Sohal Tang
Acanthurus sohal
Identification: Its coloration is light blue overall with black stripping running horizontally along the length of the fish to the base of the tail. Its fins are black with a blue rim around the outside. Its scalpel is bright orange as is an area behind the ventral fin.
Maximum Length: Attains a length of approximately 15 inches
Origin: Red Sea, Indian Ocean
Minimum tank size: 180 Gallons
Behavior: Can be a very aggressive fish, often nipping at and harassing other less aggressive tank mates. Additionally, it is extremely difficult to keep this species with other tang species as they will constantly harass each other, often until the death of one of the fish. However, aggression may be lessened in a very large aquarium.
Feeding and diet: Varied diet, mostly
vegetable matter. Feed dried and frozen herbivore foods that contain marine algae and the blue-green alga Spirulina. Sohal tangs are perhaps the most omnivorous of
Surgeonfishes. They do need their
daily greens, but accept greedily all other forms of foods, meaty and non.
Please do not rely solely on terrestrial lettuces for your tangs green-needs.
Oriental store algae, live rock and algal sources, specialty flakes and more are
better sources of nutrition.
Reef Compatibility: This species is a good choice for the marine reef aquarium because it generally will not nip at the aquarist’s invertebrates. However, any macro algaes, particularly those green in nature, will be consumed.
Cautions: As with other Red Sea livestock, sohal tangs need consistent, high quality water. The salinity should be kept near 1.025 and constant; pH should be buffered between 8.2 and 8.4., and temperature in the mid seventies to low eighties degrees Fahrenheit.
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