their tangs in small tanks consider a year of keeping them a success. that is not a success considering a tang could possibly live for 10 or more given the right conditions.

A cliche, but accurate saying among reefers is sure you can put a tang in a small tank and it can survive. but it wouldn't thrive. it's like a human being in a closet all their life. give them food, water, and a toilet, they can survive, but it's not much of a life because by nature, we need interaction and freedom.
 
New did better as in color stays yellow instead of the stressed look he gets when he is mad. Not as aggressive towards other fish. doesn't hide as much now either.
 
Also a blue tang maxes out at about a foot long where as a clownfish only gets 3 inches. There are those people that say "ow i will get a baby tang then it will be fine" But that baby tang is going to grow into a 1' tang.
 
I once read a study that found that the blue tang in the ocean swam on average about 25 miles A DAY. My clowns, maybe swim a yard in a day.
 
here in the UK on a forum i use we have noobs to marines joining a lot lately , and they all say the same thing.

I am new to marines i want a small tank and i want an anemone and a pair of clowns.
now on the forum i use we politely tell people this is not a good idea 1 for the nem , and 2 tank is to small for a pair of clowns etc.
i even read the other day , one member was sent a pm from an other forum he uses and it was a threat saying you cant keep clowns in anything smaller than a 300 L tank and he better stay well clear of the shops local as they use the same shops.
 
That's a bit much. Sure we get upset when people don't at least attempt to make a suitable setup for their fish. But to threaten them in real life? Like that's really going to solve anything. If anything, that person might just do bad things to their fish out of spite :shock:

I've found that sometimes, you cannot convince someone no matter what. They came to get reassurances that putting a tang in a 10g is ok, and if they don't find it, they'll throw a hissy fit and throw insults.
 
sadly it is all to common on UK forums ( not all ) but a lot. things turn and get personal. the fly fishing forum i was on has a lot of extremely respected fly fishermen who could be so friendly and pass on all manor of help , tips to younger folk ( like me even though i am 29 ) but instead they chose to be extremely aggressive and think young people taking up fly fishing is bad and destroying there sport.
and a reptile forum i used to be a member off , things got so bad for 1 member he had to install CCTV outside his home and an alarm straight to the police station , simply because he kept reptiles people did not agree to how they were being kept. thankfully i left the reptile forum many years ago , and i stopped using that fly fishing forum.

and i am now a member of a Scottish wild fly fishing forum where the older members are more than happy to pass on everything they know. even passing on secret fly patterns.
 
wontonflip said:
I've had my clown for 4 years. Moved him from a 45 g to a 125g 2 or 3 years ago. In those 4 years, he occupied one spot except during feeding time. I haven't seen or heard of a clown who spends all day darting around the tank unless they are being chased or threatened.

I also watch my tang. He is never in one spot for too long. Always moving and grazing. It's in his nature. It's not a matter of guessing a fish's needs. What I know is that these requirements are accurate, given what I have personally observed. plus you really don't know how long these fish last in a small tank. for all you know these people who shove their tangs in small tanks consider a year of keeping them a success. that is not a success considering a tang could possibly live for 10 or more given the right conditions.

A cliche, but accurate saying among reefers is sure you can put a tang in a small tank and it can survive. but it wouldn't thrive. it's like a human being in a closet all their life. give them food, water, and a toilet, they can survive, but it's not much of a life because by nature, we need interaction and freedom.
Click to expand...


Well, I may have the only exception too your statement. I have two false ocell and they enjoy roaming around the whole tank. And none of my fish harass each other. They also seem to enjoy heading over too the fun and taking a ride on the current from it lol. Maybe mine are just abnormal?
 
AnthonyTheNewbie said:
Well, I may have the only exception too your statement. I have two false ocell and they enjoy roaming around the whole tank. And none of my fish harass each other. They also seem to enjoy heading over too the fun and taking a ride on the current from it lol. Maybe mine are just abnormal?
Click to expand...

Gve it a couple of weeks, once they find a nice spot they wont use half of the tank.
 
Neno reefs said:
Gve it a couple of weeks, once they find a nice spot they wont use half of the tank.
Click to expand...
That would stink, I enjoy watching them zoom around haha. They are still quite small, one is roughly 1" long, and the other is about 1 1/4-3/8". My Black Clown is fairly large at about 3 1/2" lol. Had to segregate him for his bullish tendencies. Hoping once i add the 95Lbs of rock into the 55 I can try reintroducing him too it and they can all live harmoniously. Any opinions?
 
Thanks lol, hoping it does, if not, he goes right back into his 10 gal. Going to be setting that up as a mini reef soon. Basically Him, and a few CUC and that's all. Either way, win-win :mrgreen:
 
grozier said:
New did better as in color stays yellow instead of the stressed look he gets when he is mad. Not as aggressive towards other fish. doesn't hide as much now either.
Click to expand...


I agree. I have a YT and granted he is in a 90, but at the pet store he was in a 40. I realize the pet store is a temporary situation. He was pale yellow almost white. Since we have had him a month or so, he has a brighter yellow color. https://www.livingreefs.com/light-yellow-tang-t45694.html

Mo, YT, swims around alot, has a great appetite and personality. I also have lots of open areas, tunnels and holes for him to swim through. I also have my rock stable and not against the glass. We have thought of getting a bigger tank down the line, but we will need to see.
 

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