Fiji Live Rock
09-05-2003, 03:01 AM
:!: Hopefully this will help some of you in understanding Tangs and Surgeons for tank sizes, diets, attitudes, and more! :!:
:arrow: Hawaiian Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens)
The Yellow Hawaiian Tang, also known as the Yellow Sailfin Tang, or Yellow Surgeonfish, has an oval bright yellow body. It is widespread throughout Hawaii to Indonesia and the Great Barrier Reef.
A 50 gallon or larger aquarium is necessary to provide plenty of swimming room. It is aggressive towards its own species, or Tangs in general, and it is best to keep only one per tank. If more than one tang is to be kept, introduce simultaneously.
In its natural habitat, the Yellow Hawaiian Tang grazes on algae and small invertebrates. In the tank, it needs a varied diet high in beta-carotene and vitamin C, and low in protein matter. To maintain its bright coloration, however, it must keep to a strict herbivore diet to prevent fading. Therefore, the diet of the Yellow Hawaiian Tang should consist of dried and frozen herbivore food that contains marine algae, and vegetarian items such as Spirulina, zucchini, broccoli, leaf lettuce, and dried seaweed.
This is a very common, extremely popular, and hardy addition to any fish-only reef aquarium system.
:arrow: Powder Blue Tang (Acanthurus leucosternon)
The Powder Blue Tang, also known as the Powder Blue Surgeonfish, has an oval body shape with extremely colorful, bold markings. It is prized for its vivid colors and bold markings, with several varying shades of blue accented by yellow and white. Bright yellow highlights the dorsal and pectoral fins, and striking blue-black markings outline the face and tail.
A 100 gallon or larger aquarium is necessary to provide plenty of swimming room. It is extremely aggressive towards other Tangs or Surgeonfish, especially those similar in form and color, and should be the only one in the tank except in very large systems: introduce all at once if more than one is to be maintained in the same aquarium.
The diet of the Powder Blue Tang should consist of freeze-dried worms, brine shrimp, algae for grazing, and vegetarian items such as Spirulina, zucchini, broccoli, leaf lettuce, and dried seaweed.
:arrow: Blue Tang (Paracanthurus hepatus)
The Pacific Blue Tang is also referred to as the Palette Surgeonfish, Hepatus Tang, Blue Surgeonfish, and Regal Tang. It is a highly prized, beautiful and long-lived Tang. Like most tangs and surgeons, it is easy to recognize because of the oval body shape and bold markings. It has a deep blue color with a "painter's palette" marking on the body.
Pacific Blue Tang requires a 70 gallon or larger aquarium with a number of hiding places and plenty of room to swim. It is tolerant of other tangs, but can occasionally be aggressive towards other Blue Tangs. If housing in groups, introduce all at once into a larger aquarium. It is more susceptible to lateral line disease, fin erosion, ich and other skin parasites than many other fish.
Because it feeds on algae, the Blue Tang will help to control the algae in your aquarium. It will also consume other vegetarian items.
:arrow: Achilles Tang (Acanthurus achilles)
The Achilles Tang, also known as the Red-tailed Surgeon, or Achilles Surgeonfish, is very dark brown to purple. It has bright highlights of white and orange around the dorsal, caudal, and anal fins. A white marking is also present on the gill covers and a striking orange teardrop is found near the caudal fin. The juveniles of this species have an orange marking by the tail in the shape of a streak instead of being teardrop in shape.
A 100 gallon aquarium or larger is necessary to provide plenty of swimming room. It is aggressive towards other Tangs and Surgeonfish, but peaceful with other fish.
The diet of the Achilles Tang should consist of algae and vegetarian items such as Spirulina, zucchini, broccoli, leaf lettuce, and dried seaweed.
:arrow: Purple Tang (Zebrasoma xanthurum)
The Purple Tang, also known as the Yellowtail Sailfin Tang, Yellowtail Surgeonfish, and the Blue Surgeonfish, is blue to purple in color with a yellow tail and yellow accents on the pectoral fins. This fish was formally known only to the coral reefs of the Red Sea, but it is now found in the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden and in the waters off Sri Lanka as well. It usually lives singly, but can occasionally be found in schools in the southern Red Sea. Adults can reach a size of 10 inches.
The Purple Tang is one of the most prized specimens of all saltwater fish for its coloration, and one of the most popular Tangs for the reef aquarium. If housed properly, it is a rewarding and attractive addition to any large fish-only tank, or reef aquarium. If keeping them, be sure to provide good lighting, lots of free swimming space and plenty of potential hiding spots. They can be very aggressive and do not fare well with tank mates of similar body shape, especially other Tangs of the genus Zebrasoma.
