A Deeper Look at Tang Fish by greg.chernoffOne of the best parts about having a larger saltwater aquarium is being able to have larger fish. In a smaller aquarium, you are limited to the amount of fish you get and the size of the fish you add. A large aquarium will allow you to have a variety of different fish of different sizes. This includes beautiful Tang fishes. There are many different kinds of Tangs, but the ones I will mainly discuss include the Yellow Tang, Blue Tang, Kole Tang, and the Powder Blue Tang. There are also a few variants within these subspecies. If you have ever wondered about getting a Tang for your reef tank or getting an additional Tang, now is your chance to learn. Yellow Tang Fish The Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens) may be one of the most popular Tang to reef hobbyists. It is completely yellow as its name would suggest. It has large a fan-like dorsal and anal fin. This gives it a desirable flashy appearance. These fish come from the coral reefs in Hawaii, but they are also being captive-bred. The captive-bred specimens are better adapted to aquarium life. Yellow Tangs are a type of Zebrasoma Tang. There are a few different types of Zebrasoma Tangs, but they all share a similar shape. The color is where they differ. There are Purple Tangs, Gemmatum Tangs, Scopas Tangs, and Sailfin Tang. Their size varies; the Scopas Tang can reach one-foot and the Sailfin Tang can reach one-foot and three inches, while Yellow Tangs only grow to eight inches. Note that it can be difficult to get these Tangs to live peaceful together because they are so similar in shape. It is best to stick to just one Zebrasoma Tang. The Yellow Tang would be a great choice. Yellow Tangs will eat frozen food and dry food, but they should have some sort of seaweed or algae. The algae in your tank may not suffice, so feed dry seaweed as well. You will need at least a 100-gallon tank. Be sure to have plenty of rock, while also allowing for ample open swimming space. Yellow Tangs are completely reef safe. They get along with most other fish as well. Blue Tang People in the hobby refer to this fish as the Blue Tang or Regal Tang (Paracanthurus hepatus), but others may know it as the iconic character, Dory, from Finding Nemo (2003). This has attracted many people to the hobby. It is not for newer hobbyists though. Blue Tangs need a lot of room to swim, as they are very active fish. They require at least a six-foot 180-gallon tank. Be sure to have enough rock as well. The Blue Tang comes from reefs all across the Indo-Pacific. Captive-bed specimens are available at AlgaeBarn. Like any other captive-bred fish, they are much more hardy than wild-caught ones. They have identical colors as well. These are one of the most beautiful fish of all the Tang Fishes. They have an unmistakable bright blue body and a unique black marking that runs from the eyes to the tail fin. It also has a bright yellow tail as well. They grow to a maximum length of one foot. The Blue Tang is much more susceptible to diseases than other tangs, so make sure it is fed a variety of high-quality foods, including seaweed. The water in the tank should be as pristine as possible too. Kole Tang The Kole Tang (Ctenochaetus strigosus) is a smaller sized Tang, growing no larger than seven inches. This means they can be put in aquariums as small as 70-gallons. Kole Tangs have a brown-tan body with a subtle gray maze pattern. They also have a bright yellow circular spot around their eyes. They are great algae eaters, but this means they will need to be fed seaweed often as well. If you haven’t caught the pattern yet, Tangs, in general, need to be fed seaweed or some other form of algae. They can be fed meaty food such as Brine shrimp and Mysis shrimp as well. Kole Tangs are a type of Tang called Ctenochaetus Tangs. There a few variants of this Tang, but like any other fish, it is best to stick to one per tank. Kole Tangs are a semi-aggressive fish. They are generally peaceful towards other fish but may pick some newer fish. It may be particularly aggressive to certain