powder brown vs. powder blue

[rgentry123]

so i'm a bit torn, since i first setup my tank i have wanted to get a powder blue tang but after seeing some powder brown tangs i am really beginning to like them a lot. my question i guess is the powder brown any more easy going than the powder blue? i know the powder blue can grow up and be a bully in the tank. if the powder brown is a little more peaceful it could make the decision a little easier. also, the powder brown, whitecheek and goldrim tangs all look very similar to me, are these all just differant names of the same fish or are they actually differant species altogether?

 

[Chibils]

They are different fish iirc. Many of the Acanthurus species are from the Caribbean area and are very closely related, much like the angelfish and butterflyfish complexes.

 

[rob1991]

powder blues are hard fish to keep, i have had one beautiful 6 inch fish looked magnificiant in my tank, there for about a month ate crazy like no ich no diseases then one day bamb, dead, they have reported to die for no reason sometimes, so i am buying a powder brown i hope that goes well i think there less aggresive but my powder blues were never aggresive.

 

[Mariner]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13137434#post13137434 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rob1991
powder blues are hard fish to keep, i have had one beautiful 6 inch fish looked magnificiant in my tank, there for about a month ate crazy like no ich no diseases then one day bamb, dead, they have reported to die for no reason sometimes, so i am buying a powder brown i hope that goes well i think there less aggresive but my powder blues were never aggresive.

The same thing just happened to me with a Powder Brown.
FWIW,
Mariner

 

[myerst2]

Powder blues are easier to keep in my opinion if you get a good specimen and it QT properly. Powder Browns come from surge zones and demand even higher water quality and oxygen levels that that of the PBT. Both fish are difficult and would recommend another tang unless you have had experience and long term success keeping Zebrasomas and other hardier tangs. Hope this helps. Tim