The blue tang has always been one of the most popular saltwater aquarium fish. After the success of Finding Nemo back in the early 2000s, even more, people fell in love with these beautiful, vibrant marine animals. However, like many saltwater dwellers, the Blue Tang requires a special degree of care and it is important that, if you intend to adopt one, you are prepared and armed with the correct knowledge to help your fish to thrive.
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Introduction To The Blue Tang
The blue tang is one of the most popular saltwater fish that can be kept in captivity. These stunning animals come in a bright, regal blue color and for this reason, are also called the regal blue tang. In addition to this, they have a third name; the hippo blue tang, but all of these refer to the same creatur
Hailing from the coral reefs of the Pacific ocean, the blue tang is usually sold as a rather small fish. In aquatic stores, you will normally see juvenile blue tangs that measure no more than an inch in length. But don’t be deceived, these fish can grow up to 12 inches so they need a lot of space and freedom to move.
As well as the obvious blue color of this fish, the blue tang boasts bright yellow and deep black markings and often has a dash of dark ‘freckles’ around the nose and mouth.
Blue Tang Care
If you are going to take on a blue tang, one of the first things you will need to think about is how you will help it to thrive. These fish don’t typically do well in large schools, despite living in groups of up to 12 in the wild. However, out there in the ocean, they have unlimited space. In your home aquarium, it is unlikely that you would have enough room for this many fish.
Before making a decision to adopt a blue tang, take a look at some of the points below.
Tank Size And Conditions
Blue tangs may start off small, but they will quickly grow with some adults reaching up to a foot in length. As one of the larger species of aquarium fish, it is important that the blue tang has plenty of room to swim around. Not only is this to accommodate their larger size but also because the blue hippo tang is a very active swimmer.
Across the internet, you will find a lot of debate over the appropriate size for a blue tang tank and in the main, people err towards a much larger set up. We would suggest something of a minimum of 100 gallons for a single blue tang, although many would argue that 180 gallons is the minimum. In any case, the more blue tangs you add, the larger the tank will need to be. Although they can be kept with other species, we will look at the most suitable tank mates later in this guide.
The blue tang needs water that is very well oxygenated and this can be achieved by making sure that there is a lot of movement on the surface of the water. You can achieve this by installing several wave makers and power heads. Moreover, it is crucial that you do not add a blue tang to your aquarium until the tank has completed a full nitrogen cycle.
While these fish are relatively hardy, they do need an established setup if you want them to thrive.
Diet
The blue tang has a relatively simple diet so it is pretty easy to keep happy in terms of food. One of its most common choices is nori which is a type of marine algae. In addition to this, many blue tang owners like to offer other types of seaweed to create something more of a balance.
It is important to have this balance as a healthy and varied diet will ensure that the vibrant colors of your blue tang won’t fade. You can offer seaweed varieties using a vegetable clip and it is also a very good idea to have a lot of rocks that your blue tang can use for grazing.
As well as using the rock for grazing opportunities, you will also notice that they provide an excellent place for your tangs to hide when they have had enough of their tank mates and want some peace and quiet.
Many fish enthusiasts also find that their blue tangs take well to spirulina flakes. This is a great way to offer raw protein to your tangs and also comes in very handy during breeding season as it promotes reproductive health.
Another very interesting aspect of the blue tang’s diet is that these fish, unlike other marine aquarium species, require a certain amount of meaty components to their diet. You can use a variety of things but most commonly, these fish enjoy finely chopped shrimp and this can be fresh or frozen.
Breeding
While it is possible to breed blue tangs in a domestic aquarium, this isn’t always an easy task. In the wild, when it comes to breeding season, the blue tangs gather into groups especially for breeding. The perfect setting for this is the coral reef. While you can, of course, recreate a reef to a degree in captivity, you will never be able to perfectly replicate the intricate balance of the ocean ecosystem.
In the Pacific ocean, during breeding season, the female blue tang will release as many as 40,000 eggs right above the coral reef. Once she has released the eggs, the males will swim through them and release their sperm, fertilizing the eggs.
The blue tang is not a maternal fish and once the eggs are successfully fertilized both the female and the males will swim off into the distance. Once the fry hatch, they will have to face the big wide ocean by themselves. But what is really special is that the blue tang eggs only take one day to hatch after they have been fertilized; they don’t mess around!
However, when the fry hatch, they aren’t fully formed and amass into something of a ‘soup’ as they develop further. Once they are fully formed into tiny tangs, they begin to feed from the reef and over time, their behaviors and appearance will change.
When attempting to breed blue tangs in captivity, you first need to ensure that you have a male and a female. While both look similar, it is usually simple to tell them apart as the males are typically larger. Placing two adult males in the same tank will likely result in fighting.
