This is the infamous Moorish Idol. Here we present one of the most difficult species of fish to keep and raise in captivity. Their popularity increased with the release of the kid's movie "Finding Nemo" but as most hobbyists soon found out, this saltwater fish is very tough to acclimate and keep. Long term survivability of this species in home aquariums is rare.
This fish is colored with white, yellow and black vertical body markings. They are frequently found schooling along the reef and provided that you have a large enough tank, you may be able to keep multiples in your saltwater aquarium.

It is a very finicky eater and to make matters worse, their protruding mouths are sometimes damaged during collection and transport. Another good reason to use the quarantine tank when you first get them is to get them eating without any competition. In the ocean they graze on marine algea and sponges. Having copious amounts of live rock in your tank will provide grazing opportunities in between meals. Try to give them a varied diet of live or frozen marine fish foods.

They can come down with most saltwater fish diseases especially if you're having difficulty getting them to eat. Therefore, use of a quarantine tank with this fish is a must. Keep them in quarantine for at least a few weeks, but at least as long as it takes for them to start eating.

They are true beauties though and if you consider yourself an expert in marine aquarium keeping you may want to try this elegant and delicate fish. Don't cut any corners with these fish and be sure to take your time while acclimating them to your tank. Give them optimal water conditions and please, don't even think about adding them to anything but an established tank after the recommended quarantine period. For most hobbyists, the Moorish Idol is one fish that is best left on the reef for now.

 

Along with increasing the popularity of Clownfish, that movie could also be credited with popularizing the Blue Tang as well. "Hey look, it's Dory from finding Nemo!"
The Pacific Blue Tang is a member of the surgeonfishes and is one of the most active swimmers of the available tangs. They will need at least a 75 gallon tank (284 liters), preferrably larger, to allow for adequate swimming space. They can be fairly hardy once acclimated but will not do well in a tank that has not completed the aquarium nitrogen cycle. You will also need highly oxygenated water provided through increased surface agitation (multiple powerheads) and/or the heavy use of air stones.

This surgeonfish has many different common names including - Pacific Blue Tang, Blue Surgeonfish, Palette Surgeonfish, Regal Tang, Hippo Tang, Flag-Tail Surgeonfish and some others. Hopefully this makes you want to use the scientific name when researching and asking about this fish. They are remarkably colored with black, yellow and blue markings and are sure to bring lots of activity to the right tank.

Be careful handling this tang with a net because they can get caught easily in the net. If this happens, gently and slowly move the net back and forth in the tank water. Eventually they should relax their fins and come out of the net.

They will probably not do well with other surgeonfish, especially other Blue Tangs, unless the tank is really large, 100 gallons (379 liters) or larger. If you really have a strong desire to keep multiples, you can try to introduce them all at the same time, but have a back up plan ready. This tang is one of the more peaceful of the bunch and may get picked on by other tangs that are already in the tank. A lot of territorial aggression can be determined not only by the size of the tank but also by the order of introduction into the aquarium.

They primarily feeds on marine algae and having lots of live rock in your tank will provide plenty of grazing opportunities in between meals. Try to give your Blue Tang a varied diet and supplement their diet with marine seaweed using a veggie clip to prevent the colors from fading in this fish.

This tang should be relatively disease resistant once acclimated but you still need to take proper pre-cautions and use a quarantine tank before introducing them into your main tank. Keep them in the hospital tank for two weeks or so and watch for obvious saltwater diseases, such as marine ich.

The Pacific Sailfin Tang is another member of the surgeonfishes and grows to be one of the largest of the commonly available tangs. They will need at least a 125 gallon tank (473 liters), preferrably larger, to allow for adequate swimming space and to accomodate for their potential adult size of 15 inches (39 cm). They can be fairly hardy once acclimated but will not do well in a tank that has not completed the aquarium nitrogen cycle. Try to add the Sailfin Tang to a tank that has been set up and running for at least 6 months and use your aquarium test kit to test the water parameters before introducing. You will also need highly oxygenated water provided through increased surface agitation (multiple powerheads) and/or the heavy use of air stones.
This Sailfin Tang is very similar and often confused with the Red Sea Sailfin Tang. The Red Sea Sailfin has more dots at the base of the body and more pronounced white spots covering the front third of the body. The Pacific Sailfin will not do well with other surgeonfish, especially other Sailfins, unless the tank is extremely large (public aquariums).