types of fish, but it depends on the individual fish. Making sure the fish is well fed is one way to try to reduce aggression. If you plan to have other Tangs with it or other semi-aggressive fish, add them at the same time. Powder Blue Tang The Powder Blue Tang (Acanthurus leucosternon) is own of the more aggressive Tangs. It will be very aggressive towards other Tangs, especially ones of its own kind. If you plan to have other Tangs with it, make sure you add them at the same time. It requires a 125-gallon tank or larger. Like the other Tangs, it needs both sufficient of rock and open swimming space. It has a light blue body with many other shades of blue accented around it. It has a yellow dorsal fin with bright blue around the edges. The area around its eyes and mouth is black and there are some spots of white below that. The Powder Blue Tang is very elegant in appearance, but its personality can be rather feisty. Tang Fish Diseases Tang Fishes are known for getting diseases such as ich and marine velvet. There are many other diseases a Tang can get, but ich and marine velvet are the most common. If you add an infected Tang to your aquarium, the whole aquarium may get sick and it could result in most, if not all your fish dying. There are a few ways you can avoid this. The first way is to make sure that you are buying from a trustworthy source. If you have gotten a diseased fish from a fish store multiple times, it may not be that trustworthy. Also, buy captive bred Tang or any fish in general whenever possible. This will ensure that the fish is more adapted to aquarium life, which means less stress on the fish and less chance of parasites or diseases. The biggest thing you can do is quarantine your fish. You can read in-depth articles just on the quarantine process and dipping method on the AlgaeBarn blog. For now, I will give you a brief rundown. A quarantine tank is a separate aquarium from your main tank that is not connected in any way. It is a simple tank set up that includes some form of filtration, a light, and a heater. You can add anything you want to your quarantine as long as it still functions as a quarantine tank. Before you add a new fish to your saltwater aquarium you need to put it into this quarantine tank. Here it can live for a few weeks, isolated from your main tank. During this time you can dose copper medication and watch for parasites or strange behavior. After about two weeks of the fish living in the quarantine, you can then add it to your main tank. That’s if it does not have a disease. If it has a disease it will need to remain in the quarantine tank until it is completely free of disease. You can implement freshwater dipping to help kill off the disease. Even if you quarantine your Tang before it enters your tank, it can still develop diseases if it is not properly cared for. Long term stress can cause diseases to develop. Avoid this by ensuring there is minimal aggression and the water quality is the best it can be. Malnutrition can also lead to disease. Tangs must have a balanced diet that largely consists of algae or seaweed. Do not assume your Tang does not need seaweed just because there is algae in your tank. It’s not too hard to do and it is well worth the health of your Tang. Of course, there are many other Tang Fishes, but now you have a better insight on some of the more popular ones and how to care for them.
Ellen Aparicio says December 27, 2019 at 3:25 pm Tangs are great fish, but should definitely be kept in 6ft or larger tanks. Reply
N L says December 27, 2019 at 10:45 pm Tomini’s are a great little tang as well. They are the smallest of the Ctenochaetus species and are attractive. Reply
Randall Clawson says January 2, 2020 at 4:53 pm Currently dont have a big enough tank to house Tangs, but will eventually Reply
Chris Whalen says January 3, 2020 at 2:11 am Tangs are beautiful fish. Had no idea the powder blues were more aggressive than the rest. Reply
Kyle says January 4, 2020 at 3:14 pm I love tangs and this is a great glimpse at a few of the most popular options! Reply
