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FAQs about the Powder Brown and White Cheek Tangs Compatibility
Related Articles: Powder Brown Surgeonfishes,
Genus Acanthurus, Naso,
Related FAQs: Powder Brown Tangs 1,Powder
Brown Tangs 2, & FAQs on: Powder Brown
Tangs Identification, Powder Brown
Tangs Behavior, Powder Brown Tangs
Selection, Powder Brown Tangs Systems,
Powder Brown Tangs Feeding, Powder
Brown Tangs Disease, Powder Brown
Tangs Reproduction, & Acanthurus, Acanthurus
Tangs 2, Acanthurus
Tangs 3, Acanthurus ID,
Acanthurus Behavior, Acanthurus
Compatibility, Acanthurus Selection,
Acanthurus Systems, Acanthurus
Feeding, Acanthurus Disease,
Acanthurus Reproduction, Surgeons
In General, Tang ID,
Tang Behavior,
Compatibility, Systems,
Feeding, Disease, |
 |
Acanthuroid comp., beh. – 08/04/09
I have a powder brown tang along with the Foxface that inhabit my 75
gallon. Are the two compatible?
<About half the time>
I put them together thinking they were. Also, my tang keeps on
scratching on the sand surface and hasn't shown any ich outbreak. Why is
he doing this?
<Most fish (species, individuals) do scratch a bit, Surgeonfishes more
than most. BobF>
Acanthurus japonicus/Compatibility 7/23/09
Dear WWM Crew,
<Angela>
You guys and gals are the best! I love the website and know that years
and years of work have gone into it. Thanks!
<Glad you enjoy.>
The word "reef-safe" is thrown around a lot and I was curious to know
your opinion regarding it and Acanthurus japonicus. I LOVE this species
and have researched it's needs extensively. I would like to add one to
my 110 gallon mixed reef. The only other fishes are 4 Blue Chromis. My
research has led
me to believe that most Tangs truly are "reef-safe", at least in medium
to large sized systems but some species like Sohals and Clown Tangs may
very well not be safe with inverts. I was browsing Live Aquaria today
and noticed that Acanthurus japonicus is labeled "Reef-safe, with
caution". No other source I've seen has stated this and this concerns me
because Live Aquaria (IMO) is usually pretty accurate with their species
information. In your experience, is this species capable of sampling
corals?
<They do not actually eat corals, problems can develop when algae is
allowed to grow on or near corals, and as grazer's, the fish will try
and consume it. Keeping well fed with an algae diet should curb any
potential problems.
You may want to read compatibility FAQ's here.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/powbrntgcomp.htm>
Thank you!
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Angela
Re: Tang Compatibility 1/17/09
Thank you very much James for
the response to my questions.
<You're welcome, Gordon.>
I will
pass on the Japonicus.
<Good move. A larger tank than yours is also
beneficial for long term success with this fish. Something to think
about down the road.>
My Kole Tang is a character and a professional
beggar when I enter the room. He is currently 5 inches long.
<Sounds
good.>
I will have the wife refer to your response to my coral
question. Coral compatibility is a big concern as was my lighting.
Thanks for saving me heartache and money!!!
<Glad to be of service as
I've been down that road a few times and lost plenty of jing. If I were
to attempt to keep a Powder Brown/Blue, I personally, would use nothing
smaller than a 180 gallon tank.
James (Salty Dog)>
Gordon
Japonicus tang, trouble maker
Dear Bob,
Our japonicus-Goldrim
tang keeps nipping at our Goniopora, will it be the same with all other
japonicus as we are thinking of exchange him for a smaller one? (if I
manage to catch him) any tips on how to catch a large tank in this reef
system?
I've sent you pic of our tank, have we placed many things in
the wrong spot? thanks for all your precious help.
<You might have
luck training all your tangs to come to the surface to a "veggie clip"
of irresistible human-intended dried algae (like a strip of Nori)...
leaving a plastic covered net in place all the while... till they
ignored its presence (over a few days time usually)... catching the
offendi, by driving it with another net, uplifting the "permanent one"
under it>
My favorite little fishy hiding in the Acropora, he is
really small and was extremely thin when we got him, but with several
daily feedings with a syringe, he's just as healthy looking as the
others and already very territorial. I have never quarantined any of my
fish and I'm amazed that all tangs get on so well, though the "Goldrim
and Achilles seem to enjoy the usual catch tail-in a circle-dance every
now and then. We've had the Achilles for a record breaking 6 months, it
must be due to our new large set up. We did lose a couple in our smaller
system, ARGHHH when ich attacks! ALL THE BEST! Stef.
