Identification:  The Yellow Tang is probably the most popular marine fish in the saltwater aquarium hobby. It is bright yellow overall with a faintish stripe running horizontally in the center of the body and a white scalpel. The faint stripe will often change colors depending upon the excitement level of the specimen. 

Maximum Length: about 8"

Origin: Central and South Pacific. Hawaii

Minimum tank size: 75 Gal.

Behavior:   This species may be kept as a single specimen or in groups of 3 or more so long as the individual specimens are of the same size. Overall this species is a hardy aquarium fish, accepting a variety of foods.

Feeding and diet:  This fish is a Herbivore.  A Yellow Tang in the wild grazes on algae's and other plant life.  You can feed it Nori, (Green Algae) and  other green plant foods, but it will eat other tank fed foods like flake food, Brine shrimp and bloodworms for examples.  Using a lettuce clip or placing the Nori or Seaweed under a rock or piece of coral with it sticking out from underneath it will help to secure the food rather than letting it float around the tank.  This mimics its natural feeding habits.  After the fish has eaten all the food  that is visible, remove any uneaten portion from the tank that is under the rock.  In the wild its lifestyle is one of a constant     cruising and grazing.  Give it an ample food supply, but do not over feed of course.  It is a natural algae eater and can help to keep algae growths under control in an aquarium.

Reef Compatibility: This species makes an excellent marine reef aquarium fish because it will move about the tank freely spending most of its time in the open and leave all invertebrates alone. The only problem is that it will rid your aquarium of any green macro algae.

Cautions:    The Yellow Tang,  like most fish in the Tang Family is a hardy, strong fish and is fairly easy to care for.  However, it can be prone to  Ich (Whitespot Disease).  Care should be taken to be aware of this potential disease and keep an eye out for it when keeping  this  fish. Also susceptible to Black dot disease. A simple freshwater dip usually wipes them out without having to treat the entire tank. The white razor spine at the base of the tail is sharp.  Use caution when handling this fish.