male Naso

[buffgrkboy18]

Hi guys, i was just wondering if you can answer a few of my questions. I will be purchasing a large 15 inch Naso for one of my 125 gal tanks i have lowered the salinity to match that of the store and the temp. I have heard from many sources that many large fish tend not to survive the acclimating process. I usually acclimate for an 1hr to 1hr and 15min is this long enough and is their anything else i can do to prevent death? oh yea 1 more ? how old do you think he is he has been in the store for about 8 months now just a general geuss will do and how long do they live i've heard so can live ten years. i've kept gold fish the one's you win from carnivals alive for almost 8yrs. Hope to hear from you soon

[Chuck S]

Well he seems pretty well grown. Ten years is a good estimate with care however the life span percentage is much lower on a national average as most people do not properly care for their tanks. I would venture to guess with a fish that large that a 125 is small but. Most tangs people buy and keep are no more than 4-5 inches.

Couple questions what else do you have in your tank?

What salinity did you go down to?

[tendar]

I would have to say that a 125 is pretty small for a 15" naso tang. I had a Naso that grew from 2" to 8" long in about 1.5 years in a 125 before I sent him off to a friends that has a 220 gall (that was about 1.5 years ago I wonder how big it is now?). Tangs are open swimming fish and like lots of swim room.
I could not even guess on fish that large for age. But I would say if taken probaber care of it should live for 10 years.

[Katspaw]

I have a beautiful naso that is about 8 1/2 inches and I have had him for about a year now. His tail is starting to lear out. I got him from a friend that had him for five years in his system. His 125 was just way to small for him and I had one of the largest systems that he knew. I understand that once the taill lears out they are classifed as adults. I went through a bout of ich this past summer. Still have not figured out how that happened /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif Would you believe the Naso was the only fish not to get it. Amazed me, that for sure. He is fat, sassy and healthy.

Tracey

[buffgrkboy18]

my salinity is down to 1.22 my temp is 79 and i currently have a sailfin aroung 4in a foxfish 6in a moorish idol 7-8in and a purple tang 4 in and another reason i am buyin the fish is that i feel sorry for it, it is currently in a 60 gallon tank with 2 other large fish for the past 8 months i've complained to the store that, that is way to small for that size fish but they say that is all they have.

[tendar]

YOur salinity and temp sound good for swim tank.
Feeling sorry for some thing is not always a good reason to get it unless you can properly carefor it. From that way it sounds you system is all ready at its limits and adding a Large naso could cause you a lot of problems with all the fish you all ready have. The Naso could easily kill all of the with it barbs in minutes if it doesnt like them. If I where you I would pass it will only lead to trouble for your system.

[Chuck S]

With the number of fish in your 125 already with which I would say is in practical terms already full with that many inches of fish per gallon I would pass on the fish as well. A 15 inch Naso is way to big for a 125 and with your tank already stocked enough for that water volume there is no need to invite disaster. I mean for a fishonly tank they recommend nomore than 1 inch of fish per 10 gallons as a general rule. You are way past that now.