Orange-Shoulder Tang
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set-man
Member
The orange-shoulder tang does need a larger tank because it is an more of an open water fish than the others. Like all tangs, greens are required. It is hardy once acclimitized to a tank. It can be a bit touchy at first, especially if the tank conditions are not perfect. It is not the best aquarium fish especially in terms of tangs (due to its need for large tanks)and you might be better served with another type.
jollygreen68
Member
This fish is not reef safe, it is very hardy, and needs to be in a huge tank with only aggressive tankmates. According to most experienced experts this thing might rank in the top 3 marine fish available to buy for sheer meaness and aggression. It is an unholy terror and can be downright mean as heck. Along with the clown tang and a few other fish, this guy is the biggest baddest mother out there for a home aquarium. It is very active, constantly swimming, eating, and deficating, and grows to well over a foot in length. Only consider this guy if you have a 6-8' long tank that is at least 150g, more like a 8' long 200+g. Also only keep with other very aggressive fish and absolutely no other acanthurus tangs. The other poster said it can be kept with other tangs and should be added first, this is very wrong. On the contrary, it should be added last and added at a smaller size so as to possibley reduce it's aggression. I don't know what the author is thinking(or maybe the poster just looked at the wrong fish description), the point being, this guy is not going to be making any buddies and is going to be big, messy, and mean. Goodluck.
Jollygreen
Jollygreen
tjswanson
Member
OMG! LOL!!! Sorry, but orange-shoulder tangs ARE NOT MEAN. Orange shoulder tangs are one of the best tangs to have. The one I had ate anything and was very docile accepting any new fish. I had a 125g tank and it did just fine. This fish is also one of the last fish to show signs of disease. Take it from a shark! This fish is awesome, but if you plan on putting it in your 40g. I wouldn't. This fish does need at least a 6' long tank, they love to swim. TJ
jollygreen68
Member
Hey, like I said guys, I have never owned one, but from what the experts say, this fish is a bad ass fish and needs to only be with other aggressive fish. I don't doubt that the author you speak of has many years of knowledge, but the authors I speak of have actual hands on experience with thousands of these specimens over their lifetime. So don't argue with me, go tell it to Robert Fenner and Michael Paletta, they will tell you the same thing I just told the original poster, beause I basically quoted them word for word. As always, some people relate their own limited experiences to ALL fish of that kind, when in reality they may have a non normal specimen. I'm sure some orange-shoulders are nice and get along with other fish, but from what two of the most respected fish experts today have to say, they are not. I love how some people get all upset about this stuff and go nuts and start ranting and raving about how you don't know this or that, when in fact both parties are partially right or one or both are mis-informed. I never said that I know for a fact that orange-shoulders are mean fish, I just have read a few books from some of the most respected authors and relayed their vast hands on knowledge to the poster. One point that Mr Fenner makes is that not every person will have the same experience with every fish, they are just like humans, different. But when he makes generalizations, it's for a reason, because most specimens of the thousands he has witnessed, owned, etc have a certain type of behavior. And so when he writes a book he puts down these general attitudes of the fish because most, not all, will behave this way. I have never read or heard anywhere that orange-shoulders are nice peaceful reef fish. If this was the case why are they not kept more often? Hmmmm
Email Mr Fenner himself and ask him about the orange-shoulder or go to his wetwebmedia website and check out the description for the orangeshoulder. Don't kill the messanger dude, I am just relaying info that is common knowledge. If you diagree, that is fine, email Bob Fenner and talk with him about the fish. I was just tyring to help the poster not make a mistake, but obviously my help is not wanted. Hasta la Suerta, Jolly
Email Mr Fenner himself and ask him about the orange-shoulder or go to his wetwebmedia website and check out the description for the orangeshoulder. Don't kill the messanger dude, I am just relaying info that is common knowledge. If you diagree, that is fine, email Bob Fenner and talk with him about the fish. I was just tyring to help the poster not make a mistake, but obviously my help is not wanted. Hasta la Suerta, Jolly
saltfish4me
New Member
I am not here to argue with anyones opinion but for first hand experience I have also had one in a 125 and it was a model citizen very peaceful and it ended up being to peaceful as it was killed by a purple tang that was much smaller than it.
