care for a regal blue tang

[Skybolt]

If I ever decide to upgrade to a larger aquarium and make the switch to saltwater, I'd love to have a Dory as the main attraction.

What are the minimum requirements for keeping a Regal Blue Tang? Specifically, I'm curious about the tank size they need and what other fish can coexist with them in that space.

As someone who's never had a saltwater tank before, or anything bigger than 20 gallons for that matter, I'm wondering if they're high maintenance. Is the workload significantly different from freshwater tanks?

[flynix]

regal tangs imo require a lot of space, 6 foot tank is a minimum, they grow quite large and are active swimmers, a bigger tank would be even better.

[Skybolt]

regal tangs imo require a lot of space, 6 foot tank is a minimum, they grow quite large and are active swimmers, a bigger tank would be even better.

I've also come across the recommendation of a minimum 75 gallon tank for regal tangs.
To be honest, I've never kept large fish before, and the thought of a 100 gallon tank is really appealing, but I highly doubt I could afford one - it's a lot of water, after all.

[brunobear]

I'm with you on the tank size, a 6 footer or more would be perfect for a Regal Blue Tang, but I think you could get away with a 5 footer as the minimum.

With a fish like that and a tank of that size, you've got a world of possibilities for other livestock.

I totally agree with watching the classifieds, I've seen some insane deals on there, including 5ft tanks going for free if you're willing to pick them up.

From my experience, I've found that saltwater tanks aren't necessarily more work than freshwater, in fact, my current basic reef setup is actually less work than my old high-tech planted tank.

[rileyon]

seen an 8x2.5x2.2 go for a crate of beer, would've jumped on it if I had the space

[fleeton]

I'm gonna chime in and say, definitely keep an eye on those classifieds. You'd be surprised what pops up. And let's be real, the tank itself is the same whether it's for fresh or saltwater - it's all just glass, right?

[zenoxa]

I'm curious to see some actual evidence or stats to back up the 'at least 5/6 foot tank' claim for regal tangs. It seems like every time I come on here, the space requirements for these fish just keep going up.

[flynix]

I based my judgment on Isabella, our regal tang at work - I might've gotten a bit bored and named some fish. Watching her cruise up and down a 6.5 foot tank is nice, but it still seems a bit cramped given her size and how much she moves around. That's not exactly a scientific approach, I know, but to be honest, digging up stats can be a hassle for now.