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FAQs about the Sohal Tang Selection
Related Articles: Sohal Surgeonfish,
Genus Acanthurus, Naso,
Related FAQs: Sohal Tangs 1,
Sohal Tangs 2, & FAQs on: Sohal Tang
Identification, Sohal Tang
Behavior, Sohal Tang Compatibility,
Sohal Tang Systems, Sohal Tang Feeding,
Sohal Tang Disease, Sohal Tang
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, |
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Sohal Tang
Hello and thank you
for always responding to my questions. I changed over to a 135 gallon
tank a while back and I want to add a new fish. Currently, I have a
large emperor angel (7-8 inches), a clown trigger, purple tang , green
bird wrasse and a fire clown. I was going to add an Atlantic Blue Tang,
but FFExpress was out of them and did not expect anymore soon, so I
purchased a Sohal Tang. I had read some information about this fish and
I figured it would probably by ok since all my other fish are rather
aggressive in nature. However, today I read some accounts saying sohal
tangs had killed other tangs. I was wondering what you think of adding
this fish to my collection, and if the sohal would be a danger to the
purple tang or any of my other fish. If so, I have a couple of days to
change my order from FFExpress to something else. Thanks for you help,
Heather Mann
<<Well, there is some variability in the species
(Acanthurus sohal), but by and large (more than 95%) of incidences, I'd
give you the go ahead with the addition... This Red Sea endemic (have an
article on it at www.wetwebmedia.com) is really a good animal if/where
started small, particularly in an established (social dynamic) system.
I don't think you will have any problem... the Purple tang species and
this one are found together over most of their ranges...Bob Fenner>>
Re: Sohal Tang
Thanks for getting back with me so quickly! They
said the fish should be only about 4-5 inches, so I think that would be
rather small for a sohal tang. I'll go ahead with it and see how it
goes. Thanks again, Heather Mann
<<Think you'll really enjoy this
fish... a beauty, and quite intelligent.
Bob Fenner>>
Sohal
tangs and a reference to Gothic Art
Hi Bob,
<Anthony Calfo in
your service while Bob conducts field experiments in Oz to determine the
threshold for aggression in wild dingoes through a series of imposed
stimuli. He will first begin by taunting them with an outrageous French
accent, then he will shave the buttocks of an alpha male and return him
to the pack, and finally he will confine a group and force them to watch
the film, Waiting to Exhale (the Piece de resistance)>
Was just
reading your article on sohal tangs. Sounds like they do well and a nice
fish to have in the tank.
<yes... physiologically a hardy fish in
captivity>
I currently have a 90 gal. fish only with a panther
grouper, Foxface, Picasso trigger, and a small three striped damsel. All
are juveniles with the Foxface being the largest at about 4". Would this
tank size be ok for a sohal tang? Would I be overloading the system by
adding this fish? Thanks in advance for your help. Tim
<perhaps as
you suspect my friend, the Sohal would be too large and indeed overload
the tank. They are admittedly tough to find small among imports and even
if you could, the responsible care of this monster of a tang requires a
6 foot long tank at minimum to begin with. Many strange captive induced
stresses and diseases can be attributed to such otherwise unnatural
confines. Do admire this fish from afar until you get a larger aquarium.
A truly unique fish... I admire your taste <wink>. Kindly, Anthony>
Sohal tangs and a reference to Gothic Art II
Thanks for the
reply! Would love to see a documentary on Bob's trip. Well, regrettably,
I guess I have to forget about the sohal. I was thinking maybe an angel
would be nice substitute. Really would like a Koran, so I pose the same
question. Could I have one in my setup?
<The Koran is a good choice,
but the grouper is still going to quickly outgrow your 90.>
If I have
to go smaller maybe a blue ring angel.
<Slightly more difficult, but
not much. Another good choice.>
Could one of these fish be added
without any problems? (i.e., overload, conflicts)
<Yes, choose one.>
Also, my tank has been running about 6 weeks now. The nitrates are not
even really detectable (>10 ppm) and I'm wondering if I should do a
water change now or can it wait.
<It never hurts to do a water
change.>
Thanks again for your help. Tim
<You are welcome. -Steven
Pro> Sohal
tang and Majestic angel
Hello WWM crew!
