{"id":631,"date":"2022-05-17T09:30:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-17T13:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lionfishlair.com\/?p=631"},"modified":"2023-04-14T07:29:08","modified_gmt":"2023-04-14T11:29:08","slug":"clown-tang-fish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lionfishlair.com\/clown-tang-fish\/","title":{"rendered":"Clown Tang Care Guide – Everything You Need To Know"},"content":{"rendered":"
When you are looking for the perfect fish to join your community, a brilliant option would be the Clown Tang, which also goes by the name of Striped Surgeonfish, Clown Surgeonfish, Lined Surgeonfish, or Blue-banded Surgeonfish, as well as the scientific name of Acanthurus lineatus.<\/p>\n
This remarkable fish is covered in bright, horizontal striping that encompass their bright yellow or orange bodies, accompanied by large peduncle spines. They are a member of the Tang family<\/a>, or Surgeonfish family, with their natural habitat being the waters of Fiji, the Maldives, and New Caledonia.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Despite being beautiful and entertaining fish, they are very hard to keep, and require you to have plenty of experience in keeping saltwater fish of a similar size with similar requirements. The reason why they are hard to keep is that they are very aggressive fish, as well as being non-hardy, meaning they will pick up diseases easily if their tank requirements have not been met. <\/p>\n Oh, and their tank requirements are very specific and must be monitored constantly, but more about that later. The last reason for clown tangs being hard to keep is that they are big fish, requiring a large fish tank, which, as you probably know, are extremely difficult to establish and maintain.<\/p>\n Now, let’s dive into our guide on how you can keep a healthy and happy clown tang!<\/p>\n Here is an overview\/summary of the clown tang as well as the topics that are covered in this clown tang guide:<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Clown tangs are brilliant fish, however, as mentioned previously, they are not compatible with beginner hobbyists and require a large tank to swim around happily and live a healthy life.<\/p>\n It is important to know the size, behavioral tendencies, and personality of your desired fish before making the all-important decision to acquire one.<\/p>\n Tangs as a species have somewhat of a reputation for perhaps not being the friendliest of fish especially with one another, and the clowns are no different, notorious for being one of the more aggressive types of Tangs<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n It is always a good idea with aggressive Tangs to keep them singularly, they tend to be happier alone, and keeping them away from other types of Tangs sharing similar shapes and sizes would also be a smart idea. You will find as you venture further down your hobbyist journey having a \u201ctank bully\u201d is kind of an inevitability, and the Clown Tang will usually become just that, even if they are smaller than the average adult-sized fish.<\/p>\n Much like other Tangs, Clown Tangs have a sharp and often venomous spine running along both sides of the caudal fin, which is typically used by them to defend themselves and their territory \u2013 so be careful when handling them, and look out for, and avoid touching them, and especially this fin! The venom from their spine can land you in all sorts of trouble, so, again, be very careful when placing your hands in their tank.<\/p>\n The reasons for the Clown Tangs having such distinctive, almost disc-shaped bodies are because of the dorsal and anal fins being much larger in these types of Tangs. When the fins are at full extension, the height of the fish measures almost the same as the length of them.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Clown Tangs are definitely not a small fish, growing to around 15 inches (40 cm) in length when an adult, this means that it is incredibly important to keep them in a large and suitably sized tank\/aquarium. They also require plenty of spaces to hide, but also enjoy swimming around and will likely occupy all areas of your tank.<\/p>\n Now that we have dived into the appearance, personality, and hobbyist compatibility, it makes sense to take a look at their tank setup and requirements.<\/p>\n As we know, clown tangs are big fish and can grow to incredibly large sizes, which is why they require such a big tank size. The minimum tank size for clown tangs should be 250 gallons (949 liters), this allows them to move around freely and have enough space to explore. Additionally, it will help smaller fish in your tank discover hiding spots and places to rest when your clown tang is looking for prey.<\/p>\n The graphic below displays the classic tank size you will need to keep a clown tang happy and healthy, which is 250 gallons, as well as the dimensions for this size aquarium (width, length, and height):<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Clown tangs are tropical saltwater fish that require a temperature range of 75 – 82\u00b0F (24 to 28\u00b0C). They also need a pH level ranging between 8.1 and 8.4, a water hardness between 8 to 12, and a salinity 1.020-1.025.<\/p>\n Below is a graphic showcasing the general tank requirements for a clown tang – including the temperature range, ideal pH level, salinity, and water hardness:<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n In terms of acclimatization, you will need to place the fish in a bucket and then drip acclimate<\/a> for 1 hour (60 minutes) at a rate of 3 drips per second, which will then bring the Clown Tangs water parameters in line with your tanks.<\/p>\nClown Tang Overview and General Information<\/h2>\n
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Clown Tang Behavior and Appearance<\/h2>\n
Behavior and Personality<\/h3>\n
Appearance and Size<\/h3>\n
Clown Tang Tank Setup<\/h2>\n
Tank Size<\/h3>\n
Temperature and pH Level<\/h3>\n
Acclimitization<\/h3>\n