The surgeonfish are a admired set of saltwater aquarium fishes in the marine aquarium industry. Overall, tangs are pretty large as far as ornamental fishes are concerned. However our tang of interest, the Yellow Tang, is one of the smaller varieties of surgeonfish. Their scientific tag is Zebrasoma Flavescens. The genus Zebrasoma is arguably the most popular genus within the tang family.

The yellow tang is seen as probably the most popular part of the family Acanthuridae along with the equally stunning Blue Tang. Their entire body is painted with a intense yellow that covers them from head to tail. The only area not featured in yellow is their tail blade, which is tiny protruding blade like structure in close proximity to their caudal fin.

All surgeonfish possess this blade close to their tails. In fact, their family (Acanthuridae) is named taking into account that trait. It is chiefly utilized during the mating period and as a means of defense. You'll want to keep your fingers away from it as it is exceptionally razor- sharp.

The yellow tang is located in big shoals off the waters of the Hawaiian islands. They are additionally known to dwell in the Marshall Islands where they are also caught from. In the wild they can achieve a length of around 8 inches but a more universal length in captivity would be between six and 7 inches.

A larger marine aquarium tang fish to be sure. An ideal tank would be a hundred gallon aquarium or larger. If you can spring for it, go large, as all surgeonfish are free swimming in the wild and need a lot of space to swim about in. They are not considered an aggressive species and normally do well with other species of fish.

They generally do not put up with other species of tangs but they are not as harsh towards them like angels typically are. Individuals that rear many yellow tangs or multiple surgeonfish types together with a yellow tang normally have very big tanks bigger than 200 to 250 gallons.

It is also essential to keep in mind to put in many Yellow Tangs to the tank at the same time. The last thing you want is to introduce a specimen when another tang has already been established in the tank.

For further resources regarding Yellow Tangs and Blue Tangs, please Click Here as well as Here. We have various guides on a variety of recognizable saltwater aquarium fish in the industry today.

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• The Yellow Tang : Care And Requirements Of Zebrasoma Flavescens by Roman Veaila The yellow tang (Zebrasoma Flavescens) along with the blue tang (paracanthurus Hepatus), percula clownfish (ocellaris and percula), Flame Angelfish (Centropyge Loriculus) and the royal gramma (Gramma Loreto), makeup the 5 most recognizable fishes in the hobby. It is also the most popular tang in the surgeonfish family......

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• The Yellow Tang This fish is one recognized by all marine aquarists; it is very popular and commonly kept. If a splash of colour is required then this is one of the fish to consider, it attracts the eye like a magnet does metal. The fish is properly called Zebrasoma flavescens. It is......
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Written by Iny Manichan using tags: blue tang, Pets, surgeonfish, yellow surgeonfish, Yellow Tang, Zebrasoma flavescens

The surgeonfish family are some of the most well-liked marine aquarium fish in the marine aquarium hobby. By and large considered a big fish, the smallest of them can attain a length of at least 7 inches in captivity. The largest of them can reach lengths of over 3 feet. They make their homes around most of the worlds tropical seas and are regularly found in a myriad of colors. They fall under the family Acanthuridae which translates into thorn tail, describing the blade that all surgeonfish have near their caudal fins.

Two members of the surgeonfish family make up some of the most popular marine aquarium fish in the hobby. They are a admired fish to depict on a variety of saltwater aquarium related products such as equipment, magazines and the like. They are known as the Blue Tang and the Yellow Tang.

Surgeonfish really do need larger than average tanks with a minimum size of 100 gallons . Larger species such as the Sohal Tang have need of tanks around the 200 gallon range to truly do well in the long term.

They mouths are specially designed for tearing algae from rock. In the wild, they spend most of the day grazing on algae in big shoals. These big shoals are not limited to one species but may have up to two species grazing together. The cheapest surgeonfish can be had for no more than $20 while true rarities such as the gem tang can cost upwards of two thousand dollars.

They are a reef safe species that do not eat corals. This makes them very attractive to hobbyists that like large fish that are reef safe. Some do well in our aquariums and some are harder to care for such as the Beautiful Achilles Tang.

But for the most part, surgeonfish can be trained to eat a wide variety of meaty, leafy and pellet foods. To ensure proper health, their diet in captivity needs to mimic their herbivorous diet in the wild.

Surgeonfish are famous for being susceptible to saltwater ich and lateral line erosion. Always quarantine newly purchased surgeonfish to ensure they do not spread any parasites into the main aquarium.

For supplementary pages about the Surgeonfish Family along with other kinds of Saltwater Aquarium Fish, kindly drop by the authors website. All manner of saltwater fishes ideal for the aquarium are focused upon.

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• The Blue Tang : A Guide On The Most Popular Surgeonfish by Roman Veaila The Blue Tang (Paracanthurus Hepatus) enjoys the distinction of being one of the five most recognizable maine fishes along with the percula clownfish (Percula, Ocellaris), flame angelfish (Centropyge Loriculus), yellow tang (Zebrasoma Flavescens) and the royal gramma (Gramma Loreto). It remains the sole species under the genus......
• The Purple Tang : A Guide On The Rare And Aggressive Zebrasoma Xanthurum by Roman Veaila The Purple Tang (Zebrasoma Xanthurum) is another surgeonfish that enjoys some popularity among those looking for uncommon surgeonfish. They are exact copies of the yellow tang (Zebrasoma Flavescens) except for two differences, they are purple and they are aggressive. Their bodies are a deep purple while their......
• The Blue Tang : A Guide On The Most Popular Surgeonfish by Roman Veaila The Blue Tang (Paracanthurus Hepatus) enjoys the distinction of being one of the five most recognizable maine fishes along with the percula clownfish (Percula, Ocellaris), flame angelfish (Centropyge Loriculus), yellow tang (Zebrasoma Flavescens) and the royal gramma (Gramma Loreto). It remains the sole species under the genus......

