Stocking Question: 75 Gallon Reef Tank. Tang and Wrasse? Stocking Question For A 75G Reef…A Little Paranoia Can Be A Good Thing – 09/01/07
Hello Crew Member,
<<Hello Skot>>
Awesome site.
<<Thank you>>
You've turned what was potentially an expensive and frustrating hobby into a rewarding and very expensive hobby ;)
<<Ha, indeed!>>
Seriously though, your site has kept me from "giving up" through a series of unfortunate events including a leaky tank, leaky protein skimmer and suspect stand… All problems I've solved with the help of your site. Thanks.
<<We are pleased to know this>>
Now for my Question. I have a 75 gallon acrylic tank. Around 80lbs of live rock. 3 inches of sand. Euro-Reef RS 80 skimmer.
<<Good skimmer>>
30 gallon sump with refugium (incidentally I'm completely fascinated by the refugium. When my main display lights go out and the refuge lights come on I sit and stare at all the life in there. Really cool.)
<<Oh yes…much interesting life to be observed in these “protected” environments that is overlooked/not seen/even missing, in the main display tank>>
This setup is about 3 months old and I plan to make it a reef tank. A majority of the water, sand and rock are from a 1 year old 55gallon system I was running. I've got 20 misc snails and another 20 misc hermits. I purchased the Indio-Pacific Sea Farms Refugium Starter Kit about 6 weeks ago for my refugium which also contains some Miracle Mud, sand, and live rock. I’ve 2 Percula Clowns, 2 Banggai Cardinals and 1 Orange Sleeper Goby (all from my previous tank). I also have a small patch of mushrooms and a small patch of zoos. Levels are: ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 5ppm,
<<Do strive to keep this from climbing any higher>>
79 degrees, pH 8.2, sg 1.22.
<<This last should be at NSW levels (1.025/1.026)>>
I'm paranoid about overstocking.
<<Mmm, yes…this will prove to be to your (and your livestock’s) benefit>>
There are two additional fish I have my eye on for down the line. First I'm interested in the six line wrasse.
<<Can be nasty little buggers>>
My research suggests I have room for this fish as it stays relatively small and appears compatible with my current livestock. Is my assessment correct?
<<In this instance, yes, I believe so…but addition of this wrasse will likely mean you won’t be able to add any other similarly sized/shaped fishes after it becomes established>>
Next I'm interested in a Yellow Tang.
<<Mmm…I knew there was going to be a “tang in the mix”>>
I realize my tank is the minimum recommended size for this fish.
<<Yes>>
Would it be wiser for me to steer clear of this guy?
<<Hmm…considering the size/number of tankmates, the fact you don’t have a “tank full” of rock which will allow this fish room to move around, and considering the refugium…yes, I think adding a Yellow Tang will be fine here>>
Is my tank already reaching capacity?
<<Not “right now”…but will be close once you add the tang>>
Will my additional (sump/fuge) 30gallons of water flow help provide a good home for this tang?
<<That…and the other considerations I mentioned>>
If the tang is a "no" do I have room for another smaller fish or am I at capacity?
<<Adding the tang will be fine>>
Sorry to bombard you with questions.
<<No worries>>
I've been at the hobby for a little over a year now and I consider myself a fairly disciplined person. I have no desire to irresponsibly overstock my tank or make a foolish misstep that can be avoided. Having said that, there's a whole lot I don't know.
<<Ah well then…there’s much reading/research ahead of you my friend>>
Thanks for the help,
Skot
<<Happy to assist. EricR>>

Yellow tang... mainly selection, sys. issues   11/24/06
Hi crew,
<Howdy, JustinN with you tonight.>
I've recently set up a 55gallon tank and have been finding your site very
helpful so far.  
<Thank you for the praise.>
My tank has been cycled for a few weeks using live rock
and readings have been ammonia=0, nitrite=0, nitrate 10, sg=1.022 and ph
8.2. for over a week now.
<SG is a little low, I would raise this to NSW levels, 1.025>
I added my first fish at the weekend which was a very nice yellow tang about 3 inches.  
<This was a poor choice in my opinion, for several reasons. To begin with, tangs are typically sensitive fish, that require a well established aquarium to maintain life. Less than a month is not nearly long enough, six months would have been more appropriate. Secondly, a 55 gallon aquarium simply does not afford enough room for growth or movement for proper life of a tang, even the smaller Zebrasoma species. These smaller quarters will eventually lead to the physical retardation of growth, and potentially psychological crowding issues as well. Most people consider 75 gallons to be borderline for tangs, usually a minimum of 90 is suggested. I would agree with this suggestion. Finally, you absolutely should have quarantined the specimen before adding to the display, these problems would have then presented themselves in a more controlled environment.>
For the first two days he ate frozen brine shrimp without a problem, but today and yesterday he just wont eat. I've tried Nori and sea veggies but he doesn't even acknowledge them nor the brine shrimp any longer.  He's been hanging behind what seems to be his favorite
rock and doesn't come out that often and when he does he's very easily scared.
<Mmm, sounds environmental to me. Could simply be adjusting to the tank still, or the not-quite-established surroundings, or perhaps toxins in the water. Have you tested water parameters since adding the tang?>
He still looks good and is a very nice colour although his stomach looks pinched in now, probably from not eating.  I'm hoping you can help me with my problem as I would hate to lose him.  I have a Prizm skimmer (unfortunately)
<Hehe, I'm in the process of phasing out my own Prizm in exchange for a Tunze DOC 9002, so I completely understand this sentiment.>
hopefully upgrading to a deltecMCE300 soon, an external Eheim filter and 20kg live rock.
<Do keep that Eheim clean, canisters can become nitrate farms without proper maintenance. It sounds like you've got a good handle equipment-wise, I would just reconsider your stocking plans. Please have a thorough read through these links: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/tangs,.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/zebrasom.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/YellowTang.htm Hope this helps you! -JustinN>

