Powder blue surgeons

[Elliott Wright]

Hi,i am quite new to the marine side of fishkeeping and i was wondering if any of you can help me i am thinking of buying a powder blue surgeon for my tank this will be the only fish i want because this was the fish that turned me from tropicals to marines but i have recently been told that they are very difficult to keep is this true?i know they are parasite prone so i have bought a uv steriliser just in case any more advice about keeping this fish would be great ,finally would a regal tang be easier than a powder blue? many thanks

[mogurnda]

Hey Elliot,
Welcome to AC! Yes, powder blues are very sensitive, and will need a lot of room. How big is your tank, how long has it been set up, and what equipment do you have running on it right now?

[kreblak]

Powder blue tangs(surgeonfish), like all tangs, require pristine water quality and enough algae in the tank for them to graze constantly. Tangs are best introduced in matured marine tanks (six months old or more.) Oh, and you heard right about tangs being parasite prone. Tangs are afflicted by both white spot (Ich) and black spot diseases.

[Elliott Wright]

my aquarium is three foot long and has been set up 4 months,
its run on a red sea prizm protein skimmer a uv steriliser and two internal filters and lots of live rock but of course i would upgrade the tank and equipment as the fish grows, many thanks

[kreblak]

Good, tangs need a lot of swimming space. Having been set up for 4 months should allow some decent algae growth, as well. Also, powder blue tangs are not afraid of the open ocean. On the reef, they will swim out into the ocean if they feel like it. A good strong current in your tank will help keep cyanobacteria (aka slime algae) growth at a minimum, and make the tang feel at home.

[MonoSebaelover]

Three feet is not near enough length for them. They require 6 feet long of an aquarium minimum. They will get VERY stressed in a 3 ft tank. Any surgeon needs a minimum of 4 feet but they are more aggressive in smaller tanks. Anyway sorry to say it but a PBT wouldn't work in your tank.

[g. mcclean]

I have always been under the impression that 4 feet in length is the minimum for a tang. Being the only fish will not make a difference if he does not have the length to "stretch out". Just my opinion from what I have read here and on other forums.

[Elliott Wright]

would a regal tang be easier to keep than a powder blue surgeon if not what tang would you recommend for a beginner, im also going to buy a four foot tank after your advice
thanks alot

[MonoSebaelover]

Just remember that MINIMUM is not IDEAL. I personally would never keep a tang in anything under a 6ft tank. I have a 4" Blue Hippo (Regal) Tang in my 209g which is 7 feet long and he paces it. A Regal will need a Minimum of 125 when adult. A Regal is easier to keep but they get much larger than a PBT. A PBT should be easy to keep if he is kept alone. Just keep a very well established tank, lots of O2, pristine water, and lots of algae growth. My goal someday is to have a 125g tank for just a Majestic Angel and a Powder Blue Tang, but that is a couple of years away. Anyway, hope this helps.

[kreblak]

Yellow tangs are fairly easy to keep.

[Elliott Wright]

Do you think my uv steriliser will stop a powder blue surgeon
getting whitespot ,would a cleaner shrimp be a good idea

[kreblak]

UV steralizers will help control white spot, but will not eliminate it all together. Cleaner shrimp are the same. The only way to prevent white spot 100% is to quarantine all fish before putting them into your show tank. Most people do not recommend treating fish not showing symptoms.

I keep all fish in a cycled QT for two weeks proir to adding them to the tank. If they show no signs of illness, I don't treat them. However, if I see one white spot, I attack with every weapon in the arsenal. Ich is a parasite, and cannot live without fish. Therefore, Ich is not present in your tank proir to being introduced by sick fish. Many fish can carry the parasite but show no outward symptoms. My thoughts on the matter tend towards treating every fish prior to introduction into the tank, however, Dr. Tullock has some very choice words against that. He knows more than I do, so I'll defer to him.

[Elliott Wright]

are yellow tangs less prone to whitespot than other tangs?

[OrionGirl]

In that yellow tangs are often stressed by the same conditions that stress other tangs, no. Small tanks---anything that does not provide a large swimming area, usually 4 foot MINIMUM--are a key stress factor for tangs. Inadequate food is the other problem. Tangs need to graze throughout the entire day, and be provided with a variety of herbivore foods.

If these conditions can't be met, it's best to avoid tangs. I have a rescued regal who is stunted to about 6 inches (he was stunted when we got him from someone who was getting rid of their tank, and was going to kill the fish otherwise). Even at this small size, this is a very active, nervous fish. He's always moving, and fast.

[kreblak]

My yellow tang never got white spot, but he did get black spot, and it killed him. I had him in a 3 foot wide 46 gallon tank, and he spent most of the day pacing the tank walls. It was a very active fish.

[6thsense06]

just out of curiosity how fast does the powder blue tang and sailfin tang grow....?

and the sizes for each?....i was led to believe that the powder blue tangs can grow up to 9" in an aquarium?...

cheers

[MonoSebaelover]

I believe the Powder Blue gets about 8inches. And the Sailfin gets to 15 inches. Hope this helps.

[6thsense06]

thank you very much:)