Tangs are a must for many hobbyists. They are a sort of staple fish when it comes to stocking an aquarium. Just as everyone has to have some sort of clownfish, most hobbyists want to have some sort of tang in their aquarium. There are many different species of tangs some of which are very different from each other in both shape and appearance.

 

Tangs are not the easiest fish to care for, but they are not the most difficult either. Although probably not the right choice for a first fish for a beginner, new hobbyists can certainly keep tangs successfully, depending on the species of course. Most Tangs originate from somewhere in the Pacific ocean, mostly around Indonesia and Fiji. However, some species are found along the coasts of Africa and in the Red Sea. Although tangs vary a lot in size, shape, and color, they generally have large oval shape bodies with some degree of flaring dorsal and anal fins. They are typically vibrant fish and are known for their active, almost brash behavior.

 

 

Tangs require a bit more care than some other fish, but it is well worth it. Whether you are a beginner or experienced hobbyists, you will feel confident in your ability to keep a tang in no time.

Tangs are not particularly picky when it comes to parameters and they can withstand some change. Although, it is best to keep your aquarium's parameters as stable as possible to avoid stress. Tangs are highly susceptible to disease, especially when they are stressed. They are infamous for getting a parasite called Ich, which we will talk about more later. You have to be able to feed your tangs properly, provide the proper care, and give them the right environment to ensure that they don't get stressed. Stress is the major reason tangs get diseases.

When it comes to diet, tangs are primarily herbivores. They will, however, eat meaty foods such as brine shrimp and mysis shrimp. If not fed enough herbivore food, tangs will become malnourished and be even more susceptible to disease. You will also notice that their color is not as vibrant. The most common way to feed tangs is with dried nori on an algae clip. There are other magnetic feeding apparatuses that work as well. There is a variety of different herbivore foods available to the saltwater aquarium hobby similar to nori. Another option is to feed macroalgae from your refugium. Dried nori is simply a form of macroalgae that has been dried. Why not feed your tangs macroalgae from your refugium if you already have it? If not, consider getting some macroalgae, as it helps keep the water clean while also providing a food option for your fish.

How about tank size? When beginner hobbyists are considering getting a tang, the first thing they often wonder is if their aquarium is large enough. This is a difficult subject to give a specific answer to because it depends on your bio load (how many fish the aquarium can handle without getting polluted), and it depends on the specific tang. Tangs vary a lot in size. Some may only need a 60 gallon aquarium, while others need nearly 200 gallons. Be sure to research on the specific tangs you plan on getting.

One of the most important aspects of keeping a tang is tank mates. Tangs are proud fish. They can become aggressive with their territory and during feeding time. Generally, tangs only have serious issues with other tangs. They won't often pick fights with other fish unless the other fish is making it feel threatened, which most fish won't do. However, when it comes to other tangs, things can get heated. The general rule is to not keep tangs that have a similar shape or color together. For example, keeping two Yellow Tangs is probably a bad idea. A Powder Blue Tang will probably not get a long with a Powder Brown Tang because they have a very similar shape. It is possible to keep similarly colored and shaped tangs together, but it tends to end poorly. On the other hand, keeping a Yellow Tang with a Bristletooth Tang without them ripping each other up is highly possible. They may chase each other around from time to time, but it will not usually get to any severe degree. Something else to consider is that some tang species are more aggressive than others. For example, Powder Blue Tangs are notoriously aggressive, while Yellow Tangs are more moderate. If you want to keep multiple tangs in one aquarium, the key thing is to add them at the same time. Adding the tangs at different times will cause one tang to become more territorial over its space.

 

Tangs need a lot of green food in order to be healthy. You can buy nori or herbivore preparation for fish, but you also have the option to feed your tangs macroalgae. Macroalgae is a great way to meet your tangs' dietary needs because it removes unwanted nutrients from the water along with providing food. How do you keep macroalgae to feed tangs? Well, the first thing you need to understand is that not all macroalgae will be accepted by fish to eat. For example, chaeto will be completely rejected by tangs. Sea lettuce, on the other hand, is an amazing food source for tangs. This macroalgae sucks up nutrients making it very high in nutritional value. Although sea lettuce is arguably the best for feeding tangs, other species will be accepted as well.

 

To grow macroalgae, add it to the refugium section of your sump or filtration. Provide an ample light source and wait for the macroalgae to grow. When the macroalgae grows double its original size or more, you can cut clippings off of it to feed your fish. The idea is to take little bits leaving around a quarter to half of the macroalgae to regrow, depending on how large it is. This way it will continually remove nutrient from your tank and provide food for your fish.

You can feed macroalgae the same way you would feed other herbivore preparations: on some sort of clip. You can use a rubber band to secure the macroalgae to a rock. Watch to make sure that your tangs are eating the macroalgae. If you notice they are not eating it, you can try moving it to a different part of the tank. If that doesn't work, you may need to try a different macroalgae. While most tangs will eat the macroalgae listed above, they can have a liking for some species more than others.

 

 

As we established before, Tangs are prone to Ich. They are notorious for getting it and dying from it. There are some things you can do to prevent Ich and things you can do to treat it.

First, let's talk about some preventive measures your can take. The most crucial thing you can do to prevent an Ich outbreak in your aquarium is quarantine all fish before adding them to the main display. A quarantine tank is a separate system that is completely disconnected from the main tank. It should have its own set of tools and accessories; nothing that touches the water of the quarantine tank should be used on the main tank. When you first get a tang, put it in your quarantine tank. Then, inspect it for any disease. It can have disease without it showing, so you need to wait about a week or so to be sure. During this time, you can dose copper into the quarantine tank just to be safe. If the fish is clear of ich, it can be dipped in freshwater, then added to the main display. If any diseases become apparent, then it needs to be treated with copper for one to two weeks. This process needs to happen for most fish you plan on adding to your aquarium (the reason it is "most" fish and not all fish is copper is deadly to some fish).That way, if you get a fish with Ich, it won't infect your other fish.

To treat a fish that his Ich that has already been put in your display. You have a few options. First, you can try putting it and any other fish with signs of infection into quarantine. If you can't remove the fish, you can dose the whole system with a reef safe Ich treatment if your aquariums has any corals or inverts. The tricky thing is getting Ich out of your system. It is possible to run a system with Ich in it as long as you ensure your fish are healthy, but if you want to remove the Ich completely, you will have to take at all the fish for a long amount of time. This will starve the Ich and kill all of it.