A 100 gallon aquarium or larger is necessary to provide plenty of swimming room.
They will graze on algae in the aquarium as well as accepting other prepared foods both frozen and dried. Purple Tangs need vitamin supplements that are high in beta-carotene, to help prevent lateral line disease.
:arrow: Kole Yellow Eye Tang (Ctenochaetus strigosus)
Ctenochaetus strigosus is known by many names including the Striped Bristletooth and Goldring Bristletooth. Both C. strigosus and the Spotted Bristletooth (C. striatus) are sometimes called Kole Yellow Eye Tang, Yellow Eye Tang, or Yelloweye Surgeonfish.
C. strigosus has an oval body shape with bold markings that change with maturity. As a juvenile, it has a yellow-gold to tan color combined with striping and spots. When matured, the body color darkens, ranging from blue to burgundy. Depending on what part of the world it is from, it can have either a majority of spots or stripes highlighting the body.
A 70 gallon or larger aquarium is necessary to provide plenty of swimming room. It is aggressive towards other Tangs, therefore is is best to only keep one per tank. It will not harm sessile invertebrates in the reef tank environment.
The diet should consist of frozen herbivore rations, dried marine algae, and vegetarian items such as Spirulina, zucchini, broccoli, leaf lettuce, and dried seaweed.
:arrow: Mimic Lemon Peel Tang (Acanthurus pyroferus)
The Mimic Lemon Peel Tang, also known as the Mimic Surgeon, or Chocolate Surgeonfish, has a yellow oval body when a juvenile. It has blue highlights around the eyes and gill covers, mimicking the Lemonpeel Tang (Centropyge flavissimus). (Many of the Acanthurus sp. mimic angelfish.) When mature, the body color darkens towards tan with red highlights forming around the eyes and pectoral fins. The dorsal, anal, and caudal fins take on the hues of green but remain tipped with the tan body color.
A 70 gallon or larger aquarium is adequate to provide plenty of swimming room. It is aggressive towards other Tangs, Surgeonfish and fish with similar body shapes and color.
The diet consists of eating algae and vegetarian items such as Spirulina, zucchini, broccoli, leaf lettuce, and dried seaweed.
:arrow: Blue Caribbean Tang (Acanthurus coeruleus)
The Blue Caribbean Tang, also known as the Atlantic Blue Tang, Blue Tang Surgeonfish, and simply the Blue Tang, has an oval body with bold markings that change as the fish matures from juvenile to adult. A juvenile is bright yellow with two blue bands at the eyes, and additional blue markings at the fringes of the dorsal and caudal fins. When mature, the blue will become even brighter with markings running horizontally along the entire body. It may have a yellow tail.
A 100 gallon or larger aquarium is necessary to provide plenty of swimming room. It is aggressive towards other Tangs and Surgeonfish, but peaceful with other fish.
The Blue Caribbean Tang diet should consist of algae and vegetarian items such as Spirulina, zucchini, broccoli, leaf lettuce, and dried seaweed.
:arrow: Whitecheek Tang (Acanthurus nigricans)
The Whitecheek Tang, also known as the Gold-rimmed Surgeonfish or Whitecheek Surgeonfish, has a purplish-blue body with a small white mark on the cheek between the mouth and eyes. The pectoral, anal, and dorsal fins are dark blue with blue highlights at the tip. The tail is blue with a yellow vertical bar. A yellow striping runs along the body, against the anal and dorsal fins, forming a distinctive wishbone-shaped marking.
A 70 gallon or larger aquarium is adequate to provide plenty of swimming room. It is aggressive towards other Tangs, but peaceful with other fish in the tank.
The diet of the Whitecheek Tang should consist of algae and vegetarian items such as Spirulina, zucchini, broccoli, leaf lettuce, and dried seaweed.
:arrow: Naso Tang (Naso lituratus)
The Naso Tang, also known as the Orangespine Unicornfish, darkens with maturity. Naso Tangs from Hawaii are often more brightly colored than those found in other areas. As a juvenile, the Naso Tang from Hawaii is dark gray with a blue stripe following along the dorsal fin and an orange stripe in the anal fin. When matured, the body takes on a reddish-brown tone and the juvenile striping is supplemented with additional color. The tail takes on a lyre shape with a yellow vertical bar towards the back. Two orange patches appear at the peduncle spines near the tail. The face undergoes the largest change. A thin, black mask forms between the eyes and mouth. The mask is outlined with bright yellow and the lips develop a reddish-orange color.
