MY 1 MONTH OLD TANK

[Timfish]

Sorry Tim, but you are all alone on thinking that a Tang in a 30g is ok. Yes they are kept in fish stores in tanks that size, but stay there a couple weeks a most where they either go somewhere else or die in the store. I wonder how many more would live if they were kept in bigger tanks. The logic of a Tang being small so it is ok until it grows is flawed. Tangs swim a LOT in the ocean. Whether big or small. Put one with no room to roam and it gets stressed. My brother in law had a Yellow Tang in a 55 that was less than 2 inches. The poor thing paced all the time until it died a couple months later. Tiger's need large areas to live in too. Do you think a 200 lb Tiger needs less than an 800 lb one? How about a dog? Would you keep a puppy in a closet until it got bigger? I feel it is a bad idea to encourage new ones in the hobby to push the limits. They are usually so excited and under informed that they will make bad choices anyway. We all did when we started. It is our responsibility as experienced hobbyists to encourage patience, restraint, and proper methodology. That is not to say that we don't learn new methods or ways of keeping these animals. But something like big fish in a small tank will never change.

A couple of thoughts regarding your brother in laws Yellow Tang: That is very interesting behavior and I have seen it with other species where they don't seem to adapt or acclimate and appear to basically wear them selves out. Having kept larger tangs in smaller QT tanks and not seen that behavior develop, also having spent time and money taking fish, live and dead, to the vet I have first hand knowledge that our fish will die of diseases we can do nothing about. Some can only be identified by necropsy pretty much obviating any treatment. On this basis my first inclination is the tang had a problem and no effort you put into trying to find the right environment would have saved it. I only have what I feel is first hand or long term experience with maybe 3 dozen species of fish (and maybe the same number of corals {which really leaves me pretty ignorant of the thousands of species we may encounter}) but my experience has certainly shown disposition between specimens of a given species can vary greatly, and this is conjecture on my part (did someone just say "@##$#$$# B(*#$#@$T" ? ) but maybe that fish wouldn't have been happy in a 200. I don't know how well this has been studied but I'm certain disposition of a individual affects how it responds to the stress of shipping and acclimation which would at least partially explain why I've had of one or two individuals die from a quantity quarantined separately but in the same system.

The puppy in a closet is not a good example Gabe. I've been in closets bigger than my front room and kitchen combined. I could live in them with all my cats. Hmmm, maybe you're right, there still wouldn't be room for the puppy!

From what I've seen of Zoo's they maintain juveniles in spaces smaller than adults. I can't imagine any industry that deals with animal husbandry not doing it. I certainly have kept fish in smaller tanks than is "popularly" recommended until I have a home for them and I don't see that Wizzardx322 is doing anything different than what I do. To quote Scott Micheal "Of course, juveniles and adolescents can be housed in smaller tanks". Marine Fishes, 500+ Essential-To-Know Aquarium Species, pg 17.

Your question about how long a fish could live in the proper tank is excellent. One fish I take care of is a 9" - 10" Sailfin (Z. desjardinii) in a 90 gal corner tank that's pushing 20 years old. Your argument gives me justification to move it to my 200. One of the fascinating things about "Elvis" is he sees people as inferiors or trespassers. When someone gets to close to his tank he gets up next to the glass and gives the very standard display behavior letting them know they're in his space. When I took over maintenance on his system in '08 he was sharing it with a 6" Yellow Tang and a 6" Purple Tang who were purchased in '95 - '96 (the Purple was moved to a 110). I guess my question here is do we also require people to commit to the 30 or 40 years these fish are capable of living?

[GKarshens]

To answer your last question I say a very loud YES! These are animals too. Just because they are not furry and petable (although I have had fish that let me pet them) I don't think they should be viewed as disposable. I think that is one of the major problems with this hobby. Too many people don't research to see how long these fish can and should live. They think 3-5 years is a good long life. The fish has just barely reached adulthood then. Or they view it as moving art, like those in that thread about the really expensive tanks. They don't even want to feed them. I know the argument is made that the fish could just as easily get eaten or die of other causes in the wild, but I think that is a moot point. Once we take them out of the ocean they are our responsibility. We should be doing everything we can to give them the best possible chance to live as long as possible. While some Tang maybe okay in a small tank for an extended period of time, doesn't mean they all will. Unfortunately the fish can't tell you he is stressed. He only shows it when he is sick and sometimes it is too late at that point. I say always error on the side of caution.

[innate1]

Well said Gabe!