Comprehensive Article About Tangs - Manta Systems Article

[Tamara Marshall]

New Article Release!

“Beyond the Tang Police: A Realist’s Guide to Keeping Peaceful Surgeonfish”

They’re bold, beautiful, and algae-eating machines—but tangs aren’t just flashy reef showpieces. Behind the vibrant colors and constant cruising are complex behaviors and serious space needs.

From the powder blue to the yellow tang, these surgeonfish bring a ton of personality and practicality to a saltwater system—but they also come with baggage: aggression, stress sensitivity, and a high risk of disease.

What You’ll Learn in This Tang Guide:
• Which tangs do best in reef tanks (and which don’t)
• Common aggression issues and how to reduce conflict
• Why tank size isn’t just about gallons—it’s about terrain
• Disease risks to watch for (especially velvet and ich)
• Tips for feeding, tankmates, and keeping peace in the tank

If you’ve ever wondered why your tang is acting like the boss of the reef—or why the new one won’t stop pacing—this article gives you the full story on what makes these fish so rewarding (and so tricky).

Read the full article here: https://www.mantasystems.net/a/blog/post/Tangs

 

[jda123]

My current tang load is 2x Purple, 2x Yellow, Goldrim, Powder Blue, Powder Brown, Chocolate (my favorite), Naso, Galapagos Sawtail, Dussermi, Convict, Atlantic Bahanius (under rated), Atlantic Blue and a few others that I am forgetting. I have given away Achilles, Powder Blue and Atlantic Blue recently due to size. None of them are mean, fight at all and if I dropped in a new tang, it would be accepted and let alone. I have also had Queen, Blue and Emp angels in with them (until they got too large) all at peace - these angels were not mean either. My current Chrysurus (which stay small enough) just coasts with the tangs too. Why is it that nobody asks people who can do this how it all happens? We just get nori, body shape and tank size parroted from person to person... which is not nothing, but also not all of the answer. There is no study or evidence that body shape or more nori does anything for them, and also natural evidence that this is not right.

One of the purples, yellow and chocolate are older than one of my kids who is in college. It is going to kill me when they die, but they are elderly now.

There are no boss fish. I have had all of these for two years and most more than five. If anything, the PJ Cardinals boss them around when they have babies. On the rare occasion that I have to put my hand in the tank, they all come over and hover waiting to see if I have anything for them to eat. They also head to the corner of the tank when they see my coming.

About half of these fish were gifts either diseased or as bullies. They are neither at my house.

I really appreciate that you did not say "herbivore" in your article. Tangs are squarely omnivores and need meat in their diets. Even the ones that graze seagrass all day eat tons of zooplankton that is on that grass and will still go after a urchin, roe, plankton, dead fish or other meaty treat if it arrives. Tangs got easier when HUFAs, Vitamin E became more available in pellets and especially mysis. People who only feed nori thinking that tangs are herbivores end up with mean, short lived fish. If you want to up your feedings, feed more mysis, roe and pellets.

They need to eat enough so that they are growing, if not full grown. This will mean that many of us have to find larger homes for them eventually - this is sad, but necessary. My Sawtail and Dussermi are going to need to move on soon. The Bahanius not long after.

IMO, body shape and genus issues are overblown. I used to know directly where this rumor started and it has been propagated for the few decades since - it was an off hand comment to question at a show that spread like wildfire in the early days of the internet. Like many other things in this hobby, it only persisted since it make sense to the simple, but nothing is that simple.

The big key that nobody understands is that these fish need places to hide. I mean get away and be completely unseen. If you want a mean, nasty tang, then have a tank full of "arches and caves" that humans think that fish like. I just pile up live rock with room behind it.

Tangs are like the idiots on a MTV reality show... capable of being good, but if you don't give them any privacy and underfeed them, they act like jerks and animals.

If you want a calm tang, give it a place to fully hide to where you cannot see it, and feed it a lot.