Tang-talizing

A tang is also known as a surgeon fish. This is because of the scalpel that they have at the base of their tail. The scalpel is used as a defensive weapon - I usually have le-Mon size my hand up when cleaning the tanks front screen. In bigger fish, this scalpel can cause some damage to a human hand.

He is a very inquisitive fish and its something that appears to be common amongst grazers, especially once the realise this is the hand that feeds them. He enjoys swimming around the tank looking for something to graze on, so we break the grazer blocks into small peices and put a small piece in everyday in a different location.

These fish are on the difficult side to keep as they can be susceptible to disease easier than most fish, especially contracting ich from stress. How a fish gets stressed, i am not really sure - although having a few faces stare at you all do could make most people suspicious and stressed. We have had a bit of a problem where he has developed a few red blotches on his skin. We haven't been able to make out what has caused it, but it seems to have stabilised and start improving. I treated with some general reef safe medication and performed countless water changes. On that, it seemed i had a nitrate explosion, so it could have been that, but i can't be sure.

One thing to bear in mind with these fish is that there is a ver split opinion on forums regarding a suitable size tank. Most say that it should be kept in 200l plus tanks, so if you have a smaller tank, beware of the tang police! My tank may be on the small size, but i have scaped my tank to ensure that i have maximised my tank swimming space. Also i have ensured that he is adequately fed and leave him food challenges to ensure he is "entertained".

I really enjoy the character that Le-Mon brings to the tank. He is also a nice eye catcher with his vibrant yellow colour.