Cheers, Paul!>
Quick facts: I have a 125 with 50lbs. LR and about 60 or so lbs. of
various base rock (lace and reef rock), all well-matured. I have 7.5
watts per gallons worth of MH and PC lighting. Water flow is
moderate for now.
<improving soon we hope>
I also have a
canister filter (Filstar XP3) for added filtration. NH3= >0.5; NO2=
0; NO3= 20; pH= 8.3; spg.= 1.0225; Temp.= 78. Current inhabitants: 3
green Chromis; clarkii clown; c. banded shrimp; hermit, left-hand,
and scarlet reef crabs; pink tip and tube anemone; and a feather
duster. I've been looking over your site; very cool by the way;
<thanks kindly>
and have a couple of questions about a Sohal
tang.
<don't bother <G> you do not have tank even remotely big
enough to responsibly house this creature as a sub adult let alone
as an adult. I dread the fact that pet shops even sell this public
aquarium fish. Sohals get 2 feet long as adults. Your tank is 2 feet
wide at best. It would be inhumane for anything under 600gallons by
some estimates. Fish do not grow to a tanks size any more than a St
Bernard puppy locked in a closet will. The animal will either get
good husbandry and outgrow the vessel fast, or it will stunt and die
prematurely like most do in private aquaria. Sure... you might get
3-5 years out of it... but not 30+ like possible. Cruel at any rate.
I realize that you did not know this bud... but... now you know :)>
First: I have found a Sohal at a LFS that's about 5-6 inches long
and looks great. I almost got it the other day but I noticed that it
was flashing against the substrate. I had been there a couple of
days before and it was showing no signs of this so it's just
starting. One or two of the fish in other tanks seemed to have what
looked like ick.
<do be sure to quarantine all new fish at home
in isolation regardless of how good they look at the shop.. else it
is Russian roulette with living creatures>
All of the SW tanks
are on a central filtration system so the manager offered to keep
the tang and treat him with the others with Cu Sulfate before I got
him.
<outstanding LFS! Kudos to him... very responsible. Do tell
us the name of this merchant and we will post it on the daily FAQs
with thanks for his good salesmanship...Oh... wait a minute, that
would be good husbandry of an animal being sold inappropriately for
captivity <G>>
He will have been treated for a week when I go
pick him up.
<at which point we'll get really abusive to you in
e-mails <G>. I hope you are a masochist at heart:) >
Will it be
ok if I put him straight into my main tank instead of QT'ing him
again?
<QT again?! He was never QT'ed in the first place... time
spent at the store where numerous hands and nets go through numerous
tanks everyday with fishes of all degrees of health is not QT by any
stretch of the imagination. Even kept isolate at the store... what
happens if the kid making $5/hr scraping algae doesn't wash his
hands between the tank of new infected fish and the tank with your
fish one hour before you go to pick it up? We say it often... there
is no such thing as QT at a pet store or wholesalers. QT is 4 weeks
at home in isolation>
What are your feelings about giving a
Paraguard bath for an hour or so?
<weakly effective>
Second
question: They also have a Majestic Angel, about 4 inches, would it
be ok to put these two together?
<it would be possible in a big
enough tank. Sohals have a well deserved reputation for maturing
into ferociously territorial fishes. Another big fish like the angel
could just get pummeled just the same>
How close together should
I introduce the two? Today is Tues. and I plan to pick up the tang
on Sat. or Sun..
<if you run two separate QT tanks... they can
see each other in the new 1000 gall tank in 4 weeks <VBG>>
If my
question is long-winded, I apologize!!
<no worries bud... I'm
long-winded too :) >
I'm a first-timer posting a question on your
site.
<welcome my friend... I almost regret the strong-armed
reply I just gave you... heehee... but, rest assured. We are here to
help you succeed. We have no fish or filters to sell you and will
give you plainly honest information based literally on decades of
experience. I do hope that you will write again. My best regards to
you in your endeavors>
Any information you could give me would be
greatly appreciated. Thank much, Stephen Baker.
<kindly, Anthony>
Re: Sohal tang and Majestic angel
Anthony, thanks for the
quick reply! That really sucks to hear about the sohal, I had my
heart set on that fish.
