yellow tang

[jarock]

I acclimated my yellow tang by doing a drip for 2 hours and then let him loose in the tank with the lights off by slowly sliding him out of the bag, he is hiding underneath one rock and sitting there is that normal ? He swam around checking things out for around 5 min then hid .

 

[Rufio808]

I would believe it's normal behavior. I'd be shocked if he swam around like he owned the place.

 

[dcantucson]

Yup that's normal. He may hide for up to a week.

 

[Melosu58]

I agree too. He`s just acclimating himself to the tank. Give him a few days and he`ll be out and around before you know it.

 

[PRC]

a 55g tank is too small for a yellow tang. I hear the sirens.

 

[OhNoNemo]

yeah but he's really tiny , i bet ;)

 

[cthegame]

If the tang is really tiny, it should be ok for a few months in a 55 but, its still a risk imo. Anything bigger than a baby/tiny tang wont last long in a tank that size.

+1 all of the above on the acclimation. Give it a week or so...

 

[Smitty]

+1 everyone. Depending on what other fish are in your tank, he'll be out even sooner.

 

[jarock]

i have 1 flamehawk and 2 clown fish in my tang and he is fairly small. i wont be putting anymore fish in my tank .

 

[PRC]

If your goal is to not buy more fish and to keep the Yellow Tang in the 55g you're going to have issues. Yellow Tangs need at least 100g tanks they require alot of swimming room. If they don't have the swimming room they need they won't last.

 

[Melosu58]

I would even go as far as to say that it needs to be a 6 foot tank.

 

[jarock]

so far he is doing really well i will keep everyone posted , also all the information i have ever read says they need at least a 4 foot tank for swimming alot .

 

[Northstar24]

I hear sirens.....

Sometimes I don't think a 6 foot is long enough for my tangs

 

[PRC]

We usually quote Liveaquaria on this site for specs on fish. They're generally a good guideline for fish. I have a Yellow Tang, they're very active horizontal swimmers. Sometimes I think he feels cooped up in my 6' tank.

Saltwater Aquarium Fish for Marine Aquariums: Yellow Tang - Hawaii

Yellow Tang : Care And Requirements Of The Yellow Tang

Yellow tang - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

To give full disclosure I also found 2 sites that recommend at least a 55g tank. Notice the pictures of the Tangs....they look skinny and sick. Definitely not healthy.

Yellow Tang, Yellow Sailfin Tang, Zebrasoma flavescens scroll down to the bottom of the page....These knuckleheads actually posted a pic of a yellow tang that already looks sick to promote you buying a tang from their site..hmmmm.

Yellow Tang Profile - A Profile of the Yellow Tang Here's another...sickly looking tang.

Here are some pics of my personal tang..notice the difference. The Tang body should look smooth and streamlined...not bumpy.

 

[PRC]

Did somebody Call?

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKH-uMyVcmk]YouTube - Reefman and Tang Police[/ame]

 

[jarock]

thanks prc very informative info and your tang looks awesome , mine is not bumpy at all i will post a pic of herb tomorrow after work if i have time, so the possibility to keep a yellow tang in a 55 gallon is slim to none for a long period of time then ?I am just very skeptical since my one neighbor has had his in the exact same size tank as mine and his yellow tang is doing great he has had him for over 3 years

 

[ErinCahir]

The possibility of keeping a yellow tang in a 55 gallon for a long period of time is definitely slim to none. I say your neighbor got lucky. Or his tang is suffering in silence.
And I love the tang police video.

 

[Bifferwine]

And I love the tang police video.

If you loved the video, then you are going to love these!

 

[ErinCahir]

HA! The last one is my favorite.

 

[dcantucson]

The Effects of Keeping Fish in Too Small of a Tank | eHow.com