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• The Yellow Tang This fish is one recognized by all marine aquarists; it is very popular and commonly kept. If a splash of colour is required then this is one of the fish to consider, it attracts the eye like a magnet does metal. The fish is properly called Zebrasoma flavescens. It is......
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Written by Brian Logan using tags: marine aquarium fish, Pets, saltwater aquarium fish, surgeonfish, tang, tangs

The Purple Tang (Zebrasoma Xanthurum) is another surgeonfish that enjoys some popularity among those looking for uncommon surgeonfish. They are exact copies of the yellow tang (Zebrasoma Flavescens) except for two differences, they are purple and they are aggressive. Their bodies are a deep purple while their pectoral and tail fins are yellow. Their purple colors will darken with age.

Purple tangs are mainly collected from the Red Sea and rarely from Sri Lanka. They retail for a lot more than Yellow Tangs do. Large purple tangs can cost as much as $200 per specimen while you should expect to pay between $80 to $90 for juveniles.

These fishes are one of the more aggressive tangs, similar to the Sohal Tang that are also found in the same area. They are very aggressive towards other purple tangs and members of the genus Zebrasoma. Put them in to aquarium at the same if you wish for more than one purple tang.

They reach 8 inches in captivity despite growing up to 10 inches in the wild. They need large amounts of swimming space. A tank no smaller than a 100 gallon is appropriate.

Great news for those with corals, they are completely reef safe. They are algae eaters in the wild so ensure a large part of their diet in captivity has enough algae.

While they're herbivores in the wild, they will consume a wide variety of foods in captivity. Krill, mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, pellets, they take them all.

Algae sheets like nori are a great algae to feed all herbivorous fish. Price will vary depending on the brand you choose. Julian Sprungs Sea Veggies may be a little too pricey for some. Its good stuff though. They come in flake form too, making feedings very convenient.

Most nori sheets are produced for human consumption, primarily as sushi wrappers. Prices vary here as well, some are cheap, some are expensive depending on quality.

You'll need to secure the nori to a clip. You could DIY a clip yourself and spend a couple of bucks on a commercial type. Some people fold the sheets before clipping while others just clip it as is. Use the suction cup to attach it to your aquarium and you're done, you can enjoy the show.

Formula Two is a good quality algae based mix for herbivores. It has an extra amount of algae in it along with a good mix of seafood, trace minerals, vitamins and more. It comes in 3 forms, frozen cube, flake or pellet.

The best flake for surgeonfish are those produced by two little fishes, Sea Veggie mixed flakes, Formula Two comes in second. It you're looking a great all rounder with balanced ingredients then you can't go wrong with New Life Spectrum pellets.

• Powder Blue Tang : A Guide On Acanthurus Leucosternon by Roman Veaila One of the more popular surgeonfish, the Powder Blue Tang (Acanthurus Leucosternon) is a common offering in the hobby. It has a dark blue face, a yellow dorsal fin and a light blue body. They are commonly seen from the Maldive's all the way through to Sri......
• Zebrasoma Flavescens : The Popular Yellow Tang The Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma Flavescens) is one of the most recognizable fishes in the marine aquarium industry along with the blue tang (Paracanthurus Hepatus), percula clownfish (percula, Ocellaris) and the Flame Angelfish (Centropyge Loriculus). It is the most popular member of the tang family and it isn't hard to......
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Written by Roman Veaila using tags: marine aquarium fish, marine tang, Pets, Purple Tang, purple tang care, purple tang care guide, purple tang guide, saltwater aquarium fish, saltwater fish, saltwater tang, surgeonfish, tang, Zebrasoma xanthurum

The Blue Tang (Paracanthurus Hepatus) enjoys the distinction of being one of the five most recognizable maine fishes along with the percula clownfish (Percula, Ocellaris), flame angelfish (Centropyge Loriculus), yellow tang (Zebrasoma Flavescens) and the royal gramma (Gramma Loreto). It remains the sole species under the genus Paracanthurus. Its body is a stunning bright blue while it has thick black markings that stretch out from its eyes to its tail.

The blue tang is also one of the stars of the hit movie, Finding Nemo. It is also known as the Palette Surgeonfish, Royal Blue Tang, Hippo Tang and the Regal Tang. Both the blue and yellow tangs combine to become the two most popular surgeonfishes in the hobby. Collected heavily from throughout the Indo-Pacific, it is a very affordable fish. Juveniles retail for around $25 while adults can fetch up to $80 per specimen. As with all surgeonfish, the blue tang is susceptible to ich and lateral line erosion so pick so keep a look out for any sign of the two.

The blue tang is a relatively peaceful fish towards other species outside the tang family. One of the reasons why it enjoys such popularity in the hobby. They can be hostile towards other surgeonfish, especially blue tangs so the general rule should be one blue tank per aquarium.

In they wild they are a shoaling fish. If many are kept together in a large tank they can often be seen swimming together. Always introduce multiple blue tangs at the same time. Aggression is normally seen when putting a new blue tang in with an established one.

Their maximum attainable length is 12 inches. Fish that size need tanks upwards of a 100 gallons. Due to heavy collection many, specimens no bigger than an inch are common. At that size they will grow very very fast so don't be fooled into putting them in a 30 gallon tank..

Ample swimming space are needed by blue tangs so the scape should reflect this. They need at least a few caves/niches as they bed down in these areas every night.

In the wild, blue tangs are primarily herbivores. They form large shoals and will graze on algae for most of the day. In captivity a vast percentage of their diet should be made up of algae based foods. They are completely reef safe (Unlike marine angelfish) making them very popular choices for larger reef aquariums.

Nori/seaweed sheets are a favorite offering among hobbyists. You can buy either branded seaweed (Julian Sprung)or you can run down to your local supermarket and get some cheap nori there. Buy unflavoured, plain nori. They sometimes come with spices so you want to avoid those. Clip the sheet with a commercial nori clip or a device of your own doing and attach it to the side of the tank.

While they are mainly vegetarians in the wild, they will normally consume anything that is offered in a saltwater aquarium. Meaty foods should make up a small percent of their daily diet.

High quality food mixes like formula one and formula two should be offered as well as mysis shrimp and a good pellet food. New Life Spectrum produces some excellent pellets for all marine fishes.