<yes... bummer. And we are getting lots
of e-mails about them this week. You can tell when large shipments
make it into the country :) >
However, I don't like the idea of
getting an animal and not being able to make it as happy as
possible.
<agreed... we have to take the long view, and a 2 foot
fish living possibly more than 20 years and easily more than 10
requires an extraordinary tank>
I knew that it got big but I
didn't think it would get that big in the aquarium,
<a common
misconception perpetuated by people trying to sell big fish!>
I've read mixed opinions on the size it would reach.
<no mixed
opinions... just mis-information. You cannot dwarf a fish any more
than you can dwarf a human or a horse and not expect lifelong
complications in health or longevity>
Thank you for the advice
though, I will definitely be taking it! I'll just save that fish for
when I get that saltwater swimming pool in the future, hehe!
<awesome!>
I'm thinking about maybe not getting the Majestic as
well; not sure; your opinion?
<actually a fine fish... but needs
to be a focal point and worked around in the tank>
I suppose
since I've got you again I'll ask you a few more questions;
hopefully it's okay if they're multiple topics!! First: I know that
this is a question that will mainly apply to my interests and other
factors which you may not know but, what other tangs would be able
to satisfy my taste for the beauty of the sohal?
<nothing like it
in color or pattern. Similar shapes in other large pelagic Naso
species but some of them get bigger than the sohal!!!>
I was
thinking of maybe another Naso (mine got killed by my old Huma Huma
[aptly named, Hannibal] after I swapped stands and put the two back
in the tank, a Kole, a Purple, or a Red Sea Sailfin.
<the Kole is
hands down the hardiest, smallest and best algae eater of the lot.
If you do get another Naso... stick with lituratus (lipstick). At
least they are smaller at 16-18">
Maybe even numerous of the
previously mentioned, again, your opinion?
<mixing tangs of like
or different species is always risky and never recommended. It often
works, but just as often or more so does not in the long run. If you
must... keep only one per genus. My question is why bother mixing
tangs when there are hundreds of beautiful marine fishes from so
many other compatible families instead. Why risk the stress and
mortality of a known stressful mix. Enjoy rare hamlets, comets,
wrasses, etc. So many fish to pick from. Check out the catalog at
The Marine Center online to see some incredible rarities>
Will
the Purple bully any of the other fish?
<the purple or the
Sailfin can be extremely aggressive>
I've heard that these
fellows can get seriously irate with any other fish in the tank,
especially another tang!
<understatement of the year>
Second:
IYO, which would you go with, 20K or 10K MH,
<10K will give you
better growth and better/truer color... but 20K has a better blue
look if you like blue>
I'm still running 5500K and am going to
upgrade soon, lots of fluorescent yellow-green algae being produced
from these guys!!
<6500K Iwasakis would be the best for growth...
10K Aqualines or Ushios may be the best for color and growth in
balance>
Third: I have been at a loss with my test kit since I
got it. At first I didn't pay attention since my tank was cycling
and it was still new. However as time has went on, I have become
increasingly suspicious of my NH3 test contained within! I have the
Aqua. Pharmaceuticals (Saltwater Master Liquid Test Kit) as I'm sure
everyone else has or has had at one time. Sorry, I drifted!!
<I
have a lot of concern with liquid test kits in general.. they can be
as accurate as dry reagents... but they have a shorter shelf life
and are easily corrupted>
My NH3 has been, since my tank finished
cycling, at a constant reading of 0.5ppm. It has never been anything
different that I could tell, except maybe on occasion. Other LFS'
have measured it and not had that high of a reading (Unfortunately,
I have not had many outside tests except when I wanted a second
opinion of my cycling progression, or when I just happened to think
of doing it). Regardless, everyone's is always lower than mine
either by a lot or a little. Is it possible that my test kit could
be off.
<possible yes>
I thought that if I have no NO2s, than
my NH3 should be at zero as well,
<not necessarily... ammonia can
be produced and linger or be taken up without even being converted.
The nitrification process is not literal or absolute>
I have now
and in the past, had small bioloads in the tank. I'm lost here and I
need a map, bad! This makes me cautious to ever buy anything for
fear of my H2O quality.
