Yellow Tang
Scientific Name : Zebrasoma Flavescens
Origin : Hawaii, Marshall Islands, Pacific Ocean
Temperament : Semi-Aggressive
Temperature : 72F - 82F
Maximum Size : 8 Inches
Diet : Herbivore
Difficulty : Medium
Reef Safe : Yes
Tank Size : 100 Gallons
The Yellow Tang is without a doubt, the most popular surgeonfish in the marine aquarium hobby. It is also the most popular aquarium marine fish in the industry along with the Blue Tang, Percula and Ocellaris clownfish.
Most products in the industry will feature the yellow tang somewhere on the product sticker. They are also popular additions to advertising banners. The reason for their popularity has to do with the bright pastel yellow that colors the Yellow Tang entirely. It possesses no markings other than the obvious white blade near its tail.
The yellow tang is found throughout Hawaiian waters and the Marshall Islands. They are a commonly sighted by scuba divers in the area and can be witnessed grazing in large shoals. This shoaling behavior can sometimes be witnessed in large aquariums that have multiple specimens.
They can reach a length of 8 inches and therefore require an aquarium of a 100 gallons or more. As usual, the larger the better. As is the case with the blue tang, they somtimes come into the trade at very small sizes. Many individuals have housed such small specimens in smaller tanks only for them to outgrow their small confines in a matter of months.
In the wild, the yellow tang is a herbivore that glides along the reef grazing on algae in large shoals. This diet should be reflected in the types of food that is given. They are reef safe.
Offer them a good range of foods with heavy bias on vegetable matter such as seaweed. Mysis shrimp, Krill along with special foods designed for herbivores should be offered daily. A great pellet to offer your Blue tang would be those made by New Life Spectrum. Some good foods (* See Below) to offer are :-
When feeding them seaweed or nori sheets, simply fold the sheet, secure it with a * Seaweed Clip and stick it on the side of the aquarium. The surgeonfish should graze on it throughout the day.
They are susceptible to marine ich and lateral line erosion. Choose specimens with care and always practice proper quarantining methods for at least a month before introduction in the main aquarium.
As is the case with most surgeonfish, they require ample swimming space because they are an open swimming species. At night, they find a cave or nook to sleep in. The Yellow tang is a stunning addition to the reef aquarium that has the added benefit of being reef safe as well.
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