You may see lettuce being fed to surgeonfish at pet stores. Both romaine and iceberg lettuce don't offer much nutritionally so you want to avoid lettuce altogether.

• Blue Tang - The Stunning Regal Tang Within the surgeonfish family acanthuridae (Tang), there a few that really stand out as special beauties. The blue tang is among other tangs that are consistently treasured for their striking colors along with their prominent cousin, the yellow tang. These two major tangs are the faces of the surgeonfish......
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Written by Roman Veaila using tags: blue hippo tang, blue tang, blue tang fish, hippo tang, marine aquarium fish, marine tang, paracanthurus hepatus, Pets, regal tang, saltwater tang, surgeonfish

The Blue Tang (Paracanthurus Hepatus) enjoys the distinction of being one of the five most recognizable maine fishes along with the percula clownfish (Percula, Ocellaris), flame angelfish (Centropyge Loriculus), yellow tang (Zebrasoma Flavescens) and the royal gramma (Gramma Loreto). It remains the sole species under the genus Paracanthurus. Its body is a stunning bright blue while it has thick black markings that stretch out from its eyes to its tail.

The blue tang also enjoyed the limelight as a major character in the movie, Finding Nemo. It is also known as the Palette Surgeonfish, Royal Blue Tang, Hippo Tang and the Regal Tang. Along with the yellow tang, this fish is the most popular surgeonfish in the hobby. One of the most heavily collected fishes from the Indo-Pacific, they are very affordable. Juveniles retail for around $25 while adults can fetch up to $80 per specimen. The blue tang, like all surgeonfish is susceptible to lateral line erosion and marine parasites so pick your specimens with care.

The blue tang is a relatively peaceful fish towards other species outside the tang family. One of the reasons why it enjoys such popularity in the hobby. They are hostile towards blue tangs and to a lesser extent, other surgeonfish so do not add more than one blue tang per aquarium.

In they wild they are a shoaling fish. If more than one is present in a large tank, such behavior can be witnessed. Always introduce multiple blue tangs at the same time. Aggression is normally seen when putting a new blue tang in with an established one.

Their maximum attainable length is 12 inches. As such they should be housed only in larger tanks upwards of 100 gallons. Because this fish is heavily collected, there will be many small specimens no bigger than an inch. They grow very fast at that size and will easily outgrow a 30 gallon in a matter of months.

Ample swimming space are needed by blue tangs so the scape should reflect this. They need at least a few caves/niches as they bed down in these areas every night.

Like most of its surgeonfish cousins, blue tangs are herbivores in the wild. They form large shoals and will graze on algae for most of the day. As herbivores, they require large amounts of algae based foods in captivity. Unlike marine angelfish, they are completely reef safe and do not bother corals, making them hugely popular fish for large marine reef aquariums.

Seaweed/Nori sheets are commonly offered. You can either buy seaweed produced and packaged specifically for marine fishes (Julian sprungs sea veggies) or you can go to your local supermarket and buy some nori sheets there. Always buy plain, unflavoured nori. Avoid those that are come spiced. Clip the sheet with a commercial nori clip or a device of your own doing and attach it to the side of the tank.

Blue tangs will normally consume anything offered in captivity despite the fact that they are mainly vegetarians in the wild. A small percentage of their diet should come from meaty foods.

Formula one and formula two food mixes are a good choice as well as krill, mysis shrimp and a high quality pellet. A highly reputable food for all marine fishes are those that are produced by New Life Spectrum.

Once in a while you'll see pet stores feeding lettuce to their tangs. You want to avoid lettuce as it doesn't offer much nutritionally (romaine or iceberg, doesn't matter).

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• The Sohal Tang : A Guide On This Highly Aggressive Red Sea Native by Roman Veaila The Sohal Tang (Acanthurus Sohal) is one of the most beautiful tangs in the family. Black lines streak across its white/cream body while its caudal and pectoral fins are yellow. It is also known as the majestic tang, Arabian tang and the zebra tang. They are collected......
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Written by Roman Veaila using tags: blue hippo tang, blue tang, blue tang fish, hippo tang, marine aquarium fish, marine tang, paracanthurus hepatus, Pets, regal tang, saltwater tang, surgeonfish

One of the more popular surgeonfish, the Powder Blue Tang (Acanthurus Leucosternon) is a common offering in the hobby. It has a dark blue face, a yellow dorsal fin and a light blue body. They are commonly seen from the Maldive's all the way through to Sri Lanka.

Pricier than the blue tang (Paracanthurus Hepatus)or even the yellow tang (Zebrasoma Flavescens), juveniles retail for about $50 to $60 while larger specimens go for $100 to $120.

While fishes from outside the surgeonfish family are usually safe, members within the same genus are not. In the wild, Powder Blue Tangs are either found alone or with a shoal. If you're aiming for more than one powder blue tang, its important to introduce them all together at the same time, thereby limiting aggression.

A moderately big surgeonfish, they usually grow up to 8 inches in captivity. Nothing smaller than a 100 gallons should be used to house the powder blue tang.

They are reef safe, making them great choices for large reef aquariums.

Despite the fact that they're primarily herbivores in the wild, they are open to just about anything offered once acclimated. Krill, mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, pellets, they take them all.

A good form of algae to feed tangs would be nori sheets. Price will vary depending on the brand you choose. Julian Sprungs Sea Veggies may be a little too pricey for some. Good quality stuff though. They're also available as flakes, which is very convenient since there's very little work involved during feeding.

Thankfully there are many other brands that produce nori primarily for human consumption. High quality sheets can cost quite a bit while the regular stuff is very affordable.

A clip is normally used to secure the nori for feeding. Commercial clips are cheap, but you could probably DIY one yourself with some household items. The sheets are fed as is or they're folded and cut beforehand. Secure the nori to your algae clip and attach it to the side of the aquarium.

Ocean Nutrition produces another good quality food, Formula Two. It has an extra amount of algae in it along with a good mix of seafood, trace minerals, vitamins and more. It is available as a flake food, pellet or frozen cube.