Steven Semeniuk says December 23, 2019 at 1:46 pm Great read and will definitely refer back to this when I get a large enough tank for a tang. Reply
Za Fish Guy says December 31, 2019 at 4:20 pm I have 2 in my 60g they will need a bigger home eventually. Reply
melissa sharp says January 1, 2020 at 2:22 pm I have a scopes and a salfin Do they get aggressive with eachother and can you have 2 of the same tangs? Like to salefins etc? Or best to only keep one of each diff types? Reply
Garrett says December 23, 2019 at 3:01 pm Wonderful information for those Tang lovers out there. Reply
Nicholas Hagstrom says December 23, 2019 at 3:09 pm Great read! I’ve been debating getting my first Tang. This will help tremendously with my decision. Reply
Jerry Pearson says December 23, 2019 at 3:30 pm Love the look of tangs, but am thinking I will stay away from them. At least until I get a larger tank. Reply
Todd says December 27, 2019 at 9:32 pm Good information. I didn’t know the Sailfin got so big. Gonna have to think of adding a different fish to the tank. Reply
Alex von Hochtritt says December 23, 2019 at 3:55 pm A big tank would be so fun to have. And a tang would be a must-have. Reply
Jayda Patterson says December 23, 2019 at 4:03 pm I love that this article expresses the importance of the right size tank for each tang species! Reply
Kristen Maves says December 23, 2019 at 4:42 pm It’s good to know the size tank that you SHOULD have for putting different types of tangs in. Looks like I may have to wait for a bigger tank ?? Reply
michael p says December 23, 2019 at 5:42 pm Gotta have that swimming space for these guys. My 90 gallon was just barely good enough for mine Reply
Chris Buswell says December 23, 2019 at 6:35 pm Does adding more than one tang of similar size simultaneously lower the aggression? Reply
Adam Lyndaker says December 23, 2019 at 6:54 pm Love my kole someday I would love to be able to keep some larger species Reply
Paul Kachirsky says December 23, 2019 at 7:44 pm Nice read. I am doing a Yellow tang, Whitetail bristletooth and a purple tang, they are currently in qt. Reply
Joey Gatlin says December 23, 2019 at 8:09 pm Tangs are one of my favorite fish. I don’t see a time where I will have a Tang size tank though. Reply
Dallas Tippie says December 23, 2019 at 8:10 pm So happy my purple tang survived the itch treatment! Reply
Felix Roeschert says December 23, 2019 at 10:03 pm I love yellow tangs! I wish my tank was bigger Reply
dcallahan56789 says December 23, 2019 at 10:12 pm When adding multiple Tangs to one aquarium. Do you recommend introducing at same time? Reply
Matt Traylor says December 23, 2019 at 10:16 pm My kole tang is a bully to anything that eats algae, with fins. Haha. He runs my tank! Reply
Bo Heath Kinsland says December 29, 2019 at 8:00 pm Very informative. I love tangs and i have several. They are the most beautiful fish and i live mine. Thanms for the info. Reply
Jacob T Wright says December 23, 2019 at 10:46 pm Cant wait to get my large tank up and running to put a yellow tang in there! Reply
Brian Badge says December 23, 2019 at 11:08 pm Nice to see clear summary information that isnt buried in a lot of other discussion. Reply
Paul Kachirsky says December 23, 2019 at 11:17 pm I currently have a Yellow Tang, Purple Tang and Whitetail Bristletooth Tang in QT. About another 1 week or so and they are ready for my display thank! Love tangs! Reply
Julianne Morgan says December 24, 2019 at 12:47 am Id love a blue tang one day ? illness magnets or not they are gorgeous Reply
jason frames says December 24, 2019 at 1:47 am Was getting one but will wait untill I’m confident in my quarantine skills Reply
Josha Mitchell says December 24, 2019 at 2:51 am Tangs some of the best workers for the aquarium!! Reply
ekersd says December 24, 2019 at 8:01 am I don’t quarantine fish – too stressful. Buy from a captive only system, dip and get them into a great environment. My tank is too small for the Tangs — mini Tang = Molly or Molly Miller Blenny. Hey Algae Barn! Check out sustainable Aquatics! Reply