Pacific Sailfins should primarily eat marine algae and having lots of live rock in your tank will provide plenty of grazing opportunities in between meals. Try to give them a varied diet and supplement the diet with marine seaweed using a veggie clip.

They can be susceptible to marine ich (like most saltwater species) and you will definitely need to use a quarantine tank before introducing them into your main tank. Keep them in the hospital tank for two weeks or so and watch for any outbreaks.

 

If you have a larger saltwater aquarium that's at least 125 gallons, preferably larger, you might be interested in the Naso Tang (Naso lituratus). This is one of the larger tangs. They can reach up to 18 inches and they are very active swimmers. A highly oxygenated tank with lots of swimming room is needed.
It can be somewhat difficult to get them eating. In the ocean they eat brown macro algae (Sargassum and Dictyota). It is recommended to have this algae on hand if you plan on trying your hand at keeping them given their finicky taste buds, at least at first. Once they acclimate you could start introducing other greens into their diet using vegetable clips or placing pieces of dried marine algae under rocks in the tank for them to graze on. Given their high activity rate you will want to provide several small feedings per day.

Be careful when using a net with the Naso Tang (and all tangs). They have spines that they can erect at the base of the caudal peduncle. These spines are used for defense and aggression and they can inflict a nasty wound if you're not careful.

The Naso Tang should play well with other fish species, except for other tangs and surgeonfish. Invertebrates should be left alone, but some hobbyists have reported that they have caught them nipping corals. Exercise caution if introducing to a reef tank and be ready for plan B should they not behave.

According to FishBase this species is separate from it's Indo-Pacific cousin, Naso elegans.

This is an interesting fish for the tang lovers out there. The Orange Shoulder Tang photos you usually see are of adult specimens. As juveniles they are yellow and lack the signature orange shoulder! They develop the orange spot as they mature. Prices range from around $25 for small (1 - 2 inches) to over $100 for larger (5 - 8 inches) specimens.
Food wise, this fish needs and eats lots of algae. Make sure to incorporate nori, spirulina and/or dried marine origin algae into their diet. Algae growing on the sand and live rock may not be enough. They will graze the sand surface and rock eating diatoms and detritus.

Like all tangs, this one is no exception with needing lots of swimming room. Given it's adult size of 14 inches (35 cm) we are talking at least a 125 gallon tank or larger! Please don't cramp these tangs into smaller setups.

Is it reef safe? It may be considered reef safe and shouldn't pick at corals, clams or any other invertebrates in the tank. They may get aggressive with other tangs, so it's advisable to thoroughly research this fish as well as any other fish you are planning on putting in your tank before buying! For best results only keep one of these Orange Shoulder Tangs in your tank.

A true beauty, The Powder Blue Tang is sought after by most saltwater aquarium keepers due to it's remarkable colors. From the yellow dorsal fin to its dark colored face and powder blue body, this fish is something to behold. Be prepared to spend some serious jack on this fish though. They usually run anywhere from $60 to over $100 depending on the size of the fish. As well as being beautiful, they are also quite finicky and can be very difficult to keep for even the advanced saltwater aquarium keepers.
They are notorious for getting ich (cryptocaryon) and velvet usually due to the fact that they don't transport well. Let them sit in the dealers tank for several weeks and ask to watch them eat before laying down your hard earned cash for one of these tangs. Inspect them closely for any signs of ich or velvet and make sure they are actively swimming.

If all goes well at the fish store, once you bring them home you'll want to slowly drip acclimate them to your quarantine tank's water. It should go without saying that a quarantine is not optional with this fish. Tangs in general and the Powder Blue Tang especially are susceptible to marine ich, which means that it's a good idea to house your new fish in a quarantine tank for several weeks before introducing them into your display tank. It can be a really good idea to get some cleaner shrimps too. The skunk cleaner shrimp does a good job.

The may be finicky when it comes to food and you'll want to provide plenty of algae grazing opportunities and also supplement their diet with dried algae using a veggie clip. Leave the dried seaweed in the tank for prolonged periods when they are first introduced. They might accept flakes and pellets and should go after frozen and live foods. We feel that live rock is absolutely needed when keeping this fish because they like to pick at algae on a nearly continuous basis during the daytime hours. It may also be a good idea to let some algae grow on one of the side panels of the tank, just in case.

