Zebrasoma xanthurum Purple tang
A beautiful fish with a deep purple body and yellow tail and finnage. It can reach up to 10 inches in length, and requires (as is true of all surgeonfish) plenty of swimming area and hiding places. A 90-100 gallon tank is probably the minimum size for these fish.
This fish feeds on vegetable matter and other foods manufactured for herbivores. It will benefit greatly from spirulina and nori. Without a proper diet, they may lose their brilliant coloration or develop head and lateral line erosion. A sick or under-nourished specimen will have a brownish tint to it's tail and fins instead of a bright yellow.
These fish are readily available, with costs ranging from $50-75 mail order to over $100 at local fish stores. They can be very aggressive to other tangs, especially its own species. Therefore, they should only be housed with other tangs if they are in an extra-large tank.
They are considered to be reef safe. An optimum environment is a reef tank with algae available for grazing at all times.
[This message has been edited by BrianD (edited 08-31-2000).]
[This message has been edited by BrianD (edited 08-31-2000).]
[This message has been edited by BrianD (edited 08-31-2000).]
A beautiful fish with a deep purple body and yellow tail and finnage. It can reach up to 10 inches in length, and requires (as is true of all surgeonfish) plenty of swimming area and hiding places. A 90-100 gallon tank is probably the minimum size for these fish.
This fish feeds on vegetable matter and other foods manufactured for herbivores. It will benefit greatly from spirulina and nori. Without a proper diet, they may lose their brilliant coloration or develop head and lateral line erosion. A sick or under-nourished specimen will have a brownish tint to it's tail and fins instead of a bright yellow.
These fish are readily available, with costs ranging from $50-75 mail order to over $100 at local fish stores. They can be very aggressive to other tangs, especially its own species. Therefore, they should only be housed with other tangs if they are in an extra-large tank.
They are considered to be reef safe. An optimum environment is a reef tank with algae available for grazing at all times.
[This message has been edited by BrianD (edited 08-31-2000).]
[This message has been edited by BrianD (edited 08-31-2000).]
[This message has been edited by BrianD (edited 08-31-2000).]