I just wanted to write a quick article on some of the tangs I have had in the past! Also, wanted to touch base and go over some of my favorite species that are out in the sea! Let me tell you - How times have changed with prices w/ these beautiful species that are in the sea. I am already seeing spikes on the market for Yellow Tangs, Purple Tangs, Chevron Tangs, Achilles Tangs, Naso Tangs, which have skyrocketed. As we all know this gorgeous-looking Yellow surgeonfish name comes from the blade-like structures found near their tails. There are one or two of these on each side of the tail area, although they're much smaller on some species than others. Some can also fold flush with the body, like little switchblade knives, while others are in a fixed position. When annoyed, rather than nibbling or biting each other, two surgeons will slap each other repeatedly with their tails and with their little scalpels. They may stick/cut each other, but the damage is typically light and not life-threatening.
I have been in this hobby now for over 25 years and have been an Advanced Diver that has logged over 250 dives around the world. There is something about the way 'Surgeonfish'' swims in my opinion, its fascinating to me how they actually just glide through the currents in a tank and also in there own natural environments on a reef it's something very special to see. Also, your typical Surgeonfishes are a good-looking bunch for the most part, with only a few species that aren't nicely colored or at least covered with some sort of neat patterning. The pictures make that easy to see, of course, but being pretty is nothing particularly special when it comes to marine fishes. However, many surgeons stand apart from other fishes because of their personalities, which is one of the things I've always liked most about them. Like dogs that become obviously excited to see their human come home, various surgeons are often the first fishes to dart to the front pane of glass and dance around when you enter the room, even when many other fishes seem oblivious to your presence. To tell the truth, if I've ever seen a fish look genuinely happy to see me, it would have to be a surgeon. Many of them really do remind me of little aquatic dogs with their attitudes and antics
Please note that Tangs often change colors to some degree, and can get much lighter or darker at times. It's quite common for them to lighten considerably at night over their whole body, but even during the day individuals of some species can look very different. Here you can see both dark and light-colored Atlantic blue tangs, all of which are apparently healthy.
Surgeons are also about as invertebrate-safe as a family of fishes can be. After running an aquarium maintenance business for 3 years and being in the hobby for over twenty years, I can recall maybe 1 time becoming a problem for corals/reef aquarium.
A diet of foods like algae-packed cubes, Spirulina or other quality marine flakes, Gracilaria, nori (sushi wrap made of seaweed), and kombu (dried kelp) is best, and they'll usually tear this stuff up and eat until they look like they'd burst if given the opportunity. Do make sure to buy unseasoned/untreated types if you get nori/kombu at the grocery though, as you don't want to add any sorts of additives, preservatives, etc. Of course, surgeons will also find some food for themselves in most tanks, as well, as they'll graze over glass and rock surfaces picking at whatever grows there. If you aren't having a very, very serious algae problem, this won't be enough to keep the healthy, though. Thus, you should feed them daily at the very least, and two or three times daily if possible. In the wild they poke around all day nibbling here and there, so as is the case with most herbivorous fishes, eating one big meal a day (or even less frequently) is not what they are used to at all. Most will also eat lettuce, spinach, broccoli, and other greens but their favorite food is either romaine lettuce, which is very commonly used to feed them. If frozen or boiled first and then added to an aquarium it gets very soft and most tangs will gobble it up. But, they may eat it, and eat it, and eat it, and gain little, if any weight. Thus, it's probably much better to either not bother with this stuff or to use it as part of a mixed diet. The other veggies should also only be part of a mixed-diet, as well. These are not what a tang relies on in the wild, so they should not be the only foods given in aquariums.
If you own any Surgeonfish, I would highly recommend buying the IM Gourmet Grazer. Then your surgeon-fish can just graze all day.
As far as what I personally put in my Gourmet Grazer is Nori that you can get at your local supermarket which a lot of people don't realize it. It may look different but I just wanted to post an illustration as an example of what it looks like.
Instead of ordering the Reef-Nutrition container you can SAVE A LOT OF MONEY and head over to your local supermarket and buy just plain old Nori which is the same exact thing that Reef-Nutrition sells in a container for around 5.00 vs getting 10 times more if you get it from your grocery store.
Also, would like to get into a little about the Purple Tang, Zebrasoma xanthurum: These may get a little bigger than the yellow or Scopas tangs, possibly reaching almost 8''. They also tend to be much more aggressive towards other fishes and other tangs in particular. So much so that many hobbyists don't like them, regardless of their regal colors. Also, there are not cheap and ranging anywhere fro $99.99 for a Juvi and $199 for an adult.