Like all Tangs, the Powder Blue needs highly oxygenated water. You can achieve this using multiple power heads. Watch the tank temperature though and remove a powerhead if the aquarium water temperature gets too high. They will also appreciate high water flow throughout the aquarium and they need a large tank to allow for large swimming lanes. They are quite fast swimmers.

This can be a very difficult fish to keep and we strongly urge you to research this fish fully before acquiring one. We would recommend this fish only to advanced saltwater hobbyists with a large tank that is well established and stocked with plenty of live rock, high aeration and high water flows.

 

The Red Sea Sailfin Tang is a surgeonfish that grows to be one of the largest of the commonly available tangs. They will need at least a 125 gallon tank (473 liters), preferrably larger, to allow for adequate swimming space and to accomodate for their potential adult size of 15 inches (39 cm). Red Sea Sailfins can be hardy once properly acclimated but will not do well in a tank that has not completed the aquarium nitrogen cycle. Sailfin Tangs also need highly oxygenated water provided through increased surface agitation (multiple powerheads) and/or the heavy use of air stones.
This Sailfin Tang is a very interesting looking fish with a peculiar body pattern. They are very similar and often confused with the Pacific Sailfin Tang. To help distinguish between the two, the Red Sea Sailfin has more dots at the base of the body and more pronounced white spots covering the front third of the body. These dots or small spots come with age. The Red Sea Tangs will not do well with other surgeonfish, especially other Sailfins, unless the tank is extremely large. Public aquariums can sometimes get away with putting multiples in extremeley large tanks.

This Sailfin Tang needs to eat frequently and should primarily eat marine algae. If you have live rock in your tank you are in good shape because the live rock will provide plenty of grazing opportunities in between meals. Try to give them a varied diet and supplement the diet with marine seaweed using a veggie clip that sticks to the aquarium sides.

They are susceptible to marine ich and you will definitely need to use a quarantine tank before introducing them into your main tank. Monitor them in quarantine for two weeks or so and watch for any outbreaks.

 

The Unicorn Tang is one of the largest of the available surgeonfishes with adult specimens reaching almost 24 inches (61 cm) in size. They will need at least a 250 gallon tank (946 liters), preferrably larger, to allow for adequate swimming space and water quality. They can be fairly hardy once acclimated and should play nicely with other non-tang species but may get bullied by more aggressive fish such as Triggers. You will also need highly oxygenated water provided through increased surface agitation (multiple powerheads) and/or the heavy use of air stones.
They are nicely colored with a white, gray or sometimes light green-blue body and the signature unicorn like horn projecting from the head. To our knowledge, marine biologists have not yet determined the function that the horn plays on these fish.

Unlike most other tangs which have only 1 set of retractable blades at the base of the tail, the Unicorn Tang has two sets of retractable blades for defending territory and protecting themselves. They can easily get caught in netting, so be careful transporting this fish to avoid damaging the fins. It's advisable to use a large container instead of a net when moving this fish.

These tangs should primarily eat marine algae and having lots of live rock in your tank will provide grazing opportunities in between meals. Try to give them a varied diet and supplement their diet with marine seaweed using a veggie clip.

They can come down with most saltwater fish diseases. Use a quarantine tank before introducing them into your main tank. Keep them in the hospital tank for two weeks or so and watch for obvious saltwater diseases, like marine ich.

 

The Yellow Tang is one of the most popular saltwater fish species. This tang comes from the Hawaiian islands and is one of the better marine surgeonfishes for a beginner with a fully cycled aquarium. This tang is commonly carried at most saltwater pet shops and is relatively inexpensive. They have a strikingly yellow color with white scalpel like blades at the base of their tail fin. They can be fairly hardy in a saltwater aquarium that has completely cycled. If you plan on keeping Yellow Tangs, they spend much of their time grazing for algae so have plenty of live rock for them to graze on. They will also feed on dried algae or seaweed attached to a lettuce clip. This tang (and tangs in general) requires highly oxygenated water so make sure you have plenty of water surface agitation and/or air stones.
Use caution when netting a Yellow Tang because of the blades at the base of thier tail fin. The blades can easily get hooked into the net. If this happens, gently move the net back and forth in the aquarium until the tang is released.

Like many marine species, you will have better results if you keep only one tang in your aquarium because they will become territorial otherwise. They use the blades at the base of their tales to slap at each other.

Tangs are especially susceptible to marine ich, which means that it's a good idea to house any new Tangs in a quarantine tank for a couple of weeks before introducing them into your main aquarium.