These fish are difficult to care for, for various reasons; however, if all their needs are met and a healthy specimen is acquired, they can do quite well. First and foremost, a very large tank is needed, which cannot be over emphasized! The tank should be mature, with plenty of algae growing, such as large filamentous and small fleshy macro algae. Whether it is a reef or fish only, sufficient lighting is needed to support their food. This fish should be purchased around 4- 5" or larger since smaller specimens are difficult to maintain.
Do not buy your juvenile with the thoughts of "upgrading" to a large tank later, since they grow very fast. The next challenge is the need for highly oxygenated water that is very clean. This is a challenge due to their large appetites and massive "output" typical of tangs.
The third challenge is that they are just mean, mean, mean and this limits the aquarists options as far as other tank mates. On top of that, Clown Tangs are not super hardy, have a dismal survival rate, and suffer during shipping.
These fish are aggressive in the wild and will kick the other fish's butts in captivity. Clown Tangs are VERY territorial with a male defending a very large territory that have several females. This really cannot be duplicated in the home aquarium since picking out males and females as juveniles is near impossible. Do not house with anything but large aggressive fish and avoid fish that are peaceful, have similar feeding habits and similar body shape.
Avoid housing with other tangs. While they may be fine as juveniles they will become very mean as adults. They have been known to eat crustaceans and large polyp stonies even if well fed. Plenty of rock work that provides growing surface for algae is recommended, however the top of the tank should have open swimming space due to their constant swimming habits.
Water movement should be strong, well oxygenated and clean. They swim at all levels, swim non-stop and do better in temperatures that are a little lower since there will be more oxygen. Ph should 8. One thing nice about this video is that we get such a good look at the Clown Tang! The beautiful multicolor stripes, white belly and lemony yellow fins! These are wonderful tangs with high energy, needing a tank that is at least gallons that is highly oxygenated and very clean!
These tangs are for experts only due to their need to be in a very clean tank with serious water movement and filtration that can rival their massive output of poo! The Marshall Islands Clown Tang has a different coloring. The Clown Tang or Lined Tang, Acanthurus lineatus, comes in various color morphs depending on location. This beautiful fish is from Sri Lanka and has much more blue and what looks like even green and orange in their coloring which is different from the yellow and blue Marshall Island variant.
If you have a gallon tank or larger with great filtration, low nitrates, serious oxygenation, and you are an expert aquarist, I highly suggest picking one up! The basket is used for several days to acquaint the fish with others in the tank and make sure it is feeding properly before adding to the main display. They have quite a few common names, all of which describe their physical appearance.
The names, Clown Tang and Lined Surgeonfish, are probably the most common. Acanthurus is Greek for "thorn tail," and lineatus is the species loosely named after Mr. These tangs are found in the surge zones of exposed seaward reefs and will form schools to spawn and can be found from 3 to 10 feet 1 to 3 meters mainly feeding on benthic weeds and algae of various genus including Caulerpa, Cladophora, Codium, Dictyota, Jania, Laurencia, Padina, Polysiphonia, Sphacelaria, and Turbinaria; although, other algae may be eaten.
They have been observed eating small crustaceans and large polyp stony corals in captivity, although they are generally herbivores. Juveniles are solitary. Adult males usually are solitary and have a large territory with several females; however, the Clown Tang will come together in large groups to spawn. The Clown Tang does inhabit protected areas, which keeps their population size acceptable; although, some heavily fished areas have seen a decline in numbers.
Description The Clown Tang has a deep oval shaped body, with minute scales and a deep crescent shaped tail fin, as an adult. Their horizontal stripes are bright yellow, which are contrasted by blue stripes that are outlines in a thin dark blue to black edging.
The fins have the yellow and blue striping; however, the color is more subtle, which gives the fins a greenish hue. The pectoral fins are clearish and their belly is a pale grayish white to grayish blue. Their caudal fin area houses larger than average scalpels; which are venomous.
Juveniles are similar to adults. Females of the Acanthurus genus are larger than males, with females reaching 15" 38 cm and males are closer to 9. This means low nutrient levels of nitrate and phosphate and definitely no trace of ammonia or nitrite — so a well established tank is a must!
There are a couple of ways to maintaining low levels of nitrate and phosphate by either using GFO products, which can be pricy or use a much cheaper method — Vodka Dosing! Bacteria use Vodka as a carbon source to breakdown nitrates and phosphates aerobically.
An efficient protein skimmer is required to complete the process. They appreciate moderate water movement as well as a well established aquarium with excellent water quality; strong biological and mechanical filtration is recommended with the addition of an efficient protein skimmer. They are known to become territorial as they mature and can display aggressive behavior towards their tank mates. It's not recommended to house them with other Clown Tangs, but they can coexist relatively peacefully with heterospecifics; other tank mates often include angelfish and other tang species as well as other aggressive or community oriented fish.
Not many species will bother them due to their mature size and the presence of their caudal spines. Because of their sharp spines, it's not recommended to net this species as they can become stuck and may become injured or stressed they can also shred the net to pieces ; they can be coaxed into a collection cup by using a flattened net which can also be used to cover the cup once contained if the need arises. Forum : Tang Forum. Site References : Fishbase Wikipedia.
Toggle navigation. Scientific Name : Acanthurus lineatus Common Names : Blue lined surgeonfish, Blue banded surgeonfish, Striped surgeonfish, Oriental surgeonfish Care Level : Moderate to Difficult given their dismal survival rates and tank size requirements. Life span : 10 years, likely longer Size : 12 - 14 inches plus 36 cm pH : 8 - 8.
Tank Region : All over Gender : Difficult to determine, but the female may be larger than males of the same age. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. November version.
Michael, S. Zanclus cornutus Moorish Idol One of the toughest saltwater fish to keep in an aquarium due to transport difficulties and diet.
These idols are very expensive and only recommended for the most advanced hobbyists if at all. We would serve them better to leave them on the reef until we can develop better aquarium foods. Naso lituratus Naso Tang One of the larger tangs, this fish needs at least a gallon tank and the Naso Tang needs to be fed frequently with brown macro algae.
Acanthurus olivaceus Orange Shoulder Tang Needs a larger tank gallons at least! Needs to be fed dried or fresh marine origin algae on a regular basis. From: Jake I have a gallon aquarium and can vouch for them needing a large tank. I feel guilty just keeping the one I have in my tank.
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