David DeMarco says December 24, 2019 at 9:19 am Just recently added my had to have purple tang after almost a year of waiting. Beautiful fish Reply
steveszczepanowski says December 24, 2019 at 9:23 am Always quarantine tangs before introducing them into display tank. Tangs are very prone to getting ich Reply
Catherine says December 24, 2019 at 9:57 am Tangs are my favorites! I had a Black Tang for years. Loved him! Reply
Keith McMillan says December 24, 2019 at 2:45 pm Had a hair algae problem until I put tangs in my tank Reply
Hasan Sarsour says December 24, 2019 at 3:05 pm Love tangs!!! Haven’t been able to add one since I’m only running a 40 Breeder. 🙁 Reply
Regina Delph says December 25, 2019 at 9:24 am I was raised with Oscar’s and shark fish and i would love to raise some. Reply
Richard Varone says December 25, 2019 at 1:04 pm I wish I had a tank big enough to keep these beautiful creatures! Reply
Shaun Small says December 25, 2019 at 2:35 pm Added my Yellow and Blue Powdered Tang at the same time and no issues…. so far….lol Reply
Jay says December 25, 2019 at 3:05 pm Never really gotten the Tang hype myself but the Kole tang is certainly a nice fish. Reply
Jennifer says December 25, 2019 at 6:27 pm I love tangs and am happy too learn as much as I can about them Reply
caldea says December 26, 2019 at 6:08 am Everyone wants or has a Tang in their tank. Very beneficial article! Reply
Ricky Dube says December 26, 2019 at 9:09 am Tangs are beautiful. As soon as I set up a giant tank I’ll finally be able to order one Reply
Ansu Abraham says December 26, 2019 at 10:49 am I would love to get a tang once I upgrade my tank! Reply
Casey Whittington says December 26, 2019 at 1:00 pm Super cool post on Tangs, which just SO happen to be my favorite saltwater fish of all, mainly the Yellow tang. Often people will get a Hippo Tang just from the Dory (Look) and be clueless on them. Reply
Jordan Sims says December 26, 2019 at 8:46 pm I unfortunately only have room for possibly a kole right now, when I win this new tank I will have room for more!!!? Reply
Omar Pardo says December 26, 2019 at 9:15 pm Love the Info, will definitely come back to this every tang I get Reply
John Demanko (@jmdreef) says December 26, 2019 at 10:27 pm Can’t wait to get a big tank again, loved thr tangs i had in a 180g Reply
Drew Rollman says December 27, 2019 at 9:55 am I think one of the biggest issues with tangs is tank size. No easier way to stress a fish out that like to swim than putting them in a smaller aquarium. Reply
Meghan Mulkerin says December 27, 2019 at 1:00 pm Keeping this in mind for my next purchase. I love tangs Reply
MSCOZZ says December 27, 2019 at 1:25 pm Good info for starting out. I have five Tangs so far and plan on getting many more once I get my monster tank. Reply
Cindy Livak says December 27, 2019 at 2:17 pm Great article. I have a 20+ year old Naso Tang. Thanks for the info. Reply
Brian says December 27, 2019 at 3:20 pm Love my Tomini tang, never have to worry about algae in my tank. Reply
Courtney Hoard says December 27, 2019 at 6:56 pm Tangs are such a beautiful fish. Didn’t realize that there was more than just the yellow and powder blue. Reply
Jean Pattison says December 27, 2019 at 8:36 pm Love tangs. They are actually my favorite reef fish. Reply
Michael Quinones says December 27, 2019 at 11:21 pm Damn shame Yellows have gotten so damn expensive. Reply
Neal says December 28, 2019 at 12:17 am could care less for these fish, they are too intense for me Reply
Tony says December 28, 2019 at 7:58 am I love my powder blue tang, but it is a brute. I have to Put up a mirror on one side of my tank for a week or two when introducing new fish to keep him occupied. Reply
Stephanie Smith says December 28, 2019 at 12:43 pm I love my Hippo and naso tang, my yellow tang acts like a stressed out dog ready to bite the next person to get close. Oh well, live and learn. They are currently in a 180. Reply
Echo Rodetsky says December 28, 2019 at 5:36 pm I hope to have a tank large enough for tangs one day. Reply
