Purple Tang
Zebrasoma xanthurum

Surgeon fish are named for the scalpel like appendage found at the base of the tail which these fish use to defend of show agression towards others. They will extend it and swim backwards attempting to cut whichever fish they are going after at the time. These fish often grow fairly large and need a lot of swiming room. Often times people try and cram these fish into tanks entirely too small and the fish ends up nervous pacing back and forth, getting sick and then dieing and the aquarist can't figure out for the life of them what happened so they just try again with another tang.

Lately there seems to be some question as to just how reef safe tangs really are. I can personally attest that I had two tangs which developed a taste for coral and killed many before I figured out what was going on. Because of this, I have given serious thought to whether or not I would include a tang in my own personal tanks from now on.

Tangs spend most of their day grazing on algae which makes up most of their diet. If keeping a tang it's recommended that a piece of nori be provided rubberbanded to a rock or in a lettuce clip to allow the tang to eat when the mood strikes it throughout the day. Please do NOT feed your tangs lettuce. This is simply a filler and probably does them as much good as a strict diet of marshmallows would do your kids.

Tangs should be kept one to a tank unless you have a very large tank. Even then only one tang of a certain color or body shape should be kept to limit aggression. And even in this case, the aquarist should try and add both tangs at the same time. Once a tang has established a territory it will defend against any newcomer, especially another tang sometimes to the point where the new comer or the tang die from stress or wounds inflicted. It's recommended a tang be added after all the more docile fish planned for the tank have been added. A tang can even cause stress to another fish by it's busy nature, constantly swimming in and out of the rock structure.

Purple tangs are one type of tang which appreciates more protien in their diet than other tangs. As with all other fish you should take care to provide your fish a varied and nutritious diet. Other than having an adequately sized tank for these fish there are really no other special care considerations above what you'd need for most other tangs.