Don’t be fooled by its one-inch baby appearance when it is in a pet store. Blue tank quickly outgrows the aquarium if its small. So, how big a tank size should be for a blue tank?
It should be 75-gallon, minimum. The more you can provide, the better for the fish. A 100-gallon tank is Idea size for the blue tang.
The Ideal Blue Tang Tank Size
The recommended tank size for two blue tangs is 100-120 gallons for their long-term health.
Blue tang comes from the Acanthuridae family and can grow over 12 inches as an adult fish. They can also be aggressive to the other fish and themselves from time to time. To keep a healthy environment in the tank, you should begin with 100 gallons.
But if you wish to add more fish in the future with a blue tang you have to go for bigger tanks. The size I mentioned above is only appropriate for blue tangs.
Why Big Tank is Important for Blue Tang?
A big tank is important for blue tang or hippo tang is very important. Firstly because, it is a big fish and it is a fast swimmer and needs a big space for swimming.
Blue hippo tang is a moderate aggressive fish as well as it is not that social. So, if you are planning to put more than one fish, you are going to need a tank much bigger. Otherwise, maintaining safety will be difficult.
Hippo tang gets stressed in a small tank and can be shown many signs of behavior and health disorder in the long term. That is why selecting the right size tank is one of the most crucial parts of getting a blue hippo tank.
In a small thank, a blue tang will crash into the decoration and get frightened easily. While decorating, you will have to consider some hiding space for the tang.
How Many Blue Tang Can I Keep Altogether?
You can keep 5 tangs in a tank, but the tank must have to be over 1000 gallons. My recommendation is not to do so as the species is territorial and shows aggression over other members of the surgeon family.
Even though if you want to keep more than one blue tang together, my suggestion is to put them into the tank all at the same time. So that, they will not have any specific territory and make their ground after putting them together.
On the other hand, if you put them one by one, they will create their own territory and they will protect it by fighting the other tangs.
What other Species Can Get Along with Blue Tang?
Dwarf angelfish, gobies, cardinalfish, clownfish as well as most of the common saltwater fish can be kept with blue tang.
Though blue tang is territorial in many ways and shows semi-aggression, it is only when the opponent is any other surgeon fish. Other than that, tangs do not bother other species around them as long as they are calm in nature.
Try not to keep any other surgeonfish is the same tank. They might end up in a fight.
How Regal Blue Tang React to Stress in the Tank?
Blue hippo tang pretends to be dead when in stress as well as when cannot find a hiding place.
Yes, it sounds funny but they lay horizontally and do not move until they feel safe. It appears like the fish is dead and laying on the surface. But do not panic, they will start to swim shortly after it feels like the danger is gone.
However, if you see your tang doing this frequently then the fish is under constant stress which is not good for it. It can happen if the tang does not find enough space for swimming aka the tank is too small for it.
Can Blue Tang Breed in a Reef Tank?
Blue tang usually breeds in the reef of the sea, but no, you cannot breed a blue tang in a reef tank.
Reef tanks are a great option for living for the blue tang of any other kind in this family. Those fish also increase the quality of the reef tank environment. But it is quite impossible to breed them in a tank.
Suppose the female laid the eggs and the male release the sperm and the eggs turn into larvae. Those larvae are platonic and only eat Phytoplankton.
An aquarist can’t provide the needed plankton to those larvae so that they can grow. So, the bad news, blue tang cannot breed in a reef tank.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is maintaining a blue tang difficult?
Yes, Tangs are not easy to keep and certainly not beginner friendly.
How often they should be fed?
It should be fed once a day.
Is blue tang poisonous?
The flesh of the fish is poisonous and the spine is also somewhat poisonous as well. Though the spine poison is not much harmful to humans the spine is so sharp that it can cut open and wound dangerously.
Do blue tank jump?
It is not prone to jumping but it can happen, not impossible.
Is Blue tank aggressive?
Blue tanks are semi-aggressive as well as territorial fish.
Are blue tanks sensitive?
Yes, at some level they are sensitive fish and that is why do not recommend them if you are a beginner aquarist.
Verdict
Surely a blue tank or hippo tank, you name it, can increase the charm in many ways to your aquarium. But you have to think both ways before bringing a tang into your tank. If you have just started as an aquarist then it will be wise for you to wait for some time.
Because creating an atmosphere, suitable to a blue tang is not an easy task. You cannot or should not invest in a tank large enough for a tang in the first place. On the other hand, blue tang must need a moderately large tank to occupy.