Is My New Orange Shoulder Stunted?

Quah · Oct 13, 2016

I purchased an Orange Shoulder Tang 2 days ago to go into my new 240 which should be finished cycling here in the next month. I have him in a 20 gallon long with some live rock for QT. I've watched him at the LFS for a while, I knew he wasn't fed his veggies. he seemed healthy for the most part and was kind of a light yellow color. I know they go through stages he is probably about 4 inches long. I assumed he would grow over the next few years and that he was still a juvenile but when I look at him he seems to have more adult colors than juvenile colors, he is super skittish and bolts whenever I approach the tank but I got this picture of him. I've been feeding him sheets of algae and he devours them. Is he stunted? Will he undergo a growth spurt once he is in the 240?

Quah · Oct 13, 2016

I plan on starting TTM for him in the next week or two along with a Magnificent Foxface that is in my 180 (in two seperate 20 longs).

lion king · Oct 13, 2016

He looks fine, they change right around 4" plus or minus; he looks like he's hasn't fully changed yet. OST is my 1st and only tang, I have one in my 210 for about a year. I really enjoy him he follows me around and very interactive, he dances when he swims. If his stomach looks full with no sunken in spots, he's eating fine; I don't know what kind of growth spurt you are looking for mine has grown about an inch in a year.

Quah · Oct 13, 2016

I was just looking at this picture and the orange shoulder in it looks HUGE and I was thinking mines, not near that size. I guess it could all be perspective. I don't know that I'm looking for a growth spurt I'd just like him to reach an adult size of around 9" if not larger. Credit to Amuze for this picture.

lion king · Oct 13, 2016

I think it is all perspective, I've found you really don't want to power feed and try to grow your fish too fast. In captivity if you manage their food to match their activity and new confined space they will live a very long healthy life. I've kept many fish over a decade, and have never had the growth I read about online. Most people are exaggerating anyway, and those that have power fed their fish usually kill them will a year or so.

eatbreakfast · Oct 14, 2016

Maturity is only partly based on size with fish, but also social situations and queues. So changing into mature colors can vary to a degree. Since tangs are a longer lived aquarium fish, so they have a number of years to reach full size.