The best flake food for the yellow tang would be Sea Veggie mixed flakes followed by formula two flakes. A great all-rounder with a good balance of ingredients, New Life Spectrum comes highly recommended as well.

• The Purple Tang : A Guide On The Rare And Aggressive Zebrasoma Xanthurum by Roman Veaila The Purple Tang (Zebrasoma Xanthurum) is another surgeonfish that enjoys some popularity among those looking for uncommon surgeonfish. They are exact copies of the yellow tang (Zebrasoma Flavescens) except for two differences, they are purple and they are aggressive. Their bodies are a deep purple while their......
• Centropyge Argi : Care and Requirements On The Cherub Pygmy Angelfish by Roman Veaila The most endearing member of the genus Centropyge (Dwarf angelfish family). Centropyge argi is merely a dwarf version of regular dwarf angelfish. They are sold in sizes ranging from an inch to 3 inches. At 3 inches, this angelfish is a fully grown adult and will not......
• Achilles Tang : A Guide On This Highly Prized Surgeonfish by Roman Veaila This beauty known as the Achilles tang (Acanthurus Achilles) pops up in the trade from time to time. Dark chocolate colors its entire body while a single orange teardrop is present on its spine. White, orange and chocolate lines its tail. It goes by other names that......
• The Blue Tang : A Guide On The Most Popular Surgeonfish by Roman Veaila The Blue Tang (Paracanthurus Hepatus) enjoys the distinction of being one of the five most recognizable maine fishes along with the percula clownfish (Percula, Ocellaris), flame angelfish (Centropyge Loriculus), yellow tang (Zebrasoma Flavescens) and the royal gramma (Gramma Loreto). It remains the sole species under the genus......

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Written by Roman Veaila using tags: Acanthurus, acanthurus leucosternon, marine aquarium, marine aquarium fish, marine tang, Pets, powder blue tang, powder blue tang care, powder blue tang care guide, powder blue tang guide, saltwater aquarium fish, saltwater fish, saltwater tang, surgeonfish, tang

The Sohal Tang (Acanthurus Sohal) is one of the most beautiful tangs in the family. Black lines streak across its white/cream body while its caudal and pectoral fins are yellow.

It is also known as the majestic tang, Arabian tang and the zebra tang.

They are collected from the Red Sea and near Sri Lanka. Among hobbyists the sohal tang is highly prized, it is a pricey fish. Smaller sohals go for between $110 to $150 while adults fetch more than $200. Very large show quality sohal tangs can fetch up to $350.

Like their cousins they are susceptible to lateral line erosion and marine ich so exercise care when buying one.

Sohal tangs are aggressive fish. Nothing really frightens this tang. Not even scuba divers are exempt from their aggressive behavior.

Assuming everyone knows their place, sohal tangs can get along with other species of fish. However, it is aggressive towards other tangs. Members of the genus acanthurus (Achilles Tang, Powder Blue Tang) are particularly susceptible to aggression. Lastly, putting two sohals into a small tank is sure to produce a dead or severely injured fish.

Sohal tangs are commonly seen living alone in the wild, unlike most of their cousins. Perhaps this has something to do with their heightened levels of aggression.

They are very hardy but like most tangs they are prone to parasite attacks (ich) and lateral line erosion.

Topping out at 18 inches, the sohal tang isn't just bad to the bone, its huge. Thankfully, it only reaches lengths of up to 10 to 11 inches in captivity. The minimum size tank for this beast is 100 gallons. They need a lot of space to swim so the bigger the better.

These fishes are completely reef safe. As they are grazers in the wild, a large part of their diet should be algae based foods.

While they're herbivores in the wild, they will consume a wide variety of foods in captivity. They'll take pellets, krill, and mysis shrimp, no problem.

We should ensure that a large part of their diet is algae based, since they eat so much of it in the wild.

Algae sheets like nori are a great algae to feed all herbivorous fish.Depending on the brand, prices vary greatly. Some people may find Julian Sprungs Sea Veggies to cost a little too much. They produce good algae sheets though. They're also available as flakes, which is very convenient since there's very little work involved during feeding.

Most nori sheets are produced for human consumption, primariy as sushi wrappers. High quality sheets can cost quite a bit while the regular stuff is very affordable.

You'll need to secure the nori to a clip. Commercial clips are cheap, but you could probably DIY one yourself with some household items. The sheets are fed as is or they're folded and cut beforehand. Once the nori is secured, stick the clip to the side of the tank, sit back, and enjoy the show.

Another good food to feed herbivores are Formula Two by Ocean Nutrition. It has an extra amount of algae in it along with a good mix of seafood, trace minerals, vitamins and more. It is available as a flake food, pellet or frozen cube.

The best flake for surgeonfish are those produced by two little fishes, Sea Veggie mixed flakes, Formula Two comes in second. A great all-rounder with a good balance of ingredients, New Life Spectrum comes highly recommended as well.

Never feed your tangs lettuce. You'll normally see this happening at pet stores that are trying to save a few bucks. Nutritionally, lettuce offers very little and should not have a place in this hobby.

• How to Choose Betta Fish Tanks and Supplies by Darren Bradley The brightly colored betta fish from the tropical countries of Cambodia and Thailand is a favorite of people who like to have fish as pets. The betta fish, which originated from fresh waters, may be bought in a variety of colors including turquoise, red, orange, blue, yellow,......
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• Achilles Tang : An In-Depth Guide On The Rare And Expensive Acanthurus Achilles by Roman Veaila The Achilles tang is a beautiful fish that pops up from time to time. It is a dark chocolate throughout with a single orange teardrop on its spine. White, orange and chocolate lines its tail. It is commonly known as the Achilles surgeonfish and the red-tailed surgeonfish.......
• Choosing The Right Fish Tank For Your Home For the soon-to-be owner of the home aquarium who has little to no education regarding fish and equipment that might be needed, it might be wish to do some reading before purchasing. Prior to the purchase of fish tanks or aquariums, one certainly should have some idea of what......

