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.

• 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 - 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......
• 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......
• 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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• How Do You Know Which Aquarium Lighting You Will Need? The marine aquarium has two main types, the fish only (FO) and the reef. These systems have a good few things in common, one that is not common to them is the aquarium lighting. Water quality is the number one requisite in a marine aquarium, and this is closely followed......
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Written by Brian Logan using tags: marine aquarium fish, Pets, saltwater aquarium fish, surgeonfish, tang, tangs

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 and its very easy to see why. Its entire body is a brilliant pastel yellow.

The yellow tang is commonly collected from Hawaii and the nearby islands. Once acclimated the yellow tang is a hardy fish that is peaceful with other fishes (Outside of the tang family) which makes it a popular choice for community aquariums. Care should be taken when choosing specimens as most tangs and surgeonfish are ich magnets and also susceptible to lateral line erosion. A heavily collected species, the yellow tang fetches about $30-$40 for smaller individuals while larger ones are priced in the $60-$70 range.

The yellow tang is a relatively peaceful fish that is not prone to bullying other species of fish large or small. Making it an attractive candidate for all aquariums. It can be aggressive towards other members of the tang family but such cases are normally alleviated with providing ample space for all of them.

In they wild they are a schooling fish and such behavior can be witnessed in captivity. When planning on keeping multiple yellow tangs it is essential that they all be introduced at the same time.

The Yellow Tang can reach up to 8 inches in length so its best to stick with larger tanks. While a 150 gallon or larger tank is recommended, they can housed in a 100 gallon aquarium.

They are sometimes bought by unwary hobbyists at sizes as small as 2 inches where they are placed in aquariums as small as 30 gallons. They will quickly outgrow such tanks, leaving the owner with the headache of finding a buyer for it, or finding a larger aquarium to house it. They are a brave fish that don't necessarily require many caves and dark spots for shelter but enough live rock should be provided as they require a place to sleep every night.

Yellow tangs are a schooling fish in the wild that graze on live rock for most of the day. They feed mainly on algae so such foods should be offered frequently. Ensure they get enough algae based foods in captivity as algae makes up the bulk of their diet in the wild. Unlike marine angelfish, they are completely reef safe and do not bother corals, one of the reasons why they're so popular in marine reef aquariums.

Seaweed/Nori sheets are a great food for tangs. You have a choice between branded stuff like Julian Sprungs sea veggies or supermarket brands which can be either cheap or expensive. Be sure to get unflavoured nori.

Despite being herbivores in the wild, they are receptive to a wide range of foods in captivity. So go ahead and feed them a good variety of items, not just greens.

They should be fed good alga and seafood mixes like Formula One and Formula Two by Ocean Nutrition as well as a good pellet. New Life Spectrum produces some excellent pellets for all marine fishes.

I see a lot of fish stores feeding yellow tangs lettuce on a clip. Here's a tip. Never feed your tangs lettuce. Romaine or iceberg, it doesn't matter, nutritionally its garbage.

• 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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• 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......
• 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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• Remember To Vary The Food When Feeding A fish only aquarium or reef aquarium offers several pleasures. One of them is obvious, and that is just sitting and admiring. After a while, all seems at peace in the world. Maybe that’s why some doctors and dentists have aquariums in their surgeries. Another very pleasurable experience for the......

Written by Roman Veaila using tags: marine aquarium fish, marine tang, Pets, saltwater fish, saltwater tang, tang, Yellow Tang, yellow tang care, yellow tang care guide, yellow tang fish, yellow tang guide, zebrasoma, Zebrasoma flavescens

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 see why. The entire fish is colored a bright pastel like yellow.

This tang hails from Hawaii and its surrounding islands. Once acclimated the yellow tang is a hardy fish that is peaceful with other fishes (Outside of the tang family) which makes it a popular choice for community aquariums. Care should be taken when choosing specimens as most tangs and surgeonfish are ich magnets and also susceptible to lateral line erosion. A heavily collected species, the yellow tang fetches about $30-$40 for smaller individuals while larger ones are priced in the $60-$70 range.

A peaceful fish, the yellow tang does not normally bully larger or smaller tank mates. Making it an attractive candidate for all aquariums. It can be aggressive towards other members of the tang family but such cases are normally alleviated with providing ample space for all of them.

