Powder Blue Tang

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Acanthurus leucosternon

Powder Blue Tangs (also known as Surgeon Fish) are widely sought after for their incredible beauty and coloration. Striking yellow lines the dorsal fin and a soft, velvety blue makes up the body, accented with white and black. Surgeon Fish have scalpels on their sides near their tail-fin that they use to defend themselves. These scalpel's can be very sharp.

Use caution when housing with other Tangs or Surgeonfish. Similar shaped Tangs can be very aggressive towards each other. Although Tangs will eat meaty foods along with the other fish in the aquarium, it is important that they are offered plenty of marine based seaweed and algae.

The Powder Blue is like Elanor for many reefers. It is well known that tangs have a penchant for Marine Ich and other diseases due to their lack of slime coating. The Powder Blue Tang in particular is known to be disease prone. We highly encourage quarantining all fish, but especially Surgeon Fish. We do our best to quarantine all fish at Reef Chasers but there can be absolutely no guarantees.

Tang's can typically get along if they are not the same species and/or ample living space is provided given they are introduced at the appropriate size & time. The powder blue tang can be aggressive, especially when larger so often times it is the last fish that a reef keeper will add.