(Adult Zebrasoma xanthurum)
Another Favorite of mine if the Powder Blue Tang; This gorgeous tang is another one of my favorites, although they're known for not being very hardy and often do not fare well during the collection/shipping process. If you can get a healthy one, they're great though and have a maximum size of about 9 inches but that takes over years to grow to an Adult stage. I owned a Juvi in my 120 and after about 5 years, it was time to give him a bigger home.. It was one of my favorite tangs since it kept the peace and never was aggressive even to its own family of Surgeon-fish. I haven't found them to be particularly pretty Als0 these TANGS are some of the least hardy of the tangs . As far as price they are ranging from price anywhere from $100-$200.00
Acanthurus leucosternon:
Another favorite of mine is the Achilles Tang: For a fish that's mostly dark brown to black, these are somehow still quite beautiful and can grow quite larger over the years.. Unfortunately, opinions vary when it comes to their aggressiveness!! Als0 these TANGS are some of the least hardy of the tangs in my experience these guys can be relatively picky eaters too, making recovery difficult. Also, they are not cheap ranging from $299.00 up to $350.00
My next favorite would have to be a beautiful Sohal Tang, which must have a lot of room to swim or they will di.. If I have to pick a single most aggressive species, it's this one. I've known more than one hobbyist that regretting adding this fish to their tank, as sohals can reach a full size of almost 12 -15 inches and have been known to outright kill other fishes that it doesn't care for. So, this one should only be kept in very large tanks, with tankmates that can fend for themselves. Michael (2001) says they'll even attack parrotfishes and triggerfishes in the wild!
Acanthurus sohal
Can't forget the Pacific Blue Tang, Also known as the regal, or hippo tang, these can get up to just over 12'' very quick in length, and are the weirdest acting of the tangs for sure. They're usually very peaceful, but they have a strange habit of wedging themselves into crevices or just laying on their sides when it's time to go to sleep. Other than that, they can, unfortunately, be very shy/skittish at times, leading to the great frustration of many hobbyists. If you have to have one, try to spot one that is actually out and about, eating rather than trying to hide.
Paracanthurus hepatus
Last but not least my favorite specie which is the Chevron Tang, This is certainly a gorgeous fish when small, but they can reach a full size of 11 inches and end up looking quite dark looking ones hitting the adult stage. They just get darker and darker until they end up being dark brown with faint, lighter lines. While generally non-aggressive and hardy enough, they do get big, lose their looks, and are typically around the $150.00 to $200.00 dollar rage:
I have been in this hobby now for over 25 years and have been an Advanced Diver that has logged over 250 dives around the world. There is something about the way 'Surgeonfish'' swims in my opinion, its fascinating to me how they actually just glide through the currents in a tank and also in there own natural environments on a reef it's something very special to see. Also, your typical Surgeonfishes are a good-looking bunch for the most part, with only a few species that aren't nicely colored or at least covered with some sort of neat patterning. The pictures make that easy to see, of course, but being pretty is nothing particularly special when it comes to marine fishes. However, many surgeons stand apart from other fishes because of their personalities, which is one of the things I've always liked most about them. Like dogs that become obviously excited to see their human come home, various surgeons are often the first fishes to dart to the front pane of glass and dance around when you enter the room, even when many other fishes seem oblivious to your presence. To tell the truth, if I've ever seen a fish look genuinely happy to see me, it would have to be a surgeon. Many of them really do remind me of little aquatic dogs with their attitudes and antics
Please note that Tangs often change colors to some degree, and can get much lighter or darker at times. It's quite common for them to lighten considerably at night over their whole body, but even during the day individuals of some species can look very different. Here you can see both dark and light-colored Atlantic blue tangs, all of which are apparently healthy.
Surgeons are also about as invertebrate-safe as a family of fishes can be. After running an aquarium maintenance business for 3 years and being in the hobby for over twenty years, I can recall maybe 1 time becoming a problem for corals/reef aquarium.
