Tang sys./sel. Question, and Copper Treatment (removal)    11/27/08
Hi Crew
Before I start, you guys probably get this a lot, but without your site I would not have a tank but a messy pile of failed reefkeeping I've had a small 20 Gallon reef set up for about 3 months now, to see if reefing was my "thing" and it turned out to be, to the extent that i want to study marine biology at university level.
<Wow!>
Then the upgrade fever finally set in, so I got a used freshwater 70 (40'x20'x20') tank
I really want to get a tang in there, but before I set the thing up, I was wondering what fish would fit in a tank of this size?
<Physically? Oh, behaviorally, physiologically... many!>
I have read online and the most sites say that a tang can go in a 70 minimum, for the Zebrasoma genus other than a tang (space allowing) my Dwarf Bicolor Angelfish , False Perc pair and my Yellowtail Damsels would be going in there, and I would be looking to purchase a small school of Anthias, a Blenny and perhaps a school of Chromis, is there anything that is not suitable for a tank of that size in my list?
<? All sorts... >
Other than the tang of course, which I would not want to keep if the tank was too small.
<Some Sailfin Tangs (genus Zebrasoma) actually do get too large for such a volume, shape system... the "Striped" species in particular (Z. veliferum, Z. desjardinii)... see WWM re others: http://wetwebmedia.com/zebrasom.htm
and the linked files above>
Another side question, the previous owner(who didn't speak very good English, I live in Dubai and his first language is Arabic) said that he medicated the tank, which was only set up for a month, he wasn't sure if he used copper based treatments or not. Would this tank be safe to keep inverts in?
<Very likely so... exceedingly little copper "sticks" to the sealant, Plexiglas...>
its a Plexiglas and the only thing I would be using from the setup is the actual tank, not any of the wet dry filtration? From what I have read on WWM it appears that the copper in the tank would be insoluble, and i plan to rinse it out with tap water, and dechlorinate, so if there is any extra copper it would bind with the Cl- ions hopefully and be removed before i add my RO water?
<For the most part, yes. Not a worry>
I wouldn't want to rinse with HCL and followed by Acetone as my parents would probably disown me for being irresponsible and i have a feeling either the HCl or Acetone would damage the Plexiglas?
<Yes it would>
Thanks Again Crew
(Apologies for any editing mistakes)
<Nice to meet you. Bob Fenner>

Pacific Sailfin Tang-- is this a problem?
Hi Bob,
I hate to be a pest, but I think I might have made a mistake?
(or should I have said another mistake?)
<To err...>
Yesterday, I went out to get a Kole Tang, however when I got there the Kole in question was a little thin. They didn't recommend me buying it. (Very good LFS if you remember.) So I thought I'd look at some other Tangs that were in the Zebrasoma Family <genus>,
as recommended. They had Yellow Tangs, Purple Tangs and a couple Sailfin Tangs.
<A nice assortment>
I want something a little different. And the purple Tangs were really expensive. So I've got a Sailfin Tang. I remember reading about them in your book, and I couldn't remember anything negative about them.
<They get big...>
When I got home are read some more. I was surprised to find out that they get to be 15 in. in the wild - probably means around half that in an aquarium, but still... you also didn't especially recommend them in your new book, giving them a two (not sure if that was because of how big they get or something else?)
<That reason.>
The strange thing about this is that it was one of the smaller Tangs there,
<So was I... once.>
Not counting the purple tangs, which were quite small. I think the Sailfin is about 3 1/2-4 inches or so, of course not counting all the fin.
<And just a juvenile>
So my question to you is this: Just how long his this fish quite to fit in my 40 gallon tank? (I don't think it's a juvenile as I've seen some pictures of them.)
<Months...>
Should I take it back or something radical like that?
<Likely no... better to be thinking of, gearing up for a larger system in future>
BTW, it appears to be healthy fish, getting used to the tank and ate some brine shrimp mixed with Spirulina. I also put some Nori in there for it.
<They are very tough, adaptable>
Thanks again for being there! --Jane
<A pleasure my friend. Bob Fenner>

Indian Ocean v. Red Sea Sailfin III 11/11/03
In Calfo and Fenner's new book Reef Invertebrates they list Z. veliferum as a potential bubble algae control creature;  did they mean to include all members thereof  (including the Pacific or Hawaiian Sailfin) or is the Desjardin Sailfin the one commonly believed in aquaristics to be the right candidate?
<as stated in the last e-mail, my friend... they are the same species (Desjardin/red sea Sailfin is simply a Z. veliferum) but anecdotally they are believed to be more inclined to rasp bubble algae:
<<it is possible that a race of fishes (same species...different locale) is evolved or predisposed to eating some prey items over another. There is a strong belief in aquaristics that this is the case with the Red Sea Sailfin>>
best regards, Anthony>