Tangs
Tangs generally feed on algae, though there are a few carnivorous species. Most tangs will not tolerate other fish the same color and/or shape as them. They have a spine on their tails that can cut open other fish and unprotected hands. All tangs should be given plenty of swimming room; try to have at least a 4' tank. Contrary to popular belief they will tolerate smaller (4' to 5') tanks just fine but tend to live better in larger tanks, over 5'.
Acanthurus achilles is a tropical fish with the common names Achilles Tang and Achilles surgeonfish. Unfortunately, the Achilles Tang has a poor survival rate when kept in captivity. They are not for the inexperienced aquarist. However, if you are a more experienced saltwater aquarist, you might think about keeping an Achilles. They are peaceful aquarium inhabitants and will rarely bother their tankmates. Just about the only exception is when kept with other Tangs/Surgeonfish, particularly of their own species. Then they will become aggressive towards the other Tang. They are reef-safe, and can be kept with any invertebrates. Also, they shouldn't be kept in a tank under 100 gallons. The Achilles Tang (and all Tangs, for that matter) needs plenty of swimming room. Possible tankmates include Clownfish, Blennies, Gobies, Chromis, Butterflyfish, and small Lionfish and Eels.
The manini (Acanthurus triostegus) is a small surgeonfish about 5 inches (130 mm) long. It is yellow with black stripes on its side like a zebra. Its resemblance to a prisoner’s uniform gave it the nicknames of convict surgeonfish and convict tang. Manini is one of the favorite food fishes found everywhere in shallow waters around the islands of Samoa and the Hawaiian islands. Like alogo (Acanthurus lineatus), the manini belong to the family of surgeonfishes, because of their sharp blades by their tail fin. Even though they have this weapon, they do not use it much.
Manini often swim in huge schools of thousands. There are two reasons why they have such huge schools. First, It helps them escape predators. When a large fish attacks a school of manini, they scatter like an explosion. This move confuses the predator and the manini get away. Each manini then has another chance at life if they stay with the group. Second, the manini also use their schooling behavior for food. They like to feed on thin algae which is fiercely guarded by alogo and damselfishes. Just the sight of manini get the alogo fired up. A single manini would not even stand a chance against these predators but a group can succeed. When the alogo chases one manini, the rest of them eat the alogo’s garden of algae.
The Red Sea sailfin tang or Desjardin's sailfin tang (Zebrasoma desjardinii) is a marine reef tang in the fish family Acanthuridae. They originate in the lagoons and reefs of the Indian Ocean from the southern Red Sea to KwaZulu-Natal Province in South Africa and as far east as India and Java. They may live at water depths of 2 - 30 m (6.5 - 100 ft) or more. The fish grow to a maximum length of 40 cm (16 in).
Red Sea sailfin tangs natively live in a tropical climate and prefer saltwater with a specific gravity of 1.020 - 1.025, a pH between 8.1 and 8.4 and an ideal temperature range of 22 - 26 C (72 - 78 F).
The fish are pair spawners, a typical trait of other fish in the Zebrasoma genus. This differs from the group spawning typical of the Acanthuridae family. The juvenile fish live in the inner reef areas.
Paracanthurus hepatus, commonly known as the regal tang, is an average-sized colorful reef fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae.. A popular fish in marine aquaria, it is the only member of the genus Paracanthurus.[1][2] A number of common names has been attributed to the species, including but not limited to palette surgeonfish, blue tang (leading to easy confusion with the Atlantic Acanthurus coeruleus), hippo tang, flagtail surgeonfish and the blue surgeonfish.
The regal tang is found readily in most aquarium stores. As juveniles, they require an aquarium of at least 40 gallons, but as adults, will require at least a 70 gallon tank. They will eat many frozen fish foods such as mysids and krill. Adults will also nibble on algae and nori. As with most tangs, having more than one in a small aquarium can cause stress, which can lead to injury from fighting.
The Kole Tang or Spotted surgeonfish, Ctenochaetus strigosus, is a marine reef tang in the fish family Acanthuridae. Which is endemic to Oceana. It grows to 5.7 inches (14.6 cm) in the wild. Its a brown color with light blue to yellow horizontal stripes over its body which change into spots towards the face. It also has a vividly yellow area surrounding the eye, sometimes leading to it being known as the yellow eyed kole tang.
