Mimic Tangs?

[Umbriel]

Can anybody provide any experiences/pictures of their mimic tangs (Acanthurus chronixis/pyroferus)?

How aggressive can they get?

And, what would suggest to be an optimum tank/environment for them? I read 75 gallons/4" length, but I wonder if that's enough.

Just for note: I don't have a tank, probably won't have one anytime soon, but I'm just curious about the fish and love hearing people's experiences and pictures.

Thank you!

 

[xxtriggermanxx]

here's an old photo i had of mine (sorry poor quality) lost him when i upgraded but before that he was a great fish . if i didn't already have 3 tangs, i would have added another one a long time ago !

 

[b0bab0ey]

Tagging along. I'm looking to add a Tang or 2 that is not likely to challenge my prized Powder Blue Tang's Authoritah! Mimic and Kole is on my radar...

 

[FletcherF]

Is it true that these can live comfortably in a 75 gallon tank?

 

[SUP]

I had a Mimic in a 60 cube for about 6 months and then moved him to the 75 gallon. He did great and it was a good size for him.


SUP

 

[Luiz Rocha]

I think the only mimics in the market are A. pyroferus (from the Pacific) and A. tristis (from the Indian Ocean). If you find or heard of any A. chronixis, please let me know!

 

[BigOldReef]

In LA there were A. Chronixis a few months ago. Right around 2 to 3" in size. I picked up 2 and gave one to a reefing friend of mine.

In my tank nobody bothered him. I have 14 other tangs, and he was the smallest. He did great eating, but wasn't putting on weight. He was out and swimming in open water and picking off the rocks.

My friend had the same issue with his.

Right at 5 weeks within 48 hours of each other we both lost the fish.

 

[jnc914]

I had a mimic lemon peel/ Chocolate Tang in a 180 with 2 other Acanthurus and they did fine. They were all added at the same time, plus the 6ft of swim space helped to alleviate territorial aggression. A mimic tang will be fine in a 4ft tank if it is the lone tang, added last. IME, Acanthurus tangs are the most aggressive of the tang species, and can, and usually will start to get aggressive at some point. The smaller the tank, the quicker the process.

 

[Luiz Rocha]

In LA there were A. Chronixis a few months ago. Right around 2 to 3" in size. I picked up 2 and gave one to a reefing friend of mine.

I doubt they were real A. chronixis, they were probably just A. pyroferus. The real A. chronixis is endemic to Kapingamarangi Atoll, Caroline Islands. It is only known from the specimen that was used to describe the species (we call it the holotype) and nobody knows what it's juvenile looks like. The person who described it (Jack Randall) thought the adult was similar to A. pyroferus, so he hypothesized that juveniles would also be mimic, but nobody knows for sure. More info here:

http://www.fishbase.us/summary/Acanthurus-chronixis.html