tjswanson
Member
I think you have your facts wrong. Because I have books by those exact 2 authors and they say Orange-shoulder tangs are docile and should be added before other tangs. OH and you want to know why they aren't kept more????? Well, most people don't think they look that good and there for since they aren't in high demand LFS don't usually order them. Anytime I've seen them at my LFS they are pretty cheap, about 30$... The one I had was extremely fat and loved to eat, but I've also seen specimen not want to eat. But any experience I've had was a good. And they are reef safe! Any tang can be put in a reef! TJ
[ October 31, 2001: Message edited by: tjswanson ]
[ October 31, 2001: Message edited by: tjswanson ]
jollygreen68
Member
Originally posted by tjswanson:
<STRONG>I think you have your facts wrong. Because I have books by those exact 2 authors and they say Orange-shoulder tangs are docile and should be added before other tangs. TJ</STRONG>
TJ, no disrespect, but I don't think I do have my facts wrong unless Mr Fenner has mixed up this fish with another on his website. This is the exact words of Fenner for the description of Acanthurus Olivaceus: "the Orange Spot/Shoulder Tang. A hardy fish out of Hawaii and elsewhere, but unfortunately, a behavioral terror in the ranks of A. lineatus(clown tang). This is an active fish that grows to more than a foot in length. Place only with MEAN tankmates. A juvenile and adult pictured, Fiji and Hawai'i respectively." It is also a known fact that acanthurus tangs are the dominant tang when there is more than one, unless for some reason another tang is abnormally aggressive and the acanthurus is abnormally passive/peaceful. I don't want to argue with you guys, you have more knowledge than I do and I love talking to this group about fish, but I know what I read. Maybe Mr Fenner accidentlly has put another description for the orange-shoulder instead of the correct one. Maybe if you email him, he would love to tell you all about the fish and that way we can know for sure what to tell the poster about this fish. If it is a peaceful fish than I might think about keeping one, but from what I have read they don't seem this way. I would urge you to check out the wetwebmedia website and email Mr Fenner himself and ask him about this fish as I am curious as well. Hasta la Suerta, Jolly
<STRONG>I think you have your facts wrong. Because I have books by those exact 2 authors and they say Orange-shoulder tangs are docile and should be added before other tangs. TJ</STRONG>
TJ, no disrespect, but I don't think I do have my facts wrong unless Mr Fenner has mixed up this fish with another on his website. This is the exact words of Fenner for the description of Acanthurus Olivaceus: "the Orange Spot/Shoulder Tang. A hardy fish out of Hawaii and elsewhere, but unfortunately, a behavioral terror in the ranks of A. lineatus(clown tang). This is an active fish that grows to more than a foot in length. Place only with MEAN tankmates. A juvenile and adult pictured, Fiji and Hawai'i respectively." It is also a known fact that acanthurus tangs are the dominant tang when there is more than one, unless for some reason another tang is abnormally aggressive and the acanthurus is abnormally passive/peaceful. I don't want to argue with you guys, you have more knowledge than I do and I love talking to this group about fish, but I know what I read. Maybe Mr Fenner accidentlly has put another description for the orange-shoulder instead of the correct one. Maybe if you email him, he would love to tell you all about the fish and that way we can know for sure what to tell the poster about this fish. If it is a peaceful fish than I might think about keeping one, but from what I have read they don't seem this way. I would urge you to check out the wetwebmedia website and email Mr Fenner himself and ask him about this fish as I am curious as well. Hasta la Suerta, Jolly
tjswanson
Member
I have to agree w/ Old Yeller Tang. I think that is a HUGE misprint.... Unless he's had some really mean orange-shoulders... I take no disrespect from ya Jolly. It's what you saw... But I know I have books by authors and divers known around the world and I've never heard of that tang being mean. Honestly, look at some other books, they are reef safe and very docile! TJ
jollygreen68
Member
It must be a misprint or something if all of you guys know. I was just going on what Mr Fenner has as the description for the orange-shoulder and it must be for another fish. It wasn't for the sohal though, but I guess it musn't be for the orange-shoulder. I will read some other books and see what they say, but I believe you TJ (and others). I was just like, how can these guys be saying this fish is friendly when it says right in front of me that it is a mean son of a biatch. Well that changes things for me, I might add one of those fish now, and good thing I found out now and not later. Talk to you guys later, thanks for catching my mistake. Jolly