In they wild they are a schooling fish and such behavior can be witnessed in captivity. If more than one is desired they should be introduced into the tank at the same time.

Yellow tangs can grow to 8 inches in length so only house the in larger tanks. Nothing smaller than a 100 gallons should be used, 150 gallon or bigger is recommended.

This popular fish is all too often bought when they're 2 to 3 inches and kept in tanks as small as 30 gallons. They will quickly outgrow such tanks, leaving the owner with the headache of finding a buyer for it, or finding a larger aquarium to house it. They are a brave fish that don't necessarily require many caves and dark spots for shelter but enough live rock should be provided as they require a place to sleep every night.

Yellow tangs are a schooling fish in the wild that graze on live rock for most of the day. As such, a large percentage of their diet should be made up of algae. Ensure they get enough algae based foods in captivity as algae makes up the bulk of their diet in the wild. You will see them in both fish-only tanks as well as reef aquariums because the yellow tang is completely reef safe.

Nori sheets are a good food for these fishes. You have a choice between branded stuff like Julian Sprungs sea veggies or supermarket brands which can be either cheap or expensive. Always get plain, unflavoured nori.

While they are strictly vegetarians in the wild, they will normally consume anything that is offered in a saltwater aquarium. So they should be fed not just greens but a wide variety of items.

They should be fed good alga and seafood mixes like Formula One and Formula Two by Ocean Nutrition as well as a good pellet. A good pellet brand to choose would be those made by New Life Spectrum.

Many fish stores can be seen giving their tangs lettuce to nibble on. Never feed your tangs lettuce. Romaine or iceberg, it doesn't matter, nutritionally its garbage.

Roman Veaila is a hobbyist that has kept numerous reef aquariums. In his spare time he writes guides on marine fishes. Visit his hubpage for a more detailed guide on Yellow Tang as well as the always popular Blue Tang Fish.

• What You Should Know Before Purchasing an Plecostomus Plecostomus or Hypostomus plecostomus belong to the family Loricariidae. Loricariidae means armored catfish named so because the armor-like longitudinal rows of scutes that cover the upper parts of their bodies. This armor is actually composed boney platelets as opposed to the scales that are normally associated with fish. The......
• The Stunning Mandarin Dragonet : Their Care And Requirements by Roman Veaila The Mandarin Dragonet (Synchiropus Splendidus) are one of the most breathtaking fishes found in the hobby. Its entire body is made up of blue, orange and green alternating line. They commonly go by the name, mandarin goby, despite not being a true goby at all. The mandarin......
• 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......
• French Angelfish : Care And requirements Of Pomacanthus Paru by Gabriela Desouyez The french angelfish (Pomacanthus Paru) is among the three most popular angelfish in the marine aquarium hobby. The Emperor Angelfish and the Queen Angelfish make up the other two. Its closets relative is the gray angel, as such, they look completely alike to the untrained eye. Differentiating......

• The Clown Trigger Fish Though it is regularly seen in public aquariums, this fish is not commonly kept by aquarists. It is successfully kept by a good many nonetheless. Seeing this fish in a local fish shop or anywhere else is an experience, the shape, the colours, it is really something. Anytime I see......
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• Sigh! I really like my soft coral reef - all the time it developed over the last 5½+ years and how it is now. It is really full of a diverse range of corals coloured various pastel shades, the tall ones swaying in the currents. There is hardly any rock to......
• The Nano Reef Tank - Should You Keep Fish In Them The answer to this question depends upon your definition of a nano reef tank? To me a nano reef tank is an aquarium which is less than 20 gallons in size. There are some people which define a nano reef tank as being less than 55 gallons, personally I would......

Written by Henry Logan using tags: marine aquarium fish, marine tang, Pets, saltwater fish, saltwater tang, tang, Yellow Tang, yellow tang care, yellow tang care guide, yellow tang fish, yellow tang guide, zebrasoma, Zebrasoma flavescens

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.

• Flame Angelfish : Care And Requirements Of Centropyge Loriculus by Gabriela Desouyez Among the most spectacularly colored dwarf angelfish, the Flame Angelfish (Centropyge Loriculus) has become the most recognizable and the most popular member of the genus centropyge, above the Coral Beauty. Like the Queen Angelfish, almost everyone in the marine aquarium hobby has at one time either owned......
• 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......
• 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......
• 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......