The Orange Shoulder Tang is a very overlooked fish. Its colors are not very bright, but with the brownish-olive two tone coloration accented by the bright orange bar on its shoulder, it is actually a very beautiful fish to have in an aquarium. The body of this fish during its juvenile stage is bright yellow, lacking the orange spot which develops as it matures.
Because of its size and constant roaming nature, the minimum aquarium size suggested for this fish is 135 gallons. As long as the aquarium is large enough a juvenile and an adult may be kept together. It is generally compatible with other non-aggressive tank mates, but if plans are to keep this species with other Surgeonfishes, it is recommended to add this fish first, or if of the same species, place them in the aquarium at the same time.
Acanthurus leucosternon is a tropical fish with the common names powder blue tang and Powderblue surgeonfish. The powder blue tang is light blue with yellow and white highlighted fins. Its face is a uniform black with a white outline. The fish does not undergo color changes as it matures, as some tangs, surgeonfish and unicornfish do. The species can grow to a maximum length of 25cm.
The Sailfin Tang (Zebrasoma veliferum) is a marine reef tang in the fish family Acanthuridae. They may live at water depths of 1 - 60 m (3 - 200 ft) or more. The fish grow to a maximum length of 40 cm (15.8 in). Zebrasoma veliferum has an extensive range throughout Oceania, the Indian Ocean, and the South Pacific. Zebrasoma veliferum is a popular fish in the aquarium trade. They are herbivorous fish specializing in filamentous algae.
The Scopas Tang or Twotone Tang (Zebrasoma scopas) is a marine reef tang in the fish family Acanthuridae. They may live at water depths of 1 - 60 m (3 - 200 ft) or more. The fish grow to a maximum length of 40 cm (15.8 in). Zebrasoma scopas is found in throughout Oceania. Zebrasoma scopas is a highly popular fish in the aquarium trade. They are herbivorous fish specializing in filamentous algae.
The sohal surgeonfish or sohal tang, Acanthurus sohal, is a Red Sea endemic which grows to 16 inches in the wild. Its striking blue and white horizontal stripes has made it what many consider the 'poster fish' for the Red Sea reef environment. It is a valued aquarium fish.
Like other tangs, the sohal tang is compressed laterally, making it extremely maneuverable and fast along the reef. It has a horizontal, blade-like spine along the base of the tail on both sides, which folds into the fish, pointing anteriorly towards the head. During defense and aggression, tangs flick the spine at other fish or intruders, causing physical harm. The surgeonfish are named for this scalpel-like spine.
Its primary diet consists mostly of vegetable matter but occasionally includes the flesh of other animals. Sohal tangs have been known to nip at clam mantles and soft large-polyp and small-polyp stony corals.
Its range includes all reef environments in the Red Sea, up to at least 90 feet in depth. It is one of the most aggressive tangs, and combined with its large size for a tang, is a dominant fish along the Red Sea reef.
Yellow tang are in the surgeonfish family. Adult fish can grow to 20 centimeters (approximately 7 to 8 inches) in length, and 1 to 2 centimeters (roughly .5 to .75 inches) in thickness. Adult males tend to be larger than females. All individuals of this species are bright daffodil yellow in color. At night, the yellow colouring fades slightly and a prominent brownish patch develops in the middle with a horizontal white band. They rapidly resume their solid bright yellow color with daylight.
They have an arrow-like shape due to their dorsal and ventral fins being almost an extension to their bodies, and a long snout-like mouth used (as with other tangs) to eat the algae off rocks. They also have a sharp spine located near their tail. They have become a popular fish for marine aquarists of all skill levels, as the fish tends to be active, hardy, and nonaggressive when kept with dis-similar species.
The Yellowfin surgeonfish or Cuvier's Surgeonfish is one of the species of saltwater sea fish that change color as they get older. This peculiarity often leads to confusion when determining the membership of a species of fish, young individuals and adults of the species having been classified as belonging to a different species. With the arrival of aquariums and the development of coral reef fish farming systems, specialists noticed that some of these fish, known with two or more scientific names, were actually all members of the same species. Only recently have zoologists begun to reveal the secret of their metamorphosis.