A 125 gallon or larger aquarium is necessary to provide plenty of swimming room, and places to hide, with a tight-fitting lid provided to prevent jumping to escape. It is aggressive towards other tangs, but peaceful with other fish in the tank.
The diet of the Naso Tang should consist of marine algae for grazing, and vegetarian items such as Spirulina, meaty planktivore preparations, and dried seaweed (brown is best).
:arrow: Sohal Tang (Acanthurus sohal)
This fish is also known as the Sohal Surgeonfish and Red Sea Clown Surgeon, and less commonly the Zebra Surgeon, Majestic Tang, Majestic Surgeon, Zebra Tang, and Arabian Tang. It is found in the Red Sea, to the Arabian Gulf, and the Arabian Sea, sometimes in large aggregations, but usually in solitude. These fish commonly inhabit the reef plateau just before the slope, and are generally found in depths of less than 20 meters (65'). Wild Sohal Tang specimens can grow to 16 inches; in an aquarium the adults will normally grow from 7 to 10 inches.
The Sohal Tang is hardy, but susceptible to a disease known as Lateral Line erosion, or Hole in the Head. A vegetarian diet high in vitamins, especially beta-carotene can aid in the prevention of development of the disease. Stray voltages are also thought to contribute to this disease and the grounding probe may be beneficial.
Sohal Tangs are very aggressive. They should not be kept with other Tangs or Wrasse species. They tend to be well-behaved with old tank mates, but try to kill any new additions. They are only suited for large aquariums with other aggressive fish. They do fairly well in very large reef systems with no other Tangs, and plenty of swimming room.
A 180 gallon or larger aquarium is necessary to provide plenty of swimming room.
Found scraping for algae in the wild, in an aquarium, they will generally accept most prepared and frozen foods. Foods high in vegetable matter are necessary such as zucchini, broccoli, leaf lettuce, and dried seaweed.
The Sohal Tangs are among the most prized fish for the aquarium hobby. The blue outline on the fins and the horizontal body striping render them quite striking. Because of its aggression factor and size, this fish should only be kept by an experienced aquarist with a large reef tank.
Well....Hopefully this will or has helped some of you. PLEASE use this post for information on what NOT to buy for your tank if you do not have the right conditions!
Don't ever say I don't look out for yall! I always take the time to dig up info for yall. :wink:
:arrow: Hawaiian Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens)
The Yellow Hawaiian Tang, also known as the Yellow Sailfin Tang, or Yellow Surgeonfish, has an oval bright yellow body. It is widespread throughout Hawaii to Indonesia and the Great Barrier Reef.
A 50 gallon or larger aquarium is necessary to provide plenty of swimming room. It is aggressive towards its own species, or Tangs in general, and it is best to keep only one per tank. If more than one tang is to be kept, introduce simultaneously.
In its natural habitat, the Yellow Hawaiian Tang grazes on algae and small invertebrates. In the tank, it needs a varied diet high in beta-carotene and vitamin C, and low in protein matter. To maintain its bright coloration, however, it must keep to a strict herbivore diet to prevent fading. Therefore, the diet of the Yellow Hawaiian Tang should consist of dried and frozen herbivore food that contains marine algae, and vegetarian items such as Spirulina, zucchini, broccoli, leaf lettuce, and dried seaweed.
This is a very common, extremely popular, and hardy addition to any fish-only reef aquarium system.
:arrow: Powder Blue Tang (Acanthurus leucosternon)
The Powder Blue Tang, also known as the Powder Blue Surgeonfish, has an oval body shape with extremely colorful, bold markings. It is prized for its vivid colors and bold markings, with several varying shades of blue accented by yellow and white. Bright yellow highlights the dorsal and pectoral fins, and striking blue-black markings outline the face and tail.
A 100 gallon or larger aquarium is necessary to provide plenty of swimming room. It is extremely aggressive towards other Tangs or Surgeonfish, especially those similar in form and color, and should be the only one in the tank except in very large systems: introduce all at once if more than one is to be maintained in the same aquarium.
The diet of the Powder Blue Tang should consist of freeze-dried worms, brine shrimp, algae for grazing, and vegetarian items such as Spirulina, zucchini, broccoli, leaf lettuce, and dried seaweed.
:arrow: Blue Tang (Paracanthurus hepatus)
The Pacific Blue Tang is also referred to as the Palette Surgeonfish, Hepatus Tang, Blue Surgeonfish, and Regal Tang. It is a highly prized, beautiful and long-lived Tang. Like most tangs and surgeons, it is easy to recognize because of the oval body shape and bold markings. It has a deep blue color with a "painter's palette" marking on the body.