• Controlling Fish Tank Diseases Disease in the aquarium is one of the main fears of aquarists. Once the presence of a disease is known the aquarist’s stress level shoots up and quite understandably so - at the worst there could be a full aquarium wipe-out. When the word disease is mentioned most straightaway think......
• Food For Thought Food is required by all life for energy and general health. Lots of food of the wrong type may provide some energy but the contents will not supply the general needs of the life form. So it is important to feed the life in the marine aquarium the correct type......
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Written by Roman Veaila using tags: Acanthurus, Acanthurus Sohal, marine aquarium fish, marine tang, Pets, saltwater fish, saltwater tang, Sohal Tang, sohal tang care, sohal tang care guide, sohal tang guide, surgeonfish, tang

This beauty known as the Achilles tang (Acanthurus Achilles) pops up in the trade from time to time. Dark chocolate colors its entire body while a single orange teardrop is present on its spine. White, orange and chocolate lines its tail. It goes by other names that include the red-tail surgeonfish and the achilles surgeonfish.

This highly prized tang is endemic to Hawaii. They get picked up very quickly as soon as they are for sale so finding one may prove difficult.

A very expensive fish, small specimens go for $100 or slightly more while adults can fetch up to $300 per fish. Very big show quality specimens can fetch even more, $400 and above.

Unfortunately, this fish doesn't do so well outside of its natural habitat. They seem to be more delicate than other tangs like the yellow tang (zebrasoma flavescens) or the Blue Tang (paracanthurus hepatus). And thats not the entire story, these tangs don't seem to feed prepared foods.

Like its brethren they are also prone to lateral line erosion, hole in the head disease and marine parasites.

Achilles tangs have been known to interbreed with goldrim tangs (acanthurus nigricans) in the wild. They're highly prized offspring rarely appear on the market and usually cost quite a bit.

An aggressive species, they can be very hostile to larger tank mates. Smaller species like gobies, damsels and dottybacks are usually left alone. They do not take too kindly to sharing tank space with other tangs and can be absolutely brutal towards other achilles tangs. As always, if you insist on keeping multiple tangs always introduce them at the same time and make sure your aquarium is large enough for them.

The Achilles tang reaches 9 inches in the wild, which translates into 7 inches in a aquarium. The minimum size tank for them should be a 100 gallons. Larger tanks are recommended as they require ample swimming room.

Getting these fishes to eat in captivity is challenging to say the least. Nevertheless, we should try our best.

Great news for those with corals, they are completely reef safe. In the wild they graze on algae throughout the day so their foods in captivity should reflect this.

Once acclimated, they accept a variety of foods other than algae. They will eat brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, krill and whatever else you offer.

We should ensure that a large part of their diet is algae based, since they eat so much of it in the wild.

Nori is a good form of algae to feed tangs.Depending on the brand, prices vary greatly. Some people may find Julian Sprungs Sea Veggies to cost a little too much. They produce good algae sheets though. They come in flake form too, making feedings very convenient.

Most nori sheets are produced for human consumption, primarily as sushi wrappers. Prices vary here as well, some are cheap, some are expensive depending on quality.

A clip is normally used to secure the nori for feeding. You can buy a commercial type of fashion one up yourself. The sheets are fed as is or they're folded and cut beforehand. Once the nori is secured, stick the clip to the side of the tank, sit back, and enjoy the show.

Ocean Nutrition produces another good quality food, Formula Two. Along with mixed sea food, vitamins and whatnot, there is an extra amount of algae added to the mix. It comes in 3 forms, frozen cube, flake or pellet.

The best flake food for the yellow tang would be Sea Veggie mixed flakes followed by formula two flakes. A great all-rounder with a good balance of ingredients, New Life Spectrum comes highly recommended as well.

Never feed your tangs lettuce. Pet stores that are trying to save a few bucks normally feed their tangs lettuce. Lettuce doesn't have a place in this hobby as nutritionally its rubbish.

• Your Aquarium And Algae by Mick Turret Anybody that has had an aquarium understands that algae cannot be avoided and it is simply a thing that fish owners, whether salt or freshwater, need to deal with on a regular basis. There's four major types of algae - green, brown, red-brush, and blue green. If......
• The Blue Tang : A Guide On The Most Popular Surgeonfish by Roman Veaila The Blue Tang (Paracanthurus Hepatus) enjoys the distinction of being one of the five most recognizable maine fishes along with the percula clownfish (Percula, Ocellaris), flame angelfish (Centropyge Loriculus), yellow tang (Zebrasoma Flavescens) and the royal gramma (Gramma Loreto). It remains the sole species under the genus......
• The Yellow Tang : Care And Requirements Of Zebrasoma Flavescens by Roman Veaila The yellow tang (Zebrasoma Flavescens) along with the blue tang (paracanthurus Hepatus), percula clownfish (ocellaris and percula), Flame Angelfish (Centropyge Loriculus) and the royal gramma (Gramma Loreto), makeup the 5 most recognizable fishes in the hobby. It is also the most popular tang in the surgeonfish family......
• Centropyge Bispinosus : Care and Requirements of the Coral Beauty by Gabriela Desouyez Commonly available, the Coral Beauty Angel is a much cheaper dwarf angel than much of its cousins. $15 to $20 should net you this fish just about anywhere. It is very popular angel (not as popular as the Flame Angel though), the combination of flame like coloration......

• How to Stop Constipation Millions of people the world over both in the United Kingdom and the United States of America , have at one time or another have suffered from constipation, it is a common problem amongst a lot of people and can give some very uncomfortable symptoms, even though it's not particularly......
• Learn to Automate Your Eating Habits If you want your diet and exercise effort to work the way you intend for it to, then eating right has to become something that is as automatic for us as it was for our ancestors. It may seem like an insurmountable achievement, but really, it's a lot easier than......
• Consider Tank Raised Marine Fish There are a lot of people who decide to start a marine aquarium due to seeing a natural coral reef in person, on televsion, in pictures etc. Of course there are lots of other reasons as to why people start saltwater aquariums. But that's not the purpose of this post.......
• It's Probably a Coty Fragrance When I was in high school, there was a popular Coty fragrance that might have just been referred to as Coty at the time. It had a distinct baby powder scent and was discontinued long ago. It was pleasant enough, but it was wildly popular at my school and so......

