Keeping a tang in a 8 month old 55 gallon tank

[Cole.mormon]

I want to keep a convict tang in a 55 gallon tank with plans for a future 75 gallon tank

Also what is the diet

And will it be ok in a 30 gallon qt for a week and a half with an emerald crab

[Cole.mormon]

The stock is one nassarius snail, two blue damsels, a 4 stripe damsel, young yellow watchman goby, two turbo snails, a coral banded shrimp, and a scarlet skunk cleaner shrimp. 70 lbs live sand and 15 lbs of live rock with a 10 lb resin cave system.

[Tired]

Never buy a fish for a tank you don't have. Especially not tangs. It's bad practice- what happens if you can't get the tank in the future? What happens if it grows faster than expected? 

 

Convict tangs need a minimum 100 gallon tank, anyway. 

[TerraIncognita]

25 minutes ago, Cole.mormon said:

The stock is one nassarius snail, two blue damsels, a 4 stripe damsel, young yellow watchman goby, two turbo snails, a coral banded shrimp, and a scarlet skunk cleaner shrimp. 70 lbs live sand and 15 lbs of live rock with a 10 lb resin cave system.

You already have a great fish tank with a lot of good fish, why try adding a fish that you don't need?

 

Why not just wait til you upgrade? Is it that urgent of a matter to have this fish?

 

I'd just wait til you upgrade to get your tang. Additionally it will motivate you more to upgrade and do it right. Rather than getting the tang, and then losing motivation to upgrade until it shows signs of stress is backwards. If you have a set 3-6 month plan with budgeting and finances worked out properly I wouldn't see the harm if you REALLY want that fish now. but if thats not the exact scenario I'd just wait.

 

Additionally as it's pretty stocked and those damsels and coral banded shrimp might bully him in that small space.

[Cole.mormon]

Every thing is set the coral banded shrimp is peaceful

I plan on getting a 3 or 4 in specimen

[Cole.mormon]

I have a coral beauty angel I removed and got rid of

If it grows faster I can alwqys get a bigger tank

[Tired]

Don't do it. You should get the bigger tank BEFORE you get the fish that needs the big tank. And you should not put a convict tang in a 75 gallon tank anyway. 

 

Don't ever buy a tang unless you already have the tank it will need at its full size. Don't buy any fish without the tank it will need, but especially not tangs. 

 

Until you have a 100 gallon aquarium, or bigger, do not buy a convict tang. At the very least, have the 100 gallon tank cycling before you buy the tang.

[Cole.mormon]

Would a 90 gallon work for a convict

[Tired]

They should really have a 6-foot tank, minimum. If you can find a 90 gallon that's at least 6 feet long, go ahead. 

[Cole.mormon]

Ok Ty my 55 is for feet

[Tired]

Too small for a convict. A tomini tang might work, they stay small as tangs go. 

 

A week and a half isn't long enough for a proper quarantine, by the way.

[Cole.mormon]

Ok ill do a three week

Planning on a 75 or 90 this month

[Cole.mormon]

I can get a 2 or 3 inch convict and and get the 90 going 

[Cole.mormon]

Ty for the help

[mcarroll]

1 hour ago, Tired said:

A tomini tang might work, they stay small as tangs go. 

IN a 55 gallon???   Maybe without rock or decorations keeping the tank as a pure fish-only.  Maybe.  

 

But with rock and corals there would be no room...and as you pointed out (I think) four feet isn't enough to begin with.  

 

Even for a "small" tang it would be so borderline as to be a little absurd.

 

1 hour ago, Tired said:

Don't do it.

You had it right with this.  🙂 

 

1 hour ago, Cole.mormon said:

I can get a 2 or 3 inch convict and and get the 90 going 

I hate to pile on, but that's (still) a bad idea.  IMO don't do that to the fish OR to yourself.  

 

If well cared for these guys can grow up to 10".  (6"-10" according to the Waikiki Aquarium.)

 

Even the little Tomini tang can grow up to 6" under good conditions....a 6" fish is better than 10" but would still a lot for a 90 Gallon.

 

Save the tangs for when you finally do that six foot tank.  Or find a way to fit a 72" tank right now.   

 

A 125 Gallon (live aquaria's recommendation for a Convict too) is a really nice size (I'm biased) and not too expensive.  THAT would be the minimum I'd put just about any tang in, for what it's worth.

 

The upside is that the Convict is one of the easier-going tangs personality-wise and apparently they do fine solo or in groups.

 

I hate to ask what size tank you'll be using for the QT.....the 55 would make a nice size QT for a tang though.

[Cole.mormon]

K

Can u use a 1.030 saline dip to dip corals

[mcarroll]

I haven't heard of anyone using hyper-salinity on corals, though I'm sure it's been done.  (Folks have done every thing there is to do – good and bad.)

 

What do you think you're trying to target with this dip?

 

If it's "just in case" that's the same as being for no reason IMO.  

 

In that case I would skip the treatment altogether – or at least go with something tried and true for a lower likely hood (or at least *known* likelihood) of problems cropping up.  

 

Or even better, go with simple observation (e.g. magnifying glass) and a quarantine period outside the display tank before moving the frag into the main population.

 

I wouldn't take a chance on an experimental process ruining your coral (or even just tweaking it) for what amounts to no darned-good reason.

 

 

[Cole.mormon]

Ok can I put it in with no dip ad I have a CBS that eats a lot of pest and a dottuback

 

[Tired]

You should dip corals in a proper coral dip, and/or in iodine, depending on what type of coral it is. If you can't, quarantine is a good idea. If you really can't quarantine or properly dip, a close inspection is the best you can do. The CBS won't help with coral pests, and might also attack your fish, those are aggressive animals. 

[Murphs_Reef]

Please dont be cruel to animals. The tang will become stressed, frustrated, depressed in a small setting. 100 g is minimum but I would say still not ideal.. they need significant space. 

 

Assume your LFS doesn't care, as I know mine would never sell an animal unless I told them my aquarium was was the correct size.

 

We will speak to you next when your asking whats wrong with your tang. 😩

[Reefscape]

1 hour ago, Cole.mormon said:

Ok can I put it in with no dip ad I have a CBS that eats a lot of pest and a dottuback

 

Hi, i've been reading through this topic, and it strikes me that you keep ignoring all what's been told to you.

Don't do the tang and don't do the dip!

Inform yourself of what's the proper way to keep a fish tank in general.

When all these people on this forum tell you it's a bad idea, it's probably a bad idea.........

 

I've been doing research for the past 2 years when setting up my first salt water aquarium.

And I know for sure it will still be by trial and error. But when people give you well-meant advice please listen to them....

 

Care for your animals the best way you can, otherwise don't buy them 😣

[Tamberav]

8 hours ago, Cole.mormon said:

I want to keep a convict tang in a 55 gallon tank with plans for a future 75 gallon tank

Also what is the diet

And will it be ok in a 30 gallon qt for a week and a half with an emerald crab

Convict tangs are not for beginners or for the 'wrong' tanks. They are actually somewhat delicate as Tangs go with poor survivability and one of the Tangs that is more prone to parasites and can even be a picky eater.

 

It will likely not end well and you will just be throwing your money away.

[Murphs_Reef]

There are tons of great looking fish available for a 55 and the 90 g. Have a look around at other options. There are some stunning smaller, less demanding fish around.. 

 

I would love nothing more than to have a great selection of fish of various sizes and colours, but I have a 8 g tank (that's all I have time, cash and space for) So keep a single fish (yellow coral goby) and use coral, interesting rock and inverts to diversify. 

[Zionas]

 

 

 

If you go the 90G route, if it’s a 4’ tank you could do a smaller Tang like a Tomini, White Tail Bristletooth, Squaretail Bristletooth, or a Yellow Eye Kole. Nothing from the Zebrasoma or Acanthurus families, reserve them for tanks 6’ and longer. Maybe a Mimic Lemonpeel or Yellow in a 5’, doable, but IMO considering they’re such active fish 6’ is better.

 

 

For a 55g:

 

-Ocellaris pair

 

-Smaller wrasse (smaller Halichoeres, smaller Fairy / Flasher Wrasse, Yellow Candy Hogfish etc.)

 

-Shrimp and goby pair (Stongobiops, Cryptocentrus, Amblyeoteorsis)

 

-Blenny (Bicolor, Tail Spot, Starry)

 

-Basslet, Firefish, Assessor, pygmy Angel etc. (Royal Gramma, Swissguard, Swales, Black Cap, Yellow / McNeill / Randall Assessor, Fireball / Cherub / Fisher’s Angelfish)

 

 

 

For a 90g (assuming 4’):

 

-The above + one of the Tangs I mentioned, + 4-5 small to medium sized fish of your choosing.

[Zionas]

x2 Ocellaris Clownfish- Captive Bred

 

x1 Tomini / Square Tail Bristletooth / White Tail Bristletooth / Yellow Eye Kole Tang *For a bit of algae control, but add after the blenny (these tangs get to 7” tops)

 

x1 Purple / Magnificent / Helfrichi Firefish

 

x1 Bicolor / Tail Spit / Starry Blenny *for algae control

 

x1 shrimp goby + Pistol Shrimp combo

 

x1 dwarf angel (Coral Beauty / Flame / Rusty / Fireball / Cherub / Fisher’s)

 

x1 Halichoeres spp. wrasse (don’t get the large species, stick to the ones that are 4-5”) *for a bit of pest control

 

x1 fairy wrasse

 

x1 basslet / assessor

 

x1 flasher wrasse

 

x1 Bangaii Cardinal- Captive Bred

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s another possibility:

 

x2 Ocellaris Clownfish- Captive Bred

 

x3 Pajama Cardinalfish

 

x1 Yellow Eye Kole / White Tail Bristletooth / Square Tail Bristletooth / Tomini Tang

 

x1 Bicolor / Starry Blenny (for some algae control)

 

x1 Tinker’s / Marquesan / Mitratus / Burgess Butterflyfish (these have been reported to be relatively reef safe for butterflies)

 

x1 Marine Betta (best to find a specimen eating prepared foods at your LFS)

 

x1 Halichoeres spp. wrasse (for a bit of pest control)