My tang in a 20gal

[coral88]

I think it is a Atlantic blue but I can’t find a pic of a juvenile that isn’t yellow.
He is only about one and a quarter inches long and will be going in one of my 100gal tanks when he get a little bigger.

 

[revhtree]

Cute little guy!

 

[FateX8]

dont know but what about the white tail?
does that have anything to do with atlantic blue?

 

[coral88]

I don’t know what significances the white tail has. I’m more of a coral guy than a fish guy. I found this little fellow at a lfs for $15 and thought for that price I’d buy him just to see what he was. They had a slightly larger one that was yellow and looked like a juvenile atlantic blue. But that doesn’t mean this guy is since they were both plucked from the sea. I was little worried with him being so small that he would stress out and not eat. That has not been a problem. He will eat any food I put in the tank and is constantly grazing on the rocks and glass.

 

[Azurel]

Try looking up Eye line Tang or Acanthurus nigricauda....

 

[coral88]

Thanks Azurel I looked up Acanthurus nigricauda. It didn’t come from where I think this guy was collected from but I found a pic of Acanthurus chirurgus on the same page.
I think this is what he is the location he was more than likely collected from is where these are found and the one in the pic has the white tail and the vertical bars on it’s side
Acanthurus chirurgus

 

[revhtree]

I think you found a winner.

 

[Azurel]

Yup looks like it could be a match......I was just going by the white part on the tail, didn't even notice the bars on it.....If so that will be one pretty tang.....What did you find out about their behavior, size etc....

 

[coral88]

I was going to try and remember what I had read but thought it would be easer to copy a paste so this is what I found out about my fish

Coloration
The doctorfish can vary slightly in its overall color. It can change from blue-gray to dark brown, and pale or darken dramatically. The dark color phase is commonly observed on reefs while the pale color phase is seen over sandy bottoms. It has from ten to twelve thin, dark, vertical bars visible on the sides. A broad, pale area is often present at the caudal fin base while the caudal spine sheath is dark. These bars separate the doctorfish from other regional Acanthurus species like the blue tang and the surgeonfish. There is a faint blue ring that encircles the scalpel on each side. The edges of the anal, dorsal, and caudal fins are blue, regardless of the body color.

This is the most wide-ranging of the species of Acanthurus in the Atlantic and is found from Massachusetts to Brazil, including the northern Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. It can also be found along the tropical western coast of Africa.


·Size, Age, and Growth
Doctorfish frequently reach about 12 inches (30 cm) in length, with a maximum size of 14 inches (35 cm).


· Food Habits
The doctorfish is a diurnal grazer, feeding on mostly algae and organic detritus found on compacted sand and rock bottoms. They form small groups and are often observed schooling with ocean tangs (A. bahianus) as they feed on algae. During feeding, doctorfish tend to hand their heads down while picking at the algae with its specialized teeth. Since the fish swallows its food whole, it must depend on a unique adaptation for breaking up the food into smaller pieces. It has a gizzard-like organ in the intestine that is partially filled with sand particles. This organ apparently helps the fish to grind up food prior to digestion.

 

[SouthernR]

Nice find !

 

[TritonsGarden]

Kudos to you , you lucky fish finder!!!!

 

[reefcleaners]

I have seen the exact fish you have, (no doubt in my mind), diving a million times in Florida. It is one of those big powder tangs I think, that is what the little guys school with at least. Nice fish, they get really big! I think they top out at about 14 inches in the wild, don't know what that translates too in a tank. Really nice catch you have there!

 

[coral88]

I am about 90% sure it’s a Doctorfish. He should reach about 12 inches. I felt bad for him in the 20gal so I moved him to one of my 100gal frag tanks. He spends his days swimming around grazing with my fox face. He really likes to school. All I have to do is look for the fox face and he is within a few inches of him. They are the only two fish in the tank so he has plenty of room now.

Better safe than sorry don’t want to hear from the tang police

 

[revhtree]

I bet he's loving the new digs huh?

(side note: I need a frag tank...sigh...)

 

[coral88]

I bet he's loving the new digs huh?

(side note: I need a frag tank...sigh...)

The tank the tang is in is a 100gal Rubbermaid container so no clear sides the fish seem to really like not seeing through the sides and it’s fun to look at everything from the top down. I just ordered two 33 extra longs that should put me close to 30 square feet of grow out room. But I would still like to have a tank as nice as yours rev.

 

[cl2ysta1]

what a cutie!!!!

 

[salt newbie01]

very cool pick -up!! And for just $15!! Makes it even better

 

[coral88]

Update

The little guy is not so little anymore he is about 3-4 times the size he was in the first pic. And a little more colorful.

 

[coral88]

He is now living in my 75 SPS tank

 

[aquarius77]

Beautiful Fish! I love tangs but i know i cant house even the smaller ones long term. Kind of a real downer but ill make it. Good to see hes doing so well for you, keep up the good work.