Any Clown Tang (a. lineatus) success stories?

[seaguru]

Any Clown Tang (a. lineatus) success stories?
If ANY actually exist!

Would any fanatics out there please share any details to your success (spelled: kept greater than 1 year and it NOT killing most of his other tank mates) with the infamous Acanthurus Lineatus or standard "Clown Tang"?

Please contribute:

-tank size
-its size, initially and currently
-# and kinds of other tangs if any
-frequency of feedings

Thanks

 

[Anonymous]

So I don't fit the criteria, but I thought I should post anyway. I've had an A. lineatus for about 9 months now. I initially kept it in a 125 gallon when it was only 4" long with a couple fairy and flasher wrasses. No behavior problems, but it was clear the wrasses avoided the tang. It was a temporary home.

I then moved the tang to a 300 gallon tank containing a moray, dogface puffer, and most importantly, a much larger Paracanthurus hepatus around 6".

The A. lineatus approached and tried to fight the P. hepatus about 15 seconds after I released it into the aquarium. This subsided after the first day, and all was well for awhile. About 2 weeks later, the P. hepatus would consistently chase the A. lineatus into a corner of the tank. I let this continue for about a week before I removed the larger tang.

Since then I have added a flame angel and one spot or foxface rabbitfish to the tank. The A. lineatus is curious and initially shows aggression but gets along with both just fine--for now.

As far as health goes he has grown about an inch and is definitely thicker than when I bought him. No pinched belly, no loss of color, etc. Of course, I know 4 other people who bought one the same size at the same time--all are dead now. All were kept in large, clean reef tanks. Some refused to feed, some did and just croaked anyway.

I feed him broccoli, nori, fresh seaweed, and some herbivore flake food. He also eats frozen mysis.

Done rambling, hope this helps, Matt

 

[reefdood]

Can't help ya. I had one for 3+ years, feeding off Nori with selcon dripped on it. BUT it would kill all other tangs I tried to introduce. He was a rowdy one. Used to splash water out my 90 gallon while treading the water surface. This meant "Feed me f***er!!!"

I find they are hit and miss. Some peoople have great success, some people can't keep them alive.

 

[reefdood]

 

[reefdood]

 

[EmilyB]

I didn't find the clown tang any different from any other acanthurus tang really. It was definitely the boss of the tank (a 155g).

I found it a new, bigger home within a year as it's constant swimming, pacing, was really distracting in a reef tank.

I really liked the fish. I am a big feeder and kept it fat.

 

[dcamp]

I've had one know for about 4-1/2 years.Started out about 2" in a 75 with a 2-3" yellow tang. At 3-4" it was moved to a 150 with the yellow tang, 4" sailfin tang,4-5" two bar rabbit fish and other small fish. At 6" it was moved into my 300 with the yellow and sailfin. There was a Viamingi tang and a powder blue already in the tank. The powder blue chased the clown tang for a little while then settled down. The vaimingi pretty well rules the tank. All fish are fed New Life Spectrum Marine Formula once a day as their main diet from the first week i have had them. Most clown tangs are caught with cyanide so research where they are from before you buy. Quarrentine is very important step also. Minimum 6 foot tank for anything over 4". Only real problem is he likes to move small corals around in the tank. He will pick them up and carry them across the tank then drop them.