Written by Roman Veaila using tags: acanthurus achilles, achilles tang, achilles tang care, achilles tang care guide, achilles tang guide, marine aquarium fish, marine fish, marine tang, Pets, saltwater fish, saltwater tang, surgeonfish, tang

The Blue Tang (Paracanthurus Hepatus) enjoys the distinction of being one of the five most recognizable maine fishes along with the percula clownfish (Percula, Ocellaris), flame angelfish (Centropyge Loriculus), yellow tang (Zebrasoma Flavescens) and the royal gramma (Gramma Loreto). It remains the sole species under the genus Paracanthurus. Beautifully colored with an iridescent blue throughout its body with thick black markings that begin from the eyes and stretch all the way to its yellow tail.

The movie Finding Nemo featured a blue tang as one of its main characters. It is also known as the Palette Surgeonfish, Royal Blue Tang, Hippo Tang and the Regal Tang. Both the blue and yellow tangs combine to become the two most popular surgeonfishes in the hobby. The blue tang is a very affordable fish due probably because they are commonly found and heavily collected from the wild. Juveniles retail for around $25 while adults can fetch up to $80 per specimen. As with all surgeonfish, the blue tang is susceptible to ich and lateral line erosion so pick so keep a look out for any sign of the two.

Towards other species of fish the blue tang is quite peaceful. Which is why (besides its beauty) it enjoys such popularity in the marine aquarium hobby. They are hostile towards blue tangs and to a lesser extent, other surgeonfish so do not add more than one blue tang per aquarium.

In they wild they are a shoaling fish. If more than one is present in a large tank, such behavior can be witnessed. When housing more than one blue tang, they should always be introduced at the same time. Aggression is normally seen when putting a new blue tang in with an established one.

Their maximum attainable length is 12 inches. As such they should be housed only in larger tanks upwards of 100 gallons. Due to heavy collection many, specimens no bigger than an inch are common. At that size they will grow very very fast so don't be fooled into putting them in a 30 gallon tank..

Ample swimming space are needed by blue tangs so the scape should reflect this. They need at least a few caves/niches as they bed down in these areas every night.

Like most of its surgeonfish cousins, blue tangs are herbivores in the wild. They form large shoals and will graze on algae for most of the day. In captivity a vast percentage of their diet should be made up of algae based foods. Unlike marine angelfish, they are completely reef safe and do not bother corals, making them hugely popular fish for large marine reef aquariums.

Seaweed/Nori sheets are commonly offered. You can either buy seaweed produced and packaged specifically for marine fishes (Julian sprungs sea veggies) or you can go to your local supermarket and buy some nori sheets there. Always buy plain, unflavoured nori. They sometimes come with spices so you want to avoid those. Clip the sheet with a commercial nori clip or a device of your own doing and attach it to the side of the tank.

Blue tangs will normally consume anything offered in captivity despite the fact that they are mainly vegetarians in the wild. Meaty foods should make up a small percent of their daily diet.

Formula one and formula two food mixes are a good choice as well as krill, mysis shrimp and a high quality pellet. A highly reputable food for all marine fishes are those that are produced by New Life Spectrum.

Once in a while you'll see pet stores feeding lettuce to their tangs. Both romaine and iceberg lettuce don't offer much nutritionally so you want to avoid lettuce altogether.

• The Most Recognizable fish In The Marine Tank Industry There is a vast choice of fishes available to marine aquarium hobbyists. They all differ to some extent in size, color plus shape from the hundreds of species collected for sale. However, there are a few that constantly garner notice from the community due to their beauty. Let us......
• Paracanthurus Hepatus : Care And Requirements Of The Popular Blue Tang by Roman Veaila The Blue Tang (Paracanthurus Hepatus) enjoys the distinction of being one of the five most recognizable maine fishes along with the percula clownfish (Percula, Ocellaris), flame angelfish (Centropyge Loriculus), yellow tang (Zebrasoma Flavescens) and the royal gramma (Gramma Loreto). It remains the sole species under the genus......
• Achilles Tang : A Guide On This Highly Prized Surgeonfish by Roman Veaila This beauty known as the Achilles tang (Acanthurus Achilles) pops up in the trade from time to time. Dark chocolate colors its entire body while a single orange teardrop is present on its spine. White, orange and chocolate lines its tail. It goes by other names that......
• Yellow Tang - The Most Popular Surgeonfish The surgeonfish are a admired set of saltwater aquarium fishes in the marine aquarium industry. Overall, tangs are pretty large as far as ornamental fishes are concerned. However our tang of interest, the Yellow Tang, is one of the smaller varieties of surgeonfish. Their scientific tag is Zebrasoma Flavescens.......

• Kona Kampachi -- Sustainably Farmed Yellow Tail from Kona Blue [pics] Have you ever hear of the Kona Kampachi?  Well I think you will be hearing a lot more about it soon... The Kona Kampachi is a sashimi grade Hawaiian species of yellowtail (amberjack family and related to hamachi) with no detectable mercury or PCBs... AND IT IS SUSTAINABLE FARMED by Kona Blue.......
• How to Catch Yellow Fin Tuna If you eat tuna, then chances are you’ve already sampled this delicious variety of the popular fish. While blue fin tuna are also popular, yellow fin tuna are by far the most commonly caught variety and the one that is commonly used in commercial foods. While you may not have......
• The Calcium Reactor - When To Decide If You Need One Or Not There is a variety of equipment to assist in the maintenance of a marine aquarium. Some are essential such as the heater/thermostat, others are supportive for example the auto top-up system. The calcium reactor is often supportive, but in some circumstances it can be argued that it is essential. First......
• Aquarists And The Declining Reefs There is little argument nowadays over whether or not there is any decline in the health of wild coral reefs. The discussion now seems to be more about the speed of decline. Some reefs remain relatively fine, but others are getting into a sorry state. Scientists tell us about......

