Yellow tang lifespan

J

jrwoltman

Member
I picked up an adult yellow tang from a JARC member a few years ago and he has been healthy as a seahorse :tongue (2): ever since. I am guessing that he is anywhere from 3-5 years old. Two days ago, he stopped eating and has been behaving erratically ever since. He seems to be in a fish death spiral. So, what is the average lifespan of a yellow tang, in captivity???

Thanks in advance,

Jim
 
Lifespan/Longevity
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Not much is known about the lifespan of yellow tangs. However, some sources have found them living up to about 30 years on the reef and 10 years in captivity.

Range lifespan

Status: wild: 30 (high) years.

Range lifespan

Status: captivity: 10 (high) years.
 
Top Water said:
Lifespan/Longevity
learn more about this article
Not much is known about the lifespan of yellow tangs. However, some sources have found them living up to about 30 years on the reef and 10 years in captivity.

Range lifespan

Status: wild: 30 (high) years.

Range lifespan

Status: captivity: 10 (high) years.
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Isn't it amazing how terrible we still are at taking care of creatures whose lives depend on us.
 
strike2867 said:
Isn't it amazing how terrible we still are at taking care of creatures whose lives depend on us.
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While I understand the Tang Police I can't help but thinking why do they stop at Tangs?

Honestly shouldn't we be feeling bad for keeping ANY captive fish? If we don't then why do we single out Tangs?
 
Jason R said:
While I understand the Tang Police I can't help but thinking why do they stop at Tangs?

Honestly shouldn't we be feeling bad for keeping ANY captive fish? If we don't then why do we single out Tangs?
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We feel bad about other fish too, but they usually require smaller aquariums and less care so fewer places for people to make mistakes.
 
Jason R said:
While I understand the Tang Police I can't help but thinking why do they stop at Tangs?

Honestly shouldn't we be feeling bad for keeping ANY captive fish? If we don't then why do we single out Tangs?
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Everyone should feel bad about losing ANY fish, whether it is a $10 clown/goby or a $1000 angelfish. However, since Tangs can vary in size so much, many people mistake the fact that they need a large tank/the store just wants to sell them. Look at Hippo Tangs. I always see them for like 1-1.5" at fish stores, but they can grow to around a foot. That's a massive difference. So they are constantly sold and put in nanos/etc, and then the fish dies cause it doesn't have enough room. Even a 4 inch Kole tang requires a lot more room than a 3-4" clownfish. That's why there is so much emphasis on the Tang police. Now yes, some of them can be a little extreme, but for the most part they are good.
 
I agree about the size issue. I always got sick seeing the BioCube boxes with a Yellow Tang in the tank. I was just thinking about fish mortality in general. I love the hobby but I feel so bad when a fish dies that I keep wondering why I do it.
 
I bought my yellow tang in 2002 and was 2-3" when I got it. It is still alive today in my reef. My guess is it was 2 years old when I got it so I would guess it is 13 to 14 years old.
 
There is absolutely NO reason any of our fish shouldn't exceed their wild lifespan in captivity, if kept in the proper conditions & fed correctly.
They have access to the BEST foods, NO pollutants & have NO enemies.
 
goat585 said:
I bought my yellow tang in 2002 and was 2-3" when I got it. It is still alive today in my reef. My guess is it was 2 years old when I got it so I would guess it is 13 to 14 years old.
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This is the person who should be giving advice about keeping tangs.
 
I also have a 10+ year old yellow tang in the family. Got him when he was about the size of a golf ball.
 
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