Alejandro Rodriguez says December 28, 2019 at 9:32 pm Tangs are one of the most beautiful saltwater fish. They have been recently be featured by a popular Fish Youtuber. Reply
Edward Raposo says December 29, 2019 at 12:55 am The blue tang is my all time favorite fish. Sadly, I don’t foresee ever having a 180+ gallon tank. Reply
Bobby says December 29, 2019 at 7:19 pm I love tangs. Maybe some day when I have enough real estate. Reply
Cassia Carvalho says December 29, 2019 at 8:45 pm Sounds like a good addition to my salty fish family Reply
Rudy A Garcia says December 29, 2019 at 10:20 pm Bookmarked for the day when I finally get a large enough tank to own a tang. Reply
Jaime Quintanilla says December 29, 2019 at 11:12 pm Man I wish the blue tang was easier to keep Reply
Anthony Sansone says December 30, 2019 at 1:01 am Man if only I had a tank big enough to make one of these guys happy! Reply
Carrie Charles says December 30, 2019 at 8:07 am Man, tangs are my favourite fish so this really helped me figure some things out Reply
Greg says December 30, 2019 at 9:02 am Will def add a couple more tangs when I upgrade my tank. Good read Reply
Tristan Smith says December 30, 2019 at 9:17 am It’s a shame they require such large tanks to keep properly as I’d love to add one to my tank. Reply
doug perry says December 30, 2019 at 9:41 am I would love to have a big tank with a bunch of tangs Reply
reapersalsa says December 30, 2019 at 10:34 am I don’t have saltwater sadly this would be an awesome fish. Reply
Erick Blais says December 30, 2019 at 11:58 am The two tangs in my tank are probably my favorite Reply
Tian Sorg says December 30, 2019 at 12:27 pm One day I will have a tank big enough for a tang! Thanks! Reply
Tian Sorg says December 30, 2019 at 12:32 pm One day…I will have a tank large enough for one!! Thanks!! Reply
James walker says December 30, 2019 at 1:29 pm Tangs are my absolute favorite species. Fowleri is my top fish Reply
Barry Sylvia says December 30, 2019 at 3:14 pm Beautiful fish! Leaving with more knowledge than I came with! Reply
Regina Delph says December 30, 2019 at 4:07 pm I have always wanted salt water fish but seems like alot to keep up with . Reply
Krystal Whittington says December 30, 2019 at 4:30 pm I LOVE TANGS.. Like Serious love lol They was the Orginial reason I feel inlove with the Salt Water Hobby Reply
Daniel says December 30, 2019 at 5:19 pm I have a Tang fish and I learned some new things about them Reply
Bethany Souza says December 30, 2019 at 5:26 pm I love my blue tang but im.pretty sure it killed my angel fish Reply
Matt Blefeld says December 30, 2019 at 5:53 pm Love my tangs. They make up most of my fish stock in my 220 Reply
bad72nova says December 30, 2019 at 6:09 pm Hood info except I’m not interested in keeping tangs myself. Reply
samuelwalker1996 says December 30, 2019 at 8:13 pm I love tangs but they are very active and need a lot of room, so I probably won’t have one. Awesome article though. Reply
liesle_memmott says December 30, 2019 at 8:14 pm Good read, thank you I’ve held off on Tangs mostly due to reputation and always seeing them look so weak Will have to study this when I get a bigger tank Reply
t.joudi says December 30, 2019 at 10:12 pm Tangs are hard to keep due to infections like ich, but I have a hippo and a zebrosomas and they’re getting along great! Reply
John Louis says December 31, 2019 at 9:02 am These are beautiful active fish full of personality, a big tank would not be complete without one. Reply
Kim Eberhart says December 31, 2019 at 2:18 pm Nice article. I have been trying to decide if I can put a tang in to my new 90 gallon. This was helpful. Reply
leyerin31 says December 31, 2019 at 3:57 pm Love the yellow tang. Maybe someday I’ll have a tank big enough for one. Reply
Luis Cosme says January 1, 2020 at 6:57 am Never own a tang due to the size of my current tank . But they seem to very important to a system. Reply
Alisa Tejeda says January 1, 2020 at 1:07 pm need need need tangs! I have to get a huge aquarium though Reply
Peyton Howington says January 1, 2020 at 5:47 pm Once I get a large tank I would love to have a tang! Reply