Written by Roman Veaila using tags: a, b, blue hippo tang, blue tang, blue tang fish, e, h, hippo tang, home & family, l, m, marine aquarium fish, marine tang, P, paracanthurus hepatus, pet, Pets, pets_and_animals, regal tang, s, saltwater aquarium fish, saltwater tang, surgeonfish, u

The Blue Tang (Paracanthurus Hepatus) enjoys the distinction of being one of the five most recognizable maine fishes along with the percula clownfish (Percula, Ocellaris), flame angelfish (Centropyge Loriculus), yellow tang (Zebrasoma Flavescens) and the royal gramma (Gramma Loreto). It remains the sole species under the genus Paracanthurus. Its body is a stunning bright blue while it has thick black markings that stretch out from its eyes to its tail.

The blue tang is also one of the stars of the hit movie, Finding Nemo. The blue tang is also known as the Hippo Tang, Royal Blue Tang, Regal Tang and the Palette Surgeonfish. Along with the yellow tang, this fish is the most popular surgeonfish in the hobby. One of the most heavily collected fishes from the Indo-Pacific, they are very affordable. Prices range from $25 fr a small specimen to $80 for an adult. The blue tang, like all surgeonfish is susceptible to lateral line erosion and marine parasites so pick your specimens with care.

Towards other species of fish the blue tang is quite peaceful. One of the reasons why it enjoys such popularity in the hobby. They can be hostile towards other surgeonfish, especially blue tangs so the general rule should be one blue tank per aquarium.

This species forms large shoals in the wild. If more than one is present in a large tank, such behavior can be witnessed. When housing more than one blue tang, they should always be introduced at the same time. Aggression is normally seen when putting a new blue tang in with an established one.

Blue tangs reach a maximum length of 12 inches. As such they should be housed only in larger tanks upwards of 100 gallons. Due to heavy collection many, specimens no bigger than an inch are common. At that size they will grow very very fast so don't be fooled into putting them in a 30 gallon tank..

Blue tangs need large amounts of room to swim so the aquarium scape should be setup up accordingly. They need at least a few caves/niches as they bed down in these areas every night.

In the wild, blue tangs are primarily herbivores. They form large schools and actively graze on algae throughout the day. In captivity a vast percentage of their diet should be made up of algae based foods. Unlike marine angelfish, they are completely reef safe and do not bother corals, making them hugely popular fish for large marine reef aquariums.

Nori/seaweed sheets are a favorite offering among hobbyists. You can either buy seaweed produced and packaged specifically for marine fishes (Julian sprungs sea veggies) or you can go to your local supermarket and buy some nori sheets there. Always buy plain, unflavoured nori. They sometimes come with spices so you want to avoid those. Clip the sheet with a commercial nori clip or a device of your own doing and attach it to the side of the tank.

While they are mainly vegetarians in the wild, they will normally consume anything that is offered in a saltwater aquarium. A small percentage of their diet should come from meaty foods.

Formula one and formula two food mixes are a good choice as well as krill, mysis shrimp and a high quality pellet. New Life Spectrum produces some excellent pellets for all marine fishes.

You may see lettuce being fed to surgeonfish at pet stores. You want to avoid lettuce as it doesn't offer much nutritionally (romaine or iceberg, doesn't matter).

• Achilles Tang : A Guide On This Highly Prized Surgeonfish by Roman Veaila This beauty known as the Achilles tang (Acanthurus Achilles) pops up in the trade from time to time. Dark chocolate colors its entire body while a single orange teardrop is present on its spine. White, orange and chocolate lines its tail. It goes by other names that......
• The Purple Tang : A Guide On The Rare And Aggressive Zebrasoma Xanthurum by Roman Veaila The Purple Tang (Zebrasoma Xanthurum) is another surgeonfish that enjoys some popularity among those looking for uncommon surgeonfish. They are exact copies of the yellow tang (Zebrasoma Flavescens) except for two differences, they are purple and they are aggressive. Their bodies are a deep purple while their......
• Blue Tang : An In-Depth Guide On Paracanthurus Hepatus by Roman Veaila The Blue Tang (Paracanthurus Hepatus) enjoys the distinction of being one of the five most recognizable maine fishes along with the percula clownfish (Percula, Ocellaris), flame angelfish (Centropyge Loriculus), yellow tang (Zebrasoma Flavescens) and the royal gramma (Gramma Loreto). It remains the sole species under the genus......
• The Blue Tang : A Guide On The Most Popular Surgeonfish by Roman Veaila The Blue Tang (Paracanthurus Hepatus) enjoys the distinction of being one of the five most recognizable maine fishes along with the percula clownfish (Percula, Ocellaris), flame angelfish (Centropyge Loriculus), yellow tang (Zebrasoma Flavescens) and the royal gramma (Gramma Loreto). It remains the sole species under the genus......

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• Fishing Report: October 23, 2009 Lake Fishing - At Amador, a 3,000 lb trout plant just went in, some of which were as large as 10 lbs, this past Tuesday. Both boaters and float tubers that are using bait and lures seem to do better in comparison to the trollers. You can probably trigger a......
• Kona Kampachi -- Sustainably Farmed Yellow Tail from Kona Blue [pics] Have you ever hear of the Kona Kampachi?  Well I think you will be hearing a lot more about it soon... The Kona Kampachi is a sashimi grade Hawaiian species of yellowtail (amberjack family and related to hamachi) with no detectable mercury or PCBs... AND IT IS SUSTAINABLE FARMED by Kona Blue.......
• Mariner Cove Marina, Bethel Park, CA Mariner Cove Marina is located in Bethel Park, CA Phone: 925.684.2166 Boat launch? Yes, the facility does have a boat launch Berth Fees: Please call for more information. Average water depth? Not listed. Please contact the marina for information about current depths before you arrive. Marine standby channel? At this......

Written by Roman Veaila using tags: a, b, blue hippo tang, blue tang, blue tang fish, e, h, hippo tang, home & family, l, m, marine aquarium fish, marine tang, P, paracanthurus hepatus, pet, Pets, pets_and_animals, regal tang, s, saltwater aquarium fish, saltwater tang, surgeonfish, u

The Achilles tang is a beautiful fish that pops up from time to time. It is a dark chocolate throughout with a single orange teardrop on its spine. White, orange and chocolate lines its tail. It is commonly known as the Achilles surgeonfish and the red-tailed surgeonfish.