Pacific Blue Tang requires a 70 gallon or larger aquarium with a number of hiding places and plenty of room to swim. It is tolerant of other tangs, but can occasionally be aggressive towards other Blue Tangs. If housing in groups, introduce all at once into a larger aquarium. It is more susceptible to lateral line disease, fin erosion, ich and other skin parasites than many other fish.
Because it feeds on algae, the Blue Tang will help to control the algae in your aquarium. It will also consume other vegetarian items.
:arrow: Achilles Tang (Acanthurus achilles)
The Achilles Tang, also known as the Red-tailed Surgeon, or Achilles Surgeonfish, is very dark brown to purple. It has bright highlights of white and orange around the dorsal, caudal, and anal fins. A white marking is also present on the gill covers and a striking orange teardrop is found near the caudal fin. The juveniles of this species have an orange marking by the tail in the shape of a streak instead of being teardrop in shape.
A 100 gallon aquarium or larger is necessary to provide plenty of swimming room. It is aggressive towards other Tangs and Surgeonfish, but peaceful with other fish.
The diet of the Achilles Tang should consist of algae and vegetarian items such as Spirulina, zucchini, broccoli, leaf lettuce, and dried seaweed.
:arrow: Purple Tang (Zebrasoma xanthurum)
The Purple Tang, also known as the Yellowtail Sailfin Tang, Yellowtail Surgeonfish, and the Blue Surgeonfish, is blue to purple in color with a yellow tail and yellow accents on the pectoral fins. This fish was formally known only to the coral reefs of the Red Sea, but it is now found in the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden and in the waters off Sri Lanka as well. It usually lives singly, but can occasionally be found in schools in the southern Red Sea. Adults can reach a size of 10 inches.
The Purple Tang is one of the most prized specimens of all saltwater fish for its coloration, and one of the most popular Tangs for the reef aquarium. If housed properly, it is a rewarding and attractive addition to any large fish-only tank, or reef aquarium. If keeping them, be sure to provide good lighting, lots of free swimming space and plenty of potential hiding spots. They can be very aggressive and do not fare well with tank mates of similar body shape, especially other Tangs of the genus Zebrasoma.
A 100 gallon aquarium or larger is necessary to provide plenty of swimming room.
They will graze on algae in the aquarium as well as accepting other prepared foods both frozen and dried. Purple Tangs need vitamin supplements that are high in beta-carotene, to help prevent lateral line disease.
:arrow: Kole Yellow Eye Tang (Ctenochaetus strigosus)
Ctenochaetus strigosus is known by many names including the Striped Bristletooth and Goldring Bristletooth. Both C. strigosus and the Spotted Bristletooth (C. striatus) are sometimes called Kole Yellow Eye Tang, Yellow Eye Tang, or Yelloweye Surgeonfish.
C. strigosus has an oval body shape with bold markings that change with maturity. As a juvenile, it has a yellow-gold to tan color combined with striping and spots. When matured, the body color darkens, ranging from blue to burgundy. Depending on what part of the world it is from, it can have either a majority of spots or stripes highlighting the body.
A 70 gallon or larger aquarium is necessary to provide plenty of swimming room. It is aggressive towards other Tangs, therefore is is best to only keep one per tank. It will not harm sessile invertebrates in the reef tank environment.
The diet should consist of frozen herbivore rations, dried marine algae, and vegetarian items such as Spirulina, zucchini, broccoli, leaf lettuce, and dried seaweed.
:arrow: Mimic Lemon Peel Tang (Acanthurus pyroferus)
The Mimic Lemon Peel Tang, also known as the Mimic Surgeon, or Chocolate Surgeonfish, has a yellow oval body when a juvenile. It has blue highlights around the eyes and gill covers, mimicking the Lemonpeel Tang (Centropyge flavissimus). (Many of the Acanthurus sp. mimic angelfish.) When mature, the body color darkens towards tan with red highlights forming around the eyes and pectoral fins. The dorsal, anal, and caudal fins take on the hues of green but remain tipped with the tan body color.
A 70 gallon or larger aquarium is adequate to provide plenty of swimming room. It is aggressive towards other Tangs, Surgeonfish and fish with similar body shapes and color.
The diet consists of eating algae and vegetarian items such as Spirulina, zucchini, broccoli, leaf lettuce, and dried seaweed.