Temperament And Behavior
Much like the blue tang, Dory, we all know and love from the movies, real life blue hippo tangs are just as skittish. For this reason, it may take these fish a little longer to get used to their new environment and you will likely notice them spending a lot of time hiding out. It is important to have a lot of space for them to shelter while they become used to their tank mates but be sure that your corals are secure, as the blue tang could easily dislodge loose decor.
To encourage your new fish to explore the tank and feel comfortable, it is not only what is going on inside but what the blue tang can see from the outside. When you bring your fish home, make sure that the surrounding room is quiet and that nobody makes any sudden movements.
If a blue tang feels immensely threatened, they may play dead. This is a survival technique that they would use in the wild and while it is far less common in captivity, it isn’t unheard of. That said, if you do notice your blue tang looking a little worse for wear, don’t immediately assume that it has died.
Generally speaking, adding a blue tang to your thriving aquarium won’t cause any disruption. These are reef safe fish who will not cause any damage to your corals. Moreover, they will get along well with their tank mates and aren’t likely to become aggressive unless they feel very threatened. With that in mind, it is important to note that male blue tangs will ‘sword’ fight with their caudal spines so again, it pays to make sure that there is plenty of room for each fish.
Suitable Tank Mates
Blue tangs are known to become aggressive and very territorial when kept with others of the same species. We would advise keeping no more than two blue tangs in any single tank and if you are going to do this, you will need to make sure that the tank is larger so that the fish can have their own space.
But it is important to keep in mind that if you have two males, it is not uncommon for them to fight to the death. This is true of many other tang species, including the yellow tang.
In general, the blue tang will remain pretty docile but once established in the tank community, he will be one of the more dominant fish. That said, they do pair very well with other popular marine species including the clownfish. If you’re looking for your very own Nemo and Dory, you’ll be very pleased to hear this. On the other hand, it is a wise idea to avoid keeping them with any other type of surgeonfish.
In addition, your blue tang will thrive alongside saltwater angelfish, wrasse, chromis, and cardinals. However, keeping other large fish in the same tank may be problematic. There have been lots of horror stories where even experienced saltwater aquarists have attempted to keep triggerfish with blue tangs only to find the pair are very aggressive towards one another as they fight for dominance.
Health
You would think that, owing to its popularity, the blue tang would be quite a healthy fish. After all, tank owners wouldn’t want the hassle of taking care of a fish that was prone to diseases, right? Well, you’d be surprised. Despite being one of the most popular reef fish on the planet, the blue tang is susceptible to a few health problems.
One of the most common problems for the blue tang when kept in a domestic reef tank is known as marine ick which is a protozoan disease. This problem is largely down to the condition of the immune system but factors like diet can also play a part in whether an individual blue tang is more or less susceptible.
If you use a filtration system that uses carbon, then you should be very careful keeping blue tangs. This compound is known to cause a disease in the species called head and lateral line erosion. The first symptoms of the condition tend to be pitted holes which develop initially around the eye area before spreading down towards the tail.
Head and lateral line erosion won’t kill a blue tang but it will leave it with serious scarring so it is worth looking into treatments if you notice this. Of course, not using carbon filters is a great place to start. In addition, altering the diet of the fish may help.
FAQs
Are blue tangs poisonous?
You could be forgiven for thinking that these beautiful fish pose no threat but it may surprise you to learn that the blue tang has the potential to poison. When the fish feel threatened, they have a spine which contains venom that they use to protect themselves. According to the National Geographic, it has been noted that blue tangs will bring on some pretty disturbing symptoms when eaten by humans.
Are blue tangs good for beginners?
If you are just setting up a saltwater tank, it may be best to start off with other fish and work towards owning a blue tang. Since these fish are quite complex to take care of and are prone to certain skin diseases, it takes a slightly more experienced aquarist to help them thrive.
How Long Do Blue Tangs Live?
In the wild, Blue Tangs can live as long as 30 years! However, this age is not as common in captive blue hippos tangs where they would normally live for anywhere from 8 to 20 years depending on the tank conditions, diet, health, and other factors.
In some situations, it is not unheard of for captive blue tangs to live as little as five years. But provided you follow the right care plan, you should have much greater success than this.
Conclusion
The blue tang is an incredibly popular saltwater fish which can be seen in home aquariums all over the world. Thanks to a huge marketing boost in the form of the Pixar movies, Finding Nemo and later, Finding Dory, these fish are widely sought after.
But just because they look cute in the movies, that doesn’t mean that everyone should head to the pet store and buy their very own blue tang. Of course, it is entirely possible to keep them in captivity and many people do this successfully but you should always ensure that you are able to provide the space and care that these fish need.