This highly prized tang is endemic to Hawaii. A quick seller, finding one in the market may prove frustrating.

A very pricey tang, small specimens go for $100 or slightly more while adults can fetch up to $300 per fish. Extra large show quality specimens can fetch even more, $400 and above.

Sadly, this tang doesn't do all that well in captivity. Unlike some other species like the blue tang (paracanthurus hepatus) or the yellow tang (zebrasoma flavescens), they seem to be a bit more delicate. But that's only part of the story, they're not too keen on prepared foods either.

Like its brethren they are also prone to lateral line erosion, hole in the head disease and marine parasites.

In the wild, achilles tangs are known to interbreed with the goldrim tang (acanthurus nigricans). They're highly prized offspring rarely appear on the market and usually cost quite a bit.

Considered an aggressive surgeonfish, they've been known to harass other large tank mates. Smaller species like gobies, damsels and dottybacks are usually left alone. They do not take too kindly to sharing tank space with other tangs and are relentlessly hostile towards other achilles tangs. As always, if you must keep multiple achilles tangs always keep put them in at the same time and make sure your tank's big enough.

The Achilles tang reaches 9 inches in the wild, which means a maximum length of 7 inches or so in captivity. The minimum size tank for them should be a 100 gallons. Larger tanks are recommended as they require ample swimming room.

Getting these fishes to eat in captivity is challenging to say the least. Nevertheless, we should try our best.

They do not eat corals, making them reef safe. They are algae eaters in the wild so ensure a large part of their diet in captivity has enough algae.

Despite the fact that they're primarily herbivores in the wild, they are open to just about anything offered once acclimated. Krill, mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, pellets, they take them all.

We should ensure that a large part of their diet is algae based, since they eat so much of it in the wild.

A good form of algae to feed tangs would be nori sheets.Depending on the brand, prices vary greatly. Some people may find Julian Sprungs Sea Veggies to cost a little too much. Good quality stuff though. They come in flake form too, making feedings very convenient.

Thankfully there are many other brands that produce nori primarily for human consumption. Some are cheap while the really high quality sheets can be very expensive.

You'll need to secure the nori to a clip. You could DIY a clip yourself and spend a couple of bucks on a commercial type. The sheets are sometimes rolled up and cut beforehand, most however, feed it as is. Secure the nori to your algae clip and attach it to the side of the aquarium.

Ocean Nutrition produces another good quality food, Formula Two. Along with mixed sea food, vitamins and whatnot, there is an extra amount of algae added to the mix. Available in three forms, pellet, flake or frozen cube.

The best flake food for the yellow tang would be Sea Veggie mixed flakes followed by formula two flakes. A great all-rounder with a good balance of ingredients, New Life Spectrum comes highly recommended as well.

Do not feed your tangs lettuce of any kind (romaine or iceberg). You'll normally see this happening at pet stores that are trying to save a few bucks. Lettuce doesn't have a place in this hobby as nutritionally its rubbish.

• High Quality, Nutritious, Healthy Dog Food - Critical for a Healthy Pet High Quality, Nutritious, Healthy Dog Food is the Key to Your Dog's Long Term Good Health Did you know that dog food you buy in a grocery store or pet supermarket is probably very low in nutritional value? Even if the food was somewhat nutritious when it was placed......
• Yellow Tang - The Most Popular Surgeonfish The surgeonfish are a admired set of saltwater aquarium fishes in the marine aquarium industry. Overall, tangs are pretty large as far as ornamental fishes are concerned. However our tang of interest, the Yellow Tang, is one of the smaller varieties of surgeonfish. Their scientific tag is Zebrasoma Flavescens.......
• Achilles Tang : A Guide On This Highly Prized Surgeonfish by Roman Veaila This beauty known as the Achilles tang (Acanthurus Achilles) pops up in the trade from time to time. Dark chocolate colors its entire body while a single orange teardrop is present on its spine. White, orange and chocolate lines its tail. It goes by other names that......
• The Sohal Tang : A Guide On This Highly Aggressive Red Sea Native by Roman Veaila The Sohal Tang (Acanthurus Sohal) is one of the most beautiful tangs in the family. Black lines streak across its white/cream body while its caudal and pectoral fins are yellow. It is also known as the majestic tang, Arabian tang and the zebra tang. They are collected......

• Nitrate And How To Reduce It All salt water aquarists will know about nitrate, or at least I hope so. Nitrate (NO3) is a product of the nitrogen cycle, and follows on from Ammonia/Ammonium (NH3/NH4) and [tag-ice]Nitrite[/tag-ice] (NO2). The full nitrogen cycle will lead to nitrogen gas which is removed by gas exchange at air/water interfaces.......
• An Aged-Based Plan For Teaching Kids About Money The June 2009 edition of Money magazine featured an article on how to Unspoil Your Kids. The article included an interesting chart outlining "What to Teach When," as suggested by Jon and Eileen Gallo, authors of The Financially Intelligent Parent. I like the idea of breaking up financial lessons by......
• Kona Kampachi -- Sustainably Farmed Yellow Tail from Kona Blue [pics] Have you ever hear of the Kona Kampachi?  Well I think you will be hearing a lot more about it soon... The Kona Kampachi is a sashimi grade Hawaiian species of yellowtail (amberjack family and related to hamachi) with no detectable mercury or PCBs... AND IT IS SUSTAINABLE FARMED by Kona Blue.......
• Lots of Tool Tips Another Nutty Trick Let us say that you need to remove a nut with the use of an open end wrench but the wrench is too large for the nut. When you can do is insert a coin or a washer in between the nut and the wrench. The coin......

Written by Roman Veaila using tags: a, acanthurus achilles, achilles tang, achilles tang care, achilles tang care guide, achilles tang guide, marine aquarium fish, marine fish, marine tang, pet, Pets, pets_and_animals, saltwater aquarium fish, saltwater fish, saltwater tang, surgeonfish, t, tang