<Thank you for
sharing. Bob Fenner>
PB Tang ... just don't call him "late for dinner"
Hello Bob?
<Hello>
Could you please answer an important question for me?
<Will try>
I just purchased a true powder brown tang (Acanthurus
japonicus)
<Mmm, actually... A. nigricans is "the" powder
brown... please see here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/GoldRimSs.htm>
and he is in my
65g FOWLR with 65lbs of live rock, a dwarf angel, percula clown, 2
Chromis, fairy wrasse and a bunch of hermit crabs and few
snails. My powder brown is almost 5 inches and is VERY healthy with
good coloring. He constantly changes colors.
Meaning, his
body which is sometimes deep chocolate brown, changes to real light,
almost sheer brown, is this normal?
<Yes... to some extent...
should be darker most of the time however>
What is the reason
for this happening.
<Perhaps adaptive coloration (Mullerian
mimicry), camouflage... maybe a form of communication ("stay away
from me, I'm upset, sick as in not good to eat")...>
I just put
the tang in my tank four days ago, so he is still getting
acclimated. Is my tank big enough for him?
<Not really...
should be much larger, at least twice this size>
I would like
to know ASAP if I should remove him from my tank and give him back
to the pet store so I don't harm this animal and he doesn't get too
stressed. Thank you so much!!!
Mike
<Do you have plans for
a larger tank... soon? This is a good to better species of
surgeonfish for aquarium use... but does need larger quarters. Bob
Fenner> White Cheek Tang II
Hello, I have a
question for you regarding a powder brown tang (Acanthurus
japonicus). I have a fairy wrasse (Cirrhilabrus solorensis) who has
been in my tank for three months and the powder brown tang I just
put in two days ago constantly chases him and beats him up. Do you
know what the reason could be for this, considering that the tang
has NO established territory and was put in the tank way after the
wrasse? Everywhere I have researched before I purchased this tang
mentioned nothing about it being aggressive if being the last fish
introduced to the tank.
<Hmmm, that's not entirely
true. Virtually all of the Acanthurus spp. surgeonfish can be
aggressive to other like bodied fish. It is very odd that it's
choosing to pester the fairy wrasse though. How big is your tank?>
de to add another fish in the tank, is he going to be aggressive
with them?
<Probably. Sometimes a territorial fight will just
settle down after a few days/week, sometimes not, sometimes they get
worse.> The wrasse is the only fish out of 7 that the tang
bothers. Also, on your WetWebMedia web site, you state that the
(Chaetodon Collare) butterfly fish is a tough fish......"in
general." Does the "in general" mean that some live and some don't?
<I'm not personally very familiar with this fish, but this is the
general consensus, yes.>
Or does it mean that most live in
captivity and they're easy to keep? I would just like to have your
brief opinion on this before I spend the money for it?
Thanks a
lot,
Brett
<Hope this helps, Matt> White Cheek Tang
III
Thank you Matt. My tank is 65g FOWLR with 70 lbs. of
live rock. Is my tank big enough to accommodate this tang
(Acanthurus japonicus)?
<Not really>
If not, what is the
maximum size this fish can grow until I have to move him to a larger
tank?
<Is psychologically stressed at any size>
He is also changing color VERY often, he's lighter brown far more
than he is darker brown?
<Not a good thing>
Could this be
happening because my tank isn't big enough (keeping in mind he's
only been in my tank for four days so far)?
<Yes, a contributing
factor>
What color is this tang's natural color, the darker
brown or the lighter brown?
<Darker>
Thanks so much,
Brett
<Bob Fenner> Ongoing A. japonicus review
Thank you Matt. My tank is 65g FOWLR with 70 lbs. of live rock. Is
my tank big enough to accommodate this tang (Acanthurus japonicus)?
<Not in my opinion, at least not when full grown. This would also
explain the aggression between the tang and the wrasse.>
If
not, what is the maximum size this fish can grow until I have to
move him to a larger tank?
<Hmmm, good question. I would err on
the side of caution here. But it sounds like he (or the wrasse)
might need to be moved soon if things don't change.>
He is also
changing color VERY often, he's lighter brown far more than he is
darker brown? Could this be happening because my tank isn't big
enough (keeping in mind he's only been in my tank for four days so
far)? What color is this tang's natural color, the darker brown or
the lighter brown?