<brother... you are overreacting <G>. The
slight lingering ammonia could simply be from too high of a water
flow rushing through a wet dry filter, sand filter, canister, etc.
Or... just not having quite enough live rock. All are easily
corrected>
Your opinions please! Do you recommend any certain
test kits?
<Hach and LaMotte are reliable investments... all
other hobby kits are just that>
Hope I have not made you pull
your hair out with the plethora of questions I have just thrown at
you.
<nope... just hearing you use the word plethora made it
worth it... I know have a reason to mention a cornucopia of ways
that I enjoy chatting with fellow aquarists <G>>
If so, let me
know, I'll work on it next time!
<no worries... our pleasure>
Any and all help, as I said before, is greatly appreciated. I wish I
had known about this site when I first got started with my NACL H2O
tank :-)
<ha! Well now you know... its all uphill from here!>
I would like to, again, commend you on YOUR quick reply, and may I
say " kudos to YOU and the rest of the WWM crew!"-Stephen Baker,
Huntsville, AL.-
<thanks kindly, Steven... our best regards.
Anthony> |
Sohal Tang... good buy or not?
2/25/03
What? "Is he joking?" "Everyone knows the yellow tang,
Zebrasoma flavescens is the most popular, hardiest member of the
Doctorfish family." Well, the yellow is a tough customer if collected
and housed correctly. But I assure you that it has nothing over the
Sohal, Zebra, or Red Sea Clown Surgeon, Acanthurus sohal.
"This fish
has much going for it; good looks, ready food acceptance, disease
resistance, active, interesting behavior. The only negative I would have
applied to it in years past is "expense"; but no longer. Sohal tangs are
Red Sea endemics, only found in that magical area; and their cost has
come down with the recent growth in exports from the area."
"Acanthurus sohal is still not cheap, but well worth the investment in
terms of beauty and longevity......"
In The FAQ's I was reading
about people wishing that these were never sold because of their size
etc.
<correct... and as stated in the FAQs and beyond, it is solely
because of their adult size and need for huge tanks and long runs to
swim. Physiologically, though, they are hardy and easy to feed/keep.
Just aggressive and large.>
Am I missing something in the above
description?
<nope... you are correct. Hardy, great fish... fine
for captivity if you have a tank big enough for a foot an a half long
adult fish as an adult. Heck.. even if it only gets a foot long... it
still needs a huge tank. What size is your aquarium?>
The reason for
my perplexity, is I just bought one today, with the above words
specifically in mind.
<no worries if you checked the adult size
first>
How can such a positive review start off a fish that isn't
aquarium worthy?
<as per above... a great fish for very large aquaria
(many hundred of gallons for the 5-10 year + picture. Anthony>
Sohal Addition? – 5/4/07
Hi.
<Hello.>
Joe here.
<Adam on this end.>
Just wanted to say love your site.
<Me too!
...but thanks.>
Very informative and appreciate the time you guys
spend answering questions. Thanks.
<No, thank you for the
compliments.>
Ok on to my question.
<Of course.>
I'm
thinking of adding a Sohal tang to my 220 gallon (72x24x30)with 75
sump(150 lbs of live rock). The current tank mate are a 14 inch Coral
cat Shark, 8" lion (Volitans),12 inch snowflake eel and 3 tangs all
about 6 inches (Naso ,yellow and hippo).
<Mmm...the existing
surgeons fish have me worried...and the future aggression of the
cat-shark as well, have seen them attack and consume fish twice their
size.>
I would like to add a small Sohal around 4-6 inches do you
see any problems with aggression towards the others?
<Yes,
especially with the Naso and the other Acanthurus (Hippo) tang.>
If
so any thing I should be on the look out for? Also in the future would
like to add either an Emperor Angel or a Blue Face angel. Would you for
see any problems?
<I would opt for one of these, not both.>
The
tank is aquascaped so I have lots of hiding caves as well as have
maximum swimming room.
Thank you for your time and look forward to
reading your response.
<Joe Sohal tangs are notoriously intolerant
of other tangs even tanks of 100's to 1000's of gallons for that reason
alone I can't recommend it, sorry..>
Joe
<Adam J.>
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