:arrow: Blue Caribbean Tang (Acanthurus coeruleus)
The Blue Caribbean Tang, also known as the Atlantic Blue Tang, Blue Tang Surgeonfish, and simply the Blue Tang, has an oval body with bold markings that change as the fish matures from juvenile to adult. A juvenile is bright yellow with two blue bands at the eyes, and additional blue markings at the fringes of the dorsal and caudal fins. When mature, the blue will become even brighter with markings running horizontally along the entire body. It may have a yellow tail.
A 100 gallon or larger aquarium is necessary to provide plenty of swimming room. It is aggressive towards other Tangs and Surgeonfish, but peaceful with other fish.
The Blue Caribbean Tang diet should consist of algae and vegetarian items such as Spirulina, zucchini, broccoli, leaf lettuce, and dried seaweed.
:arrow: Whitecheek Tang (Acanthurus nigricans)
The Whitecheek Tang, also known as the Gold-rimmed Surgeonfish or Whitecheek Surgeonfish, has a purplish-blue body with a small white mark on the cheek between the mouth and eyes. The pectoral, anal, and dorsal fins are dark blue with blue highlights at the tip. The tail is blue with a yellow vertical bar. A yellow striping runs along the body, against the anal and dorsal fins, forming a distinctive wishbone-shaped marking.
A 70 gallon or larger aquarium is adequate to provide plenty of swimming room. It is aggressive towards other Tangs, but peaceful with other fish in the tank.
The diet of the Whitecheek Tang should consist of algae and vegetarian items such as Spirulina, zucchini, broccoli, leaf lettuce, and dried seaweed.
:arrow: Naso Tang (Naso lituratus)
The Naso Tang, also known as the Orangespine Unicornfish, darkens with maturity. Naso Tangs from Hawaii are often more brightly colored than those found in other areas. As a juvenile, the Naso Tang from Hawaii is dark gray with a blue stripe following along the dorsal fin and an orange stripe in the anal fin. When matured, the body takes on a reddish-brown tone and the juvenile striping is supplemented with additional color. The tail takes on a lyre shape with a yellow vertical bar towards the back. Two orange patches appear at the peduncle spines near the tail. The face undergoes the largest change. A thin, black mask forms between the eyes and mouth. The mask is outlined with bright yellow and the lips develop a reddish-orange color.
A 125 gallon or larger aquarium is necessary to provide plenty of swimming room, and places to hide, with a tight-fitting lid provided to prevent jumping to escape. It is aggressive towards other tangs, but peaceful with other fish in the tank.
The diet of the Naso Tang should consist of marine algae for grazing, and vegetarian items such as Spirulina, meaty planktivore preparations, and dried seaweed (brown is best).
:arrow: Sohal Tang (Acanthurus sohal)
This fish is also known as the Sohal Surgeonfish and Red Sea Clown Surgeon, and less commonly the Zebra Surgeon, Majestic Tang, Majestic Surgeon, Zebra Tang, and Arabian Tang. It is found in the Red Sea, to the Arabian Gulf, and the Arabian Sea, sometimes in large aggregations, but usually in solitude. These fish commonly inhabit the reef plateau just before the slope, and are generally found in depths of less than 20 meters (65'). Wild Sohal Tang specimens can grow to 16 inches; in an aquarium the adults will normally grow from 7 to 10 inches.
The Sohal Tang is hardy, but susceptible to a disease known as Lateral Line erosion, or Hole in the Head. A vegetarian diet high in vitamins, especially beta-carotene can aid in the prevention of development of the disease. Stray voltages are also thought to contribute to this disease and the grounding probe may be beneficial.
Sohal Tangs are very aggressive. They should not be kept with other Tangs or Wrasse species. They tend to be well-behaved with old tank mates, but try to kill any new additions. They are only suited for large aquariums with other aggressive fish. They do fairly well in very large reef systems with no other Tangs, and plenty of swimming room.
A 180 gallon or larger aquarium is necessary to provide plenty of swimming room.
Found scraping for algae in the wild, in an aquarium, they will generally accept most prepared and frozen foods. Foods high in vegetable matter are necessary such as zucchini, broccoli, leaf lettuce, and dried seaweed.
The Sohal Tangs are among the most prized fish for the aquarium hobby. The blue outline on the fins and the horizontal body striping render them quite striking. Because of its aggression factor and size, this fish should only be kept by an experienced aquarist with a large reef tank.
Well....Hopefully this will or has helped some of you. PLEASE use this post for information on what NOT to buy for your tank if you do not have the right conditions!
Don't ever say I don't look out for yall! I always take the time to dig up info for yall. :wink: