printerdown01 Posted May 24, 2002 Share Posted May 24, 2002 I'm actually just looking for opinions here (no slamming ANYONE!!)... Just opinions, yes/no, and an explination PLEASE!! -otherwise this could get messy... Is it ok to keep a fish that will eventually [someday] out-grow the nano? My opinion: Yes... I don't see anything wrong with it so long as the owner finds it another home when it has out-grown its old home. We keep coral (xenia ect) that out-grows its home all the time... We solve this problem by fragging. I cannot imagine not buying something whether nepthia, xenia, or a fish because it will on day out-grow the tank (so long as the problem has a solution i.e. a home can be found)... Link to comment
Toyfreek Posted May 24, 2002 Share Posted May 24, 2002 Well, I guess I agree, almost. Where we differ on opinions here is Tangs I dont care how small they are we shouldn't have em in a tank less than 8 feet in length. after seeing them swim in nature it makes me sad to see them in a 4 footer, much less a nano. as for most other fish if they are small emough to coraspond to bio-load limits in a tank so be it. after they are too big move em to a happy place. Toy Link to comment
printerdown01 Posted May 24, 2002 Author Share Posted May 24, 2002 Def agree with you there! In my opinion, there are some fish that no matter how small, need more room than a nano can provide, due to swimming or feeding habits! Link to comment
fish04 Posted May 24, 2002 Share Posted May 24, 2002 It's fine based on your specs. If a fish needs certain feeding/swimming requirements even when small I say no way! But if we are talking a 1" tomato clown in a 15, sure! That is as long as you have a place for it when it gets bigger....too many people rely on their LFS to pick up the pieces when a fish out grows it's home. If you plan on keeping a fish that will eventually outgrow it's tank you should have a bigger tank ready for it yourself IMO. Link to comment
fishymissy Posted May 24, 2002 Share Posted May 24, 2002 I don't have a problem with moving fish from one tank to another as they grow. If I did, I would be in trouble as I have done just that many, many times. As long as you are careful when moving them, the fish shouldn't have a problem either! I can't agree with tangs should only be kept in 8 foot tanks. Sorry but this is my opinion. Let's be realistic here....no size tank can copy the amount of room they naturally travel in the wild. If you really feel that strongly about it than NO tank is big enough to keep one. An example: when I first started saltwater the tank I had was a 29g. In it was 1 percula clown, 1 firefish, 2 scissortail gobies. One day I answered an ad in the paper, a guy was selling off his corals. So I went to see them (they were awful all diseased looking) anyway, as I was leaving I noticed his yellow tang. The poor thing was in horrible shape, all fins eroded, HLLE, emanciated, head and belly white, she also had a parasite on one eye. After some discussion I ended up bringing her home. That tang stayed in the 29g for well over a month and during that time she healed very nicely. Then she was moved to another temp home, a 40g with a small lionfish. Now the tang and lionfish live in the 90g and are the best of friends. Even though the tank is smaller than the original owners tank (I think he had a 125) I do feel the fish is better off with me. I know she is healthy by the way she swims around with all fins open, by her vibrant color, by the way she eats, and the way she swims. I've had her for over a year and when I mention to my husband that everyone on the net says she is stressed from living in a "small" tank and will die, he just laughs and says "yeah, right"! BTW before anyone gets the impression that I'm advocating keeping large fish in small tanks, let me say that the tang was about 4" when I first rescued her. I never intended to keep her in the 29g for any real length of time. The same is true with the lionfish in the 40g. It was and is not a problem for me to get another tank. (I'm always looking for excuses to set up another one anyway!)......I'm a fishaholic.....there I admitted it!! Link to comment
Gehrisch Posted May 24, 2002 Share Posted May 24, 2002 Quote: from fish04 on 10:00 am on May 24, 2002[br]If you plan on keeping a fish that will eventually outgrow it's tank you should have a bigger tank ready for it yourself IMO. I completely agree. Not only is this responsible fish keeping, but as fishymissy said, it gives you an excuse to set up another tank!! Besides, everyone knows there always another one in the works anyway. Link to comment
fish04 Posted May 24, 2002 Share Posted May 24, 2002 This reply is a generalized statement and nothing is intended to be directed at one individual....... I don't have problems with temporary housing issues...I think all of us that have spent any time in this hobby have made make shift housing for one reason or another. The condition of lack of common sense is the problem. If that little voice in your head says maybe I shouldn't keep this, that and the other in such and such a tank....listen to it! Emergent conditions such as the tang rescue is one thing, but putting a fish that needs more room in a small tank to satisfy a personal need is not. I think that's the issue here. I don't disagree that tangs can be kept in smaller tanks than 8 feet long...heck, I had mine in a 55 and a 75 which are 4 feet. He was healthy happy and well cared for. I think the real issue here is when people try to satisfy a personal need, like putting a small tang in a 15 "until it grows out"....hello it's already grown out! It should never be in a tank that small no matter what ....barring rescue, quarantine, medical treatment etc. There are way too many people in this hobby for their sheer pleasure, giving no regard to the living things that they are keeping. Link to comment
Sahin Posted May 24, 2002 Share Posted May 24, 2002 I think its ok, as long as one is sure that when the fish gets to max size for the tank in issue, that one has the ability to get the fish a suitable tank ir at least is able to give it to someone else or the LFS. I just detest it when some poeple seem to think they can keep oscars (cichlid that grows to about 14inches) in tanks 30G and under... Link to comment
Leonard Posted May 24, 2002 Share Posted May 24, 2002 I know this issue has be hashed over thousands of times, but I'm of the opinion that people are far too sensitive about tangs in captivity. The arguement that you shouldn't keep them in tanks smaller then 4/6/8 feet because they swim constantly is illogical. You can apply the principle to over half of the families being sold: Labrids, Pomacanthids, etc. No one voices concerns over these generas. So why are Tangs made the exception? As for the topic at hand, I completely agree. Fish that may outgrow smaller tanks may be kept in them so long as you have a confirmed aquarium to relocate it to after it's grown too large. I also agree that there are certain species that aren't suitable for nanos, no matter their age/size. Link to comment
koiman6 Posted May 24, 2002 Share Posted May 24, 2002 Well I feel fine about it but I don't know if this information applies to salt water or not but it seems like it should. For koi when they are bought small they will only grow to the size of the pond. I read once that fish have a natural inhibitor genes that doesn't allow them to grow big if there is not enough space or the pond is crowded. Once again don't trust this cuz it is only what my experience has shown me and what a couple of koi books said. Link to comment
Leonard Posted May 24, 2002 Share Posted May 24, 2002 koiman, Only a few fish families exhibit the ability to grow respective of the volume of their environment. Carps (which Kois and goldfish belong to) are the most cited and studied family. Link to comment
koiman6 Posted May 24, 2002 Share Posted May 24, 2002 yeah that is what i thought thank you for the clarification Leonard Link to comment
Toyfreek Posted May 24, 2002 Share Posted May 24, 2002 Yes there are many other kinds of fish that require swimming space and those species shouldn't be kept either IMO. tangs seem to be the most common swimmers I see for sale for low prices, often the reason so many people have them and they can be quite striking as well. It's a personal thing for me, but I am certainly not part of the "Tang Police" everyone will do what they want no matter what I say so when I see posts of tangs in nano's I really dont respond and try and let it go. Toy Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.