A diet of foods like algae-packed cubes, Spirulina or other quality marine flakes, Gracilaria, nori (sushi wrap made of seaweed), and kombu (dried kelp) is best, and they'll usually tear this stuff up and eat until they look like they'd burst if given the opportunity. Do make sure to buy unseasoned/untreated types if you get nori/kombu at the grocery though, as you don't want to add any sorts of additives, preservatives, etc. Of course, surgeons will also find some food for themselves in most tanks, as well, as they'll graze over glass and rock surfaces picking at whatever grows there. If you aren't having a very, very serious algae problem, this won't be enough to keep the healthy, though. Thus, you should feed them daily at the very least, and two or three times daily if possible. In the wild they poke around all day nibbling here and there, so as is the case with most herbivorous fishes, eating one big meal a day (or even less frequently) is not what they are used to at all. Most will also eat lettuce, spinach, broccoli, and other greens but their favorite food is either romaine lettuce, which is very commonly used to feed them. If frozen or boiled first and then added to an aquarium it gets very soft and most tangs will gobble it up. But, they may eat it, and eat it, and eat it, and gain little, if any weight. Thus, it's probably much better to either not bother with this stuff or to use it as part of a mixed diet. The other veggies should also only be part of a mixed-diet, as well. These are not what a tang relies on in the wild, so they should not be the only foods given in aquariums.
If you own any Surgeonfish, I would highly recommend buying the IM Gourmet Grazer. Then your surgeon-fish can just graze all day.
As far as what I personally put in my Gourmet Grazer is Nori that you can get at your local supermarket which a lot of people don't realize it. It may look different but I just wanted to post an illustration as an example of what it looks like.
Instead of ordering the Reef-Nutrition container you can SAVE A LOT OF MONEY and head over to your local supermarket and buy just plain old Nori which is the same exact thing that Reef-Nutrition sells in a container for around 5.00 vs getting 10 times more if you get it from your grocery store.
Also, would like to get into a little about the Purple Tang, Zebrasoma xanthurum: These may get a little bigger than the yellow or Scopas tangs, possibly reaching almost 8''. They also tend to be much more aggressive towards other fishes and other tangs in particular. So much so that many hobbyists don't like them, regardless of their regal colors. Also, there are not cheap and ranging anywhere fro $99.99 for a Juvi and $199 for an adult.
(Adult Zebrasoma xanthurum)
Another Favorite of mine if the Powder Blue Tang; This gorgeous tang is another one of my favorites, although they're known for not being very hardy and often do not fare well during the collection/shipping process. If you can get a healthy one, they're great though and have a maximum size of about 9 inches but that takes over years to grow to an Adult stage. I owned a Juvi in my 120 and after about 5 years, it was time to give him a bigger home.. It was one of my favorite tangs since it kept the peace and never was aggressive even to its own family of Surgeon-fish. I haven't found them to be particularly pretty Als0 these TANGS are some of the least hardy of the tangs . As far as price they are ranging from price anywhere from $100-$200.00
Acanthurus leucosternon:
Another favorite of mine is the Achilles Tang: For a fish that's mostly dark brown to black, these are somehow still quite beautiful and can grow quite larger over the years.. Unfortunately, opinions vary when it comes to their aggressiveness!! Als0 these TANGS are some of the least hardy of the tangs in my experience these guys can be relatively picky eaters too, making recovery difficult. Also, they are not cheap ranging from $299.00 up to $350.00
My next favorite would have to be a beautiful Sohal Tang, which must have a lot of room to swim or they will di.. If I have to pick a single most aggressive species, it's this one. I've known more than one hobbyist that regretting adding this fish to their tank, as sohals can reach a full size of almost 12 -15 inches and have been known to outright kill other fishes that it doesn't care for. So, this one should only be kept in very large tanks, with tankmates that can fend for themselves. Michael (2001) says they'll even attack parrotfishes and triggerfishes in the wild!
Acanthurus sohal
Can't forget the Pacific Blue Tang, Also known as the regal, or hippo tang, these can get up to just over 12'' very quick in length, and are the weirdest acting of the tangs for sure. They're usually very peaceful, but they have a strange habit of wedging themselves into crevices or just laying on their sides when it's time to go to sleep. Other than that, they can, unfortunately, be very shy/skittish at times, leading to the great frustration of many hobbyists. If you have to have one, try to spot one that is actually out and about, eating rather than trying to hide.
Paracanthurus hepatus
Last but not least my favorite specie which is the Chevron Tang, This is certainly a gorgeous fish when small, but they can reach a full size of 11 inches and end up looking quite dark looking ones hitting the adult stage. They just get darker and darker until they end up being dark brown with faint, lighter lines. While generally non-aggressive and hardy enough, they do get big, lose their looks, and are typically around the $150.00 to $200.00 dollar rage:
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