Yellow Tang Blues? (Selecting and Caring For Z. flavescens) 8/24/05
Good Day!
<Hello there! Scott F. at your service today!>
I have a small (45 gallon) reef set-up. It's been up and running very successfully for 3 years now. I have a question - I have several fish that have lived very peacefully and apparently healthy for most of the 3 years. I vary the food given, since some of the fish are herbivores (Yellow Tang/Zebrasoma flavescens & Hippo Tang/Paracanthurus hepatus) and some are carnivores (Percula Clownfish/Amphiprion ocellaris). I feed dried Omega One
flake, frozen brine, Emerald Entrée & Mysis shrimp (not all at once...lol) All of the fish seem healthy but I've lost several Zebrasoma flavescens over the past few years. The Hippo tang is doing well as are all of the other fish. The Yellow tang appears healthy until I find it dead or almost dead. I figure it must be the diet since I can see no parasitic clues and all of the other fish are doing well. I feed sparingly once to twice per day and all of the fish seem to eat voraciously. I say sparingly since I know the uneaten food will feed all of the unwanted items in my tank. Any clues to what I'm doing/not doing?
Thanks for the assistance.
J.T. Craddock
<Well, before we look at the possible causes of your bad luck with the Yellow Tangs, I have to get up on the soapbox for a minute. I'm sure that you are aware, but the P. hepatus Tang will require much larger quarters in the very near future if it is to live anything close to a natural lifespan. These fish can and will get quite large, and they require very large amounts of physical space to live a long, healthy life. I'm sure that a larger tank is in the future, right? Anyways...off the soapbox and on to the problem! I think that there are a few potential issues here. First, these fishes are often subject to shipping traumas. The majority of the Yellow Tangs collected for the trade come from the best source, Hawaii, and are collected well and shipped quickly. Yellow Tangs from other sources don't always fare as well. These fishes need to eat constantly, and typically, by the time they reach the LFS, they are already quite deprived of food. When selecting specimens from the LFS, be sure to choose fish that are not showing signs of malnutrition, pinched-in stomachs, faded color, red marks on the fins, etc. Additionally, make sure that you employ a quarantine regimen for all new fish, particularly Tangs. Not only does the quarantine period give you the opportunity to observe the fishes for signs of infections and to treat them before introduction to your display-it gives your new fish the chance to eat and recover from their journey to the LFS. These fishes are voracious consumers of algae, and should have a regular "supply" of algal-based foods available constantly. You should utilize fresh macroalgae, such as Gracilaria parvispora ("Ogo"). You can order Gracilaria from e-tailers such as my favorite, IndoPacific Sea Farms (www.ipsf.com). Last, but not least, make sure that you maintain very high water quality at all times. Employ aggressive protein skimming, regular, frequent water changes, and common sense husbandry practices. Hopefully, these tips will point you in the right direction. It really sounds like you're doing things right...just consider a larger tank down the line! Good luck! Regards, Scott F.>

Zebrasoma flavescens Query 4.30.05
Hi, its me Dillin again here, you guys are great and so is the site by the way. Well I have come once again to seek your outmost wisdom about the beautiful world of marine fish keeping. I really wanted help on the yellow tang my most favorite fish in the hobby! First off, I have always loved tangs but I have often read that certain types are difficult to keep. But with the exception of the yellow tang I have read and found that these magnificent fish are a good hardy beginner choice for the novice aquarist. But I really trust your opinion is there any truth to that?
<Yes, the Yellow Tang is a hardy aquarium specimen, given adequate room and lots of current.>
Also they are herbivores and require large amounts of algae in your tank well what if your aquarium cannot produce algae? Could they eat off fish flakes, pellets or commercial brand products?
<Yes, you will clip a square of algae, called Nori, to a clip. This should be offered daily. You can also buy red and brown varieties.>
And as you know sadly these delicate beauties suffer from marine ich all too common in the tang family, are the yellow tangs just as likely to catch it?
<Yes, they will be infected by the parasite if exposed...But NO fish will be infected if unexposed.>
And why do the tangs catch marine ich so easily?
<Fishes with a high metabolism, such as this one, seem to be more prone to the parasite than others. Nevertheless, all will die without proper treatment.>
Well I will leave these questions to the professionals and I look forward to hearing back from you people. Thanks Dillin.
<Read up a little more here, Dillin.  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/YellowTang.htm  Great job making sure you are ready for a Tang. Ryan>