Hardiest Tang?
- Thread starter dukecola
- Start date
jmaneyapanda
Commencing hatred
Why do you ask? I hesitate to answer this question.
Peter Eichler
New member
Zebrasoma as a whole are all pretty hardy and some of the more ich resistant of the tangs. It's tough to make an argument for one over another but Scopas may be the hardiest of the bunch.
Peter Chefalo
New member
Past the initial shipping stress, Acanthurus lineatus, the clown tang are bullet proof, but they do hate to be shipped!!
Peter Eichler
New member
I couldn't disagree more... Even beyond shipping horribly which relates to them not being hardy fish to begin with, they're VERY ich prone, need very high water quality with lots of water movement and high oxygen levels, and will often not accept prepared foods. To top if all off, when someone manages to get a healthy specimen that lives and grows they usually get quite mean once they attain a decent size.
Peter Chefalo
New member
Well, i wouldn't use any acanthurus to cycle a tank and I am talking about putting these into a reef aquarium, with coral and invertebrates and as I said, they are hard to acclimate, but I think that mine have been the hardiest tangs in an established reef aquarium. I would say that they are less susceptible to ich under these conditions and the most robust of the group. It is just that one so rarely sees them in this state because they don't make it past the initial shipping stress. So, I don't think that they are the best garden variety tang for a beginner but that they are very hardy once established
Why, can there not be one that is hardier than the other given same water parameters? Or one that is more prone to ich with even the slightest parameter change? We all strive to maintain the best consistent water quality but %$@# does happen despite all the automation and backups, like power outages and other catastrophes. Virtually every tang I have lost over the years was due to something happening beyond my control. So I'm curious which tang can withstand the most abuse. Last year I was without power for 4 days in mid-winter and tank got to 54 degrees for 2 days. Generator wouldn't start and propane heater didn't even dent the inside air temp. Clowns, hawks and comets made it thru with no probs, others didn't. Yellow tang was first to go!
zemuron114
In Memoriam
IMO, the naso species, and kole are hardier than even yellows or sailfins (atleast while holding) if a kole is properly collected they are damn near invincible!
Peter Eichler
New member
Naso I agree with for the most part. Koles tangs on the other hand seem to be more ich prone than the Zebrasoma and often have the mouth problems assosciated with all Bristletooths which to me knocks them down a notch on the hardy scale.
zemuron114
In Memoriam
kole (for me) withstand all diseases associated with wholesaling (ich, odinium, bacteria etc) they are the only tang i deal with that i dont have to worry about if something happens, easily treatable and always eat.
Yellows IME, are not hardy at all when it comes to bacteria infections, or odinium. They can withstand ich well though.
Yellows IME, are not hardy at all when it comes to bacteria infections, or odinium. They can withstand ich well though.
I had a mimic tang since he was a 2 inch baby, till he was an 7 inch adult with all his markings. It was nice to see him grow from the lemon and blue stage to the totally different pattern they eventually have as an adult. He lived for 8 years. He was pretty hardy.
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