Orange shoulder tang color question

[Zionas]

How big are your Yellow and Blue Tangs now and do you expect them to keep growing? How big’s your current tank?

 

[Saltyanimals]

They seem to top out at about 2-2.5 inches each for the entire time in the 4 foot tank. And I autofed pellets 3 x daily so well fed which suggest to me the smaller space. I just upgrade to a 6 ft tank about a month ago and they're now in there with this orange shoulder and PowderBlue. All about the same size, but yes I expect them to hit a growth spurt based on my theory.

 

[Zionas]

I don’t know about the Blue Tangs but it seems to be the consensus that the smaller Zebrasoma generally top out at 5-6”, maybe 7” and rarely 8”. But this is info I’ve gathered from people who’ve had them for 10+ years.

 

[ajjw0828]

Nice. How big was it when it started changing?

My 3.5" indo came a week ago and still hanging out in sump to get him to settle in. He's eating like a pig, which is a good sign but the color is odd if you ask me: It's a very dark color. Almost like a dark gray and was never yellow like your Hawaiian.

I'd say he was in that 3.5" range when I got him. I'd say he's just a little bigger than that now. Maybe 4" or slightly larger. I feed Rod's food once a day and then a combo of TDO and Algae Max 4x a day via Eheim feeder. He seems fat and healthy. That's interesting about yours, seems like it had already begun to change when you received it. I'll be interested to see how he does in your tank aggression wise.

 

[melfish]

6yr old BUMP! Lol!

He still is bright yellow! His orange stripe has gotten darker orange and longer.

I don't think he's ever going to change colors.

Did he ever change?!?! ;Wideyed

 

[Coralsdaily]

reviving this thread with my question: I got a 7” orange shoulder from divers den all color changed even with a hump nose coming, after quarantine put in my 180(for now) eating well and growing fat but is now reverting back to yellow! Any idea? I wonder if yellow is a juvi color does that have to do with the amount of growth hormones in its body?

 

[i cant think]

I have found these fish don’t have a set time when they change, it’s just whenever they mature they’ll change. I haven’t owned this fish but have kept other fish that transition during maturity, such as wrasses and Ctenochaetus tangs. Along with a Genicanthus Angel, I have never seen a set date or time period to when they transition.

 

[i cant think]

reviving this thread with my question: I got a 7” orange shoulder from divers den all color changed even with a hump nose coming, after quarantine put in my 180(for now) eating well and growing fat but is now reverting back to yellow! Any idea? I wonder if yellow is a juvi color does that have to do with the amount of growth hormones in its body?

That’s odd, I know they change TO grey but didn’t know they could revert back. Possibly a female/male colour but we know nothing about these animals social hierarchy in the wild or even how to sex them.

 

[Coralsdaily]

That’s odd, I know they change TO grey but didn’t know they could revert back. Possibly a female/male colour but we know nothing about these animals social hierarchy in the wild or even how to sex them.

Interesting theory, I am convinced it has to do with hormone, the only thing we don’t know for sure is what triggers the color transition, either forward, or backward. I see so far this thread covers:
1. Aggression
2. Growth
3. Gender assignment

curious to hear anyone an expert in this studies.

 

[Alaeriel]

Mine is at present 3" in length and you can just barely see the ghost of the orange bar coming in. I can't wait to see how it matures over the next couple decades :3

 

[Ashish Patel]

Crazy. I got a orange shoulder last month and he started turning in Qt (3 weeks)

 

[bobnicaragua]

My orange shoulder is 5 inches long. I got him a year and a half ago and he was already getting his adult colors. He reverted back to yellow when I put him in my tank with a dominant purple tang.

 

[i cant think]

My orange shoulder is 7 inches long. I got him a year and a half ago and he was already getting his adult colors. He reverted back to yellow when I put him in my tank with a dominant purple tang.

Maybe the colours are a dominance thing?

 

[Ashish Patel]

Mines became an absolute monster from my March post! He is now the largest fish in the display at almost 8" and changing color slowly but surely.

 

[Coralsdaily]

My orange shoulder is 5 inches long. I got him a year and a half ago and he was already getting his adult colors. He reverted back to yellow when I put him in my tank with a dominant purple tang.

Seems like that’s the common denominator for many- that another dominant fish will drive the orange should back to yellow

 

[Ashish Patel]

Heres him now

 

[Miami Reef]

Heres him now

Wow. He looks absolutely amazing. I wish mine would fully change.

 

[Rmckoy]

Heres him now

I never knew they also had streamers on their tails

 

[Dave1993]

They look nicer yellow so pray he wont change

 

[Coralsdaily]

An update on my end from the original post (I believe it was nearly more than a year ago?)
The Orange shoulder remained "yellow-ish" for the duration of this entire year. But started a bout a week ago the fish suddenly begin color transition, the head gets blue and the body grows darker, finally looking more like an adult orange shoulder. There are two major changes to the tank during this time:
1. I began soaking nori sheets in selcon for an hour before I feed
2. Added a goldflake angel, convict tang, and a clown tang. All smaller than the OS and are mingling well with existing tank members.

Personally I am leaning towards the attributing the color shift based on selcon's nutritional benefits. But I also wonder by adding more "submissive" fish to the tank pushing the OS up in the hierarchy helps boost its confident to finally shift in color.
Thoughts?