<Surgeonfish (and lots of others) will change
colors in response to light, mood, feeding, all sorts of
things. It's hard to say why it's doing it. Your best bet to see
the 'natural' color is to look at some online pics, or you could
attach us a pic if you can.>
Thanks so much,
Brett
<No
prob! Glad to help,
Matt.> |
White- faced tang attacks
Hi everyone, I have a quick question
regarding my white- faced tang, Acanthurus japonicus. I have had my 72
gal tank setup for well over a year now. I have about 90 lbs. of Tonga
branch rock, a remora pro skimmer, a HOB refugium, and all water param.s
test fine. Up until about a week ago, the only inhabitant of the tank
was a bird wrasse. She/he was doing fine. I initially bought the wrasse
as a she, blackbird, and it seems that she is attempting to turn into a
male specimen. Now she is about half the color of a female with blue and
green fins.
<Neat>
Some days she is more blue than others. She has
been like this for about 3 or 4 months. Last week I received two
additional fish to add to my tank, a Lemonpeel Angel and a Powder Brown
Tang Acanthurus japonicus. Everything was going fine when I initially
put the fish in. I noticed that the tang had a slight scratch on his
side a few days later, which I assumed was from accidentally running
into a rock while exploring my tank. When I woke up this morning I found
the tang following my Bird Wrasse around, which I thought was cute. I
was wrong. I quickly noticed that the tang would get along side the
wrasse and attack him/her with his spurs. After a few times of doing
this the wrasse would nip back, which accounts for the scratches on the
tang. The tang is acting very aggressive to my wrasse, chasing him/her
all around. I have not read about this sort of behavior, considering
that the wrasse has been in the tank for over a year and is twice the
size of the tang. The tang is about 3-4 inches and the wrasse is about
7-8 inches. Do you have any suggestions as to what is going on with
these two inhabitants?
<Testing each other out>
The Lemonpeel
angel is doing fine, neither fish is bothering him.
<Too small, fast
to dive into the rock work>
Do you have any solutions to this
problem? I would like to curb this aggression as soon as possible. Thank
you for all the help your site has given me.
<The easiest (wait till
you try and catch it...) approach is to separate the tang... in a
floating plastic colander (pasta strainer) for a few to several days in
the tank... this will likely "calm it down". Adding other fishes will
also serve to distribute/dissipate aggression. Bob Fenner>
Adding More Fish...Yikes 11/14/07
I have a
72 bow front. I have a Blue Tang, Powder Brown Tang, and a Maroon
Clown in there right now. What other fish would you suggest to put
in there?
<None, I don't know how large the tangs are, but both
of these fish will require a larger system than you have, especially
the Powder Brown Tang.>
All three of them are doing very well.
They never fight and they always swim together. They have been
together for about 8 months.
<Good to hear the Powder Brown has
been around that long. Not an easy fish to keep.>
I'm trying my
luck at polyps. I want to add one more fish that will not eat the
polyps and get along with my Powder Brown. I had a Yellow Tang in my
other tank, which I tried to put in my 72. The Powder Brown attacked
him
<Normal behavior for this fish.>
so I put the yellow back
in my 46g.
<Too small a tank for this fish.>
This is what my
system has. One hundred pounds of live rock, protein skimmer, 220w
VHO (switching to 4x54w T5),150g wet/dry, 18w UV light. I check my
tank every week and all levels are good. I also have 15 hermit
crabs, 2 green crabs, and 4 sand snails.
<Bill, I would not add
anymore fish, especially with the Blue Tang and Powder Brown in
there. You need to seriously think of going to a larger tank the
maintain the luck you now have with the Powder Brown Tang. Do read
here and linked files above for more information.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/GoldRimSs.htm
James (Salty Dog)>
Mail... sys.
11/14/07
Bob,
<James>
I answered a query regarding
adding more fish. I directed the querier to this link.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/GoldRimSs.htm
In reading this, under
"Display", you said a minimum of a 50 gallon tank is required. Kind
of small for one of these guys, isn't it?
Maybe it should be
worded as to the size of the tang going into the 50.
Regards,
James
<Will post your note. Much of WWM is "olde"... this piece
likely more than 15 years. Cheers, BobF> |
Fish Compatibility/Choices…Bully Gold-Rim Tang – 01/03/08
Hello,
<<Howdy>>
I wrote around 4 months ago and got some
great advice.
<<I’m glad you are pleased>>
I need your help
again.
<<Okay>>
I copied our last correspondence to get you
caught up (see below):
<<Great! Thank you for this>>
==============================================
Long term with
this Butterfly fish which species makes sense to introduce next:
Trigger, Angel (love the Regal, but my LFS says absolutely NO),
Puffer, Hawkfish, Wrasse, Tang (love the Powder Blue but hear it is
hard to keep). Suggestions?