chereecarter says January 1, 2020 at 7:14 pm Was super excited to see this article, as tangs are my favorite. Might I suggest reaching out to Elliott at Premium Aquatics; the man is a tang whisperer with some incredible insight for both QT and husbandry. =) Reply
Eric Dickey says January 1, 2020 at 8:35 pm Captive breeding in saltwater is the way of the future! Excited to be around while the hobby is evolving in such a positive way Reply
Edgar Alvarez says January 1, 2020 at 9:37 pm Tangs look so much fun, I’ve never had one though. Reply
Victoria Brewer says January 1, 2020 at 11:12 pm Hope they will be successful in captive breeding more Tangs in 2020 Reply
chris peters says January 2, 2020 at 3:58 am Yellow tangs are to problematic for my tank, diseases, and the tang police? No thank you. Reply
chris peters says January 2, 2020 at 3:59 am Diseases, and the tang police? No yellow tangs for me. Reply
Waiz says January 2, 2020 at 6:00 am my tangs keep killing each other any way to avoid aggresion Reply
ainarm says January 2, 2020 at 8:19 am Just added a yellow to my tank yesterday. Trying to figure out the best way to supplement algae. Not sure if a clip, or one of the bracket things is better. Reply
Elizabeth Mack says January 2, 2020 at 12:28 pm Im afraid to get a Tang when I finally get a tank again and try salt because my husband will call it Dory no matter what color and say phrases from the movie, lol. Reply
Jonathan Dahl says January 2, 2020 at 8:42 pm Great article. I dont have a tank big enough for a tang, but one day… Reply
shackelford.jim says January 2, 2020 at 10:20 pm Hoping to add a blue tang to my set-up eventually. 🙂 Reply
Kaity says January 3, 2020 at 12:11 am I’ve actually never seen one of these fish in real life believe it or not. Probably because they need such a big tank. Awesome read!! Happy 2020 everyone!!! Reply
ddogusmc says January 3, 2020 at 1:03 pm I have a powder brown tang I love it but now I can’t add other tangs. Reply
Cole Goracke says January 3, 2020 at 2:38 pm My yellow tang is the most beautiful fish in my tank! Reply
pinckark11 says January 4, 2020 at 1:27 am Love the section on diseases. I hope to have a shoal of Yellow Tanks when my large tank is set up. Thank you! Reply
Wes&Abe says January 4, 2020 at 9:11 pm I was lucky enough to catch (see what I did there) an amazing deal. A local seafood restaurant was closing its doors and had a listing on Craigslist for “saltwater tanks and equipment for sale.” When I got there I was amazed to see a 160 tank with 8 yes 8 yellow tangs, a sailfin tang, and a clown that is way past his life expectancy. Their water quality was dismal at best. We had just purchased our LFS’s main display tank a few months prior (200 gallons). I doctored their water at the restaurant as I couldn’t take them for a couple more hours, they all perked right up!! I’m happy to report that all the fish from the restaurant and my orange spotted rabbit, and 13 chromis are very happy together. The fish from the restaurant tank were victims of a bad voltage leak at the restaurant. The sailfin no longer has his sail, but everyone is healthy and happy! GO TANGS!!!! Reply
kameronkh3 says January 5, 2020 at 1:24 am I haven’t gotten the chance to find my right tang due to tank sizing but I’ve always been super interested in the mimic tangs and the yellow/ blue eyed kole tangs! Personally they seem to have the most personality I’ve ever seen! Reply
oscar101802 says January 5, 2020 at 9:58 am I can’t wait to have my bigger tank so I can get one tang swimming around Reply
Amber Kolb says January 5, 2020 at 11:21 am I really want a powdered blue tang. Good to know that’s feisty against other tangs. Reply
art says January 5, 2020 at 12:43 pm love tangs just dont have a big enough tank to house one yet Reply
Judi A Mitzel says January 5, 2020 at 2:35 pm Goals! Someday I hope ti have a large enough tank for tangs Reply
Austin Savage says July 3, 2020 at 7:54 am Yellow tang is the first fish I fell in love with. One of the only reasons I started salt water. Reply
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