Yellow Tang

Marine algae sheets (nori), seaweed, herbivore pellets

Vivid lemon-yellow Hawaiian surgeonfish. Needs daily algae and a tank long enough to swim — they're constant grazers. Two tangs in the same tank almost always end in violence; one per system.

75gal absolute minimum, 6 feet of swimming length strongly preferred (the tank shape matters more than volume — yellow tangs need to swim laps, not just have water). Mature reef tank with established aquascape, live rock for grazing biofilm, stable parameters at 78°F + 1.024–1.026 SG + 8.1–8.4 pH. Strong flow (30× tank turnover) replicates Hawaiian current. Bright lighting drives the algae growth they constantly graze on. Buy CAPTIVE-BRED — Hawaii has restricted wild collection and bred specimens are now widely available, healthier, and more ethical.

Constant grazer — yellow tangs spend ~80% of waking hours scraping algae off rockwork. Solitary in captivity (will fight other tangs viciously). Personality varies wildly: some are bullies that harass tankmates, others ignore everything. Famously prone to 'ich vacations' — symptoms come and go with stress. The scalpel-like spines at the base of the tail are actual weapons; tangs lock onto rivals or aggressors with them. Handle with caution during net captures.

Captive-breeding was first achieved in 2015 (Oceanic Institute, Hawaii) and remains rare. Tangs spawn in groups in the wild during the new moon. The first commercially-bred yellow tangs are from Biota Aquaculture and similar facilities — buy these when available. Home breeding is essentially impossible due to the pelagic larval requirements (35+ days at sea on copepods).

Ich-prone — really, the most ich-prone marine fish in the trade. Quarantine new arrivals 30 days minimum. UV sterilizers, copper-treated quarantine tanks, and a stress-free display setup are the standard prevention. HLLE (head and lateral line erosion) from poor diet — feed nori sheets and herbivore pellets daily. Bullying-related injuries are common; isolate aggressive individuals.