• This Wonderful Hobby The marine reef aquarium gives the opportunity for aquarists to own and view something special. In the world of hobbies this must rate near the top if not at the top. Photography is an embracing hobby to its devotees, but produces copies of the real thing even if done artistically.......
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• What Is The Best Algae Eater? That is a difficult question, and one which I cannot directly answer because most algae eaters have a type they are most fond of and many of these creatures may well ignore other types. What needs to be done is consider the algae that is causing a problem and hopefully......

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

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.

• 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......
• The French Angelfish : Care And Requirements by Gabriela Desouyez The french angelfish (Pomacanthus Paru) is among the three most popular angelfish in the marine aquarium hobby. The Emperor Angelfish and the Queen Angelfish make up the other two. It is closely related to the Gray Angelfish (Pomacanthus Arcuatus) and to the untrained eye they are very......
• 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......

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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.

• Basic Fish Tank Maintenance for a Healthier Aquarium Ecosystem A beautiful tank and healthy fish are your top priorities when you have an aquarium in your room. Fish tank maintenance is the requirement for both. Fish need a clean haven where the oxygen flows freely. Fish tank owners want to showcase a clean and beautiful aquarium to their......
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• 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......
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• How Gallonage Matters No matter how big or small an aquarium is they all have a gallonage which is often stated in the manufacturer’s documents. Some aquariums are of a standard size and are known as a ‘fifty’ or whatever. The gallonage quoted in the aquarium name or manufacturer’s documents is with......

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.

• 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 Multicolor : Guide On The Expensive Deep Water Multicolor Angelfish by Gabriela Desouyez The Multicolor angelfish (Centropyge Multicolor) is a deep water angel that live at depths from 50 to 200+ feet in the wild. Probably named after the variety of colors present on its body. Its body is white while its chest has a patch mixed with yellow, orange......
• 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......
• 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.......

• Installing a Pet Door Installing a unique door for your dog or your cat is a great way for you to make pet ownership a little simpler, because it will allow your pet to go out and come in at will rather than scratching at the door for your attention all throughout the day.......
• Review of Dr Shapiro's Guide to Picture Perfect Weight Loss Tomorrow is a holiday, which is why you are reading a book review today. I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend. Enjoy the fireworks and BBQs! Dr. Shapiro's book The Guide to Picture Perfect Weight Loss combines several interesting factors into one plan to help readers lose weight. While you......
• Making Fluffy Cheaper: Cutting Down Pet Expenses Owning a pet is economically irrational. They generally don’t provide any monetary reason to keep them and usually they cost quite a bit of money to keep happy and healthy, but that’s not why we get pets. We get them because they’re so gosh darn adorable and because they make......
• Living Gluten Free /caption]The other day I read that up to 1% of the United States has celiac disease - an autoimmune disorder brought on by the intake of gluten. If you are one of these few people, living gluten-free may be your only option. It can be difficult at first. While there......

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 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.

• 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......
• 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 Loriculus : A Guide On The Brilliantly Colored Flame Angel by Gabriela Desouyez The stunning Flame Angelfish is the most popular dwarf angelfish, more popular than even the Coral Beauty Angelfish. Like the queen angelfish (holacanthus ciliaris), the flame angel is one of those fishes that every wanted or had at one point in the hobby.Its common name is the......
• 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......

• Food Magic Food magic is not unlike many other disciplines, and it can both be tied to healing magic and self transformation. "What you put in" is perhaps one of the core principles of all magic. But the term sorcery, literally means putting in and taking out. There is a lot to......
• 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.......
• TV Stand Buying Guide TV stands are ideal for showcasing not solely your television, but other entertainment electronic elements as well. No matter vogue you select, remember of the dimensions of your space and your television. If you have a flat screen TV, depth will not be a difficulty as a result of the......
• Hair Algae And How To Control It Mention the word algae to a marine aquarist and the first thought is usually ‘marine nightmare’. Hair algae usually meets this criteria. It is unloved and unwanted. Strange to think that in the very early days of the marine aquarium the aquarist would be pleased to see the algae growth......

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, pet, Pets, pets_and_animals, saltwater aquarium fish, saltwater fish, saltwater tang, surgeonfish, t, tang