The one trait all tangs share is the sharp spine on either side of the body, at the base of the tail. These spines are sharp like a scalpel, and serve to give another common name: surgeonfish. The spines are used for defense purposes, as well as intimidation of other fish.
In general, you should keep one tang in an aquarium. The reason for this is tangs have a tendency to be aggressive towards other tangs, since they share the same diet and compete for food. If you have a larger aquarium of 75 or more gallons, it is possible to keep more than one. First, plan on an odd number of fish, say three for example. I would not reccommend trying more than that without a much larger aquarium of at least 300 gallons. Second, all the fish should be of similar size. Third, it is best to introduce all the tangs together (if possible). Lastly, you should make sure to keep all of the tangs well fed during the first few weeks after introductiuon. The more food a fish has in its belly, the less likely they are to squabble.
Purple tang (Zebrasoma xanthurum)
The purple tang is one of my favorite tangs. There are not many all (almost) purple fish in the ocean, and, as a species, are one of the hardiest tangs available. As is the case with any hardy fish, they tend to become more territorial as they get established in the tank. If you would like to have multiple tangs and want one to be a purple, I would suggest adding the purple tang last.
Blue eye tang
(Ctenochaetus binotatus)
The blue eye tang comes from a genus of tangs also known as bristletooths. The bristletooths are very effective at grazing diatom algae from live rock, as well as the glass of the aquarium. In general, bristletooths are much less aggressive as tangs go. That said, they will fight with other tangs of the same genus.
The blue eye tang comes from a genus of tangs also known as bristletooths. The bristletooths are very effective at grazing diatom algae from live rock, as well as the glass of the aquarium. In general, bristletooths are much less aggressive as tangs go. That said, they will fight with other tangs of the same genus.
Powder blue tang
(Acanthurus leucosternon)
The powder blue tang is always a favorite at aquarium shops. In its genus, the powder blue is one of the smaller tangs, but it still reaches a maximum size around nine inches. The powder blue does best with plenty of swimming room, and plenty of algae to graze on. If necessary, supplement its diet with dried seaweed, or nori.
Yellow tang (Z. flavescens)
The yellow tang adds a big splash of color to any aquarium. It is the first tang most people encounter in an aquarium store. They are collected and shipped in large numbers, and as a consequence, are relatively inexpensive. Slightly less aggressive than the purple tang, yellow tangs can be territorial nonetheless, especially after they have been well established in the tank.
Blue tang (Paracanthurus hepatus)
If you have a small child under the age of 10, then Dory from Disney's "Finding Nemo" should be all too familiar to you. One of the most beautiful tangs in the sea, some consider them a must have. There are color variants from the western Indian Ocean that have a yellow belly, and occasionally a stripe of red along the base of the dorsal fin.
Sohal tang (A. sohal)
Of all the tangs mentioned here, the sohal tang is by far the largest, reaching a maximum size just under 16 inches. A very hardy species, the sohal tang will need a lot of swimming room, with a tank of at least six feet in length as the starting point.
This is just a very small sampling of the tangs avaiable to our hobby. If you have any questions about other tangs, please do not hesitate to email me.
Thanks, Jason