<<Hmm, were this me maybe a Christmas
Wrasse (Halichoeres ornatissimus or another Halichoeres species
assuming a suitably deep and fine substrate is available), a
Longnose Hawkfish (Oxycirrhites typus), a Gold-Rimmed Tang
(Acanthurus japonicus)? and not to be confused with the much less
aquarium hardy Acanthurus nigricans), and finally, a Picasso
Triggerfish (Rhinecanthus aculeatus, or one of the other
Rhinecanthus species)? introduced in the order listed and leaving
the Angel and the Puffer to a larger system elsewhere>>
Thank you
again for your continued advice,
Scott B.
<<Happy to share.
Eric Russell>>
================================================
<<Ah yes…I do recall this exchange>>
I still have the Auriga
butterfly (very healthy thank you!), Gold-Rimmed tang and Picasso.
All are doing good. I tried introducing a Christmas Wrasse into the
tank (120 Gal), but he was bullied by the tang to the point of near
death (my LFS was happy to take him back and nurse him back to
health).
<<Mmm, strange… Ideally the wrasse would have been
introduced first, but even so, I am surprised the tang would show so
much interest towards the wrasse… Another example of the
“individuality” of fishes I suppose>>
The three fish are living
together well, but I still want other fish. Do you have any
suggestions of another family of fish to add?
<<A small group of
Anthiines would provide some color/interest and “shouldn’t” incur
the wrath of the tang… One of the hardier species
preferably…Bartlett’s Anthias (Pseudanthias bartlettorum) or the
Lyretail Anthias (Pseudanthias squamipinnis). I’m thinking a group
of five of the smaller Bartlett or three of the larger Lyretail. You
might also consider one of the “dwarf” angels (Centropyge spp.). My
all-time fave is C. loricula, the Flame Angel. But rather than me
trying to guess what you might like…have a look around at what you
think you might want…research their compatibility, environmental
requirements, etc….and write back to me with your shortlist of
choices and we’ll go from there if you like>>
Thanks in advance,
Scott B.
<<Happy to share. EricR>>
Re: Fish Compatibility/Choices…Bully Gold-Rim Tang ? 01/04/08
Eric,
<<Hello Scott>>
Thanks again for your guidance.
<<Always welcome>>
I was happy to see you recommend C. loricula,
the Flame Angel!
<<A gorgeous and hardly little fish>>
I
initially wanted an angel of some sort in my mix, however, did not
think the dwarfs were a good choice.
<<Under the right
circumstances, many are excellent aquarium inhabitants>>
For some
reason I thought they had a high mortality rate.
<<There are some
that are more sensitive/delicate than others (e.g. – C. bicolor),
but most will fare well if they make it through the stress of
capture and transport…and will feed>>
The Flame will fit right
into the feed style of the tank (Mysid, Brine, Glass worms, & algae
clips).
<<Ah yes…and ample live rock on which to “browse”>>
I
do like the color of the Bartlett's Anthias as well; I also like the
Bicolor as well.
As long as the Bartlett’s do not get unduly
hassled they are nearly bulletproof…the Bicolor is another matter as
mentioned…and not a good choice to mix with the Flame>>
However,
after researching a bit, I think the next logical choice is the
Flame Angel.
<<Excellent>>
The Bartlett worries me because my
Pocket Expert Guide (Scott Michael) states this fish will acclimate
well to captivity so long as there are no aggressive or highly
competitive fishes.
<<Agreed, on the “aggressive” part if the
aggression manifests as chasing/continuous harassment…but as far as
the “competitive” issue is concerned, the little fishes can scrap
for food with the best of them. I have five tangs and two always
hungry Rabbitfish in my 375, and my Bartlett’s always manage to get
their “fair share”>
At this point, I consider my Gold-Rimmed Tang
(aka Charlie the brute) aggressive so maybe not a good choice.
<<Like I eluded before… Unless this tang is displaying abnormal
social aggression, it should hardly “notice” the Anthiines>>
If
my next fish is the Flame, are there any acclimation tips/tricks,
considering the potential hostile environment?
<<I am still a fan
of the old “float’em” technique. Though no guarantee, if the tang is
pre-disposed to harassing the angel it should show interest at the
site of it in the bag>>
I heard I could keep the Gold-Rimmed busy
with a picture of his likeness on the tank.
<<Or a mirror>>
I
also heard that introducing two fish at the same time would minimize
the hostility.
<<If the tang is this much of a problem with any
species introduced…I would get rid of/replace the tang (yeah…easier
said than done)>>
Thanks again,
Scott B.
<<Cheers mate!
EricR>> |
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