[villanueva]

Hey,
how long does it take for a Naso Tang to grow to the full size 18"?

[leebca]

You question is riddled with a variety of 'comeback' questions.

First, 18" is not their maximum size. Marine fish continue to grow. That is to say, they never stop growing. They die from lack of nutrition, running out of resources, predators, disease, etc. But they never stop growing.

Ever heard of the fishing industry pulling up their net to find a HUGE sea bass or sea X? It's because they don't stop growing. That fish just beat the odds.

It's just that 18" seems to be the largest observed in the wild.

Second, if the fish is properly fed and provided proper nutrition as frequent as it should be eating, the fish can grow up to an inch a year until it gets to about 12 inches, then about half that rate until it dies. It's interesting to note that people who own such fish who claim their fish doesn't grow that fast are admitting (to me) that the fish is not being fed properly, given the proper foods and nutrition at a rate it requires to thrive rather than to just survive in captivity.

What do your resources say a Copperband Butterfly will reach in size? I've seen them 15" in captivity.