Sohal Tang : Care Guide On The Large And Aggressive Sohal Tang

Scientific Name : Acanthurus Sohal

Origin : Red Sea

DIfficulty : Medium

Minimum Size Tank : 100+ gallons

Temperament : Aggressive

Temperature : 72 - 82°F

Reef Safe : yes

Maximum Size : 15 inches

Diet : Mainly herbivorous in the wild.

The Sohal Tang is without a doubt one of the most beautiful fish in the surgeonfish family. It is my favorite tang alongside the equally stunning Achilles Tang. It has a cream body featuring black/dark blue horizontal bars starting from the eyes through to the body. Its anal, dorsal and tail fins are lined with an electric blue. Stunning fish.

Common names include the Majestic Tang, Zebra Tang and the Arabian Tang. The sohal tang is highly prized among tang lovers and as such commands a high price.

An expensive fish, expect to pay about $150 USD for smaller specimens. Larger specimens retail within the lower $200 range. Not cheap but well worth the price.

Like most tangs, the sohal tang is susceptible to ich, hole in the head and lateral line erosion so pay careful attention to the specimen you're considering. Do not buy any specimens that exhibit scratching, a sure sign of ich or marine velvet.

The Sohal Tang is one of the most aggressive in the surgeonfish family. Not even other species of fish are spared at times.

It is a big and fearless tang known to even try and chase off divers in the wild.

It is very aggressive towards members of the same species and towards other members of the surgeonfish family, especially those belonging to the genus acanthurus. Deaths stemming from hostilities are not uncommon.

I've included a video, a video of a Sohal Tang chasing its owners cleaning apparatus during routine maintenance.

Unlike other species of tangs the Sohal Tang is normally found living alone in the wild. They may sometimes school together but that is an uncommon occurrence.

If you plan on keeping more than one Sohal tang in a single aquarium, don't. Introducing a sohal tang to a tank with another established sohal tang almost surely means one of them will end up dying.

This fish is huge, it can get up to a foot and a half in the wild. Though it is more likely to attain lengths of 10 inches in captivity.

A marine aquarium no smaller than a 100 gallons is needed to house a Sohal Tang.

They require a lot of swimming space so always aim for the largest tank you can afford. Bigger is better.

They also require a spot to sleep at night, ensure there is an ample amount of live rock to accommodate your Sohal Tangs needs.

Sohal Tangs graze on algae in huge shoals in the wild. They are reef safe, making them great choices for large reef aquariums.

Once acclimated, they accept a variety of foods other than algae. They will eat brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, krill and whatever else you offer.

Seeing as how algae makes up a large part of their diets in the wild, they should be getting large amounts of algae based foods in our tanks as well.

Algae sheets like nori are a great algae to feed all herbivorous fish.Prices vary greatly depending on the brand. Julian Sprungs Sea Veggies may be a little too pricey for some. They produce good algae sheets though. They come in flake form too, making feedings very convenient.

Thankfully there are many other brands that produce nori primarily for human consumption. High quality sheets can cost quite a bit while the regular stuff is very affordable.

A clip is normally used to secure the nori for feeding. Commercial clips are cheap, but you could probably DIY one yourself with some household items. The sheets are sometimes rolled up and cut beforehand, most however, feed it as is. Use the suction cup to attach it to your aquarium and you're done, you can enjoy the show.

Formula Two is a good quality algae based mix for herbivores. It has an extra amount of algae in it along with a good mix of seafood, trace minerals, vitamins and more. It is available as a flake food, pellet or frozen cube.

The best flake for surgeonfish are those produced by two little fishes, Sea Veggie mixed flakes, Formula Two comes in second. It you're looking a great all rounder with balanced ingredients then you can't go wrong with New Life Spectrum pellets.

Never feed your tangs lettuce. I see this happening mainly in pet stores, probably trying to save a buck or two. Nutritionally, lettuce offers very little and should not have a place in this hobby.