Powder blue and brown
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wangotango
Active Member
from what i know both get rather large, and the powder blue is especially prone to get ich. i'm not too sure about aggression though, but i think that this is one of the more aggressive tang groups, but again im not too sure.
durgeonman
Member
IME they are both difficult to keep. they are very prone to ick. more so then anyother tang. i have tryed a powder blue twice and one died in QT cuase of ick. the other was in my main tank for a few months. after a while it too got ick and it never got over it. i treated it for almost a month before he died. that being said there are many people out there that have great success with keeping both of these fishes. its all a matter of finding a good specimen and being prepared for disease.
pallan
Member
Originally Posted by durgeonman
IME they are both difficult to keep. they are very prone to ick. more so then anyother tang. i have tryed a powder blue twice and one died in QT cuase of ick. the other was in my main tank for a few months. after a while it too got ick and it never got over it. i treated it for almost a month before he died. that being said there are many people out there that have great success with keeping both of these fishes. its all a matter of finding a good specimen and being prepared for disease.
my experience almost exactly except for the fact i had two seperate browns. moved away from these types of tangs and i now have a purple instead.
IME they are both difficult to keep. they are very prone to ick. more so then anyother tang. i have tryed a powder blue twice and one died in QT cuase of ick. the other was in my main tank for a few months. after a while it too got ick and it never got over it. i treated it for almost a month before he died. that being said there are many people out there that have great success with keeping both of these fishes. its all a matter of finding a good specimen and being prepared for disease.
my experience almost exactly except for the fact i had two seperate browns. moved away from these types of tangs and i now have a purple instead.
briant0625
Member
how are hippos to take care of?
dogstar
Active Member
All tangs have a higher difficult level than most other easier and common fish kept in the hobby....
The powders are in a Genus Acanthurus that are even more difficult than other tangs and several of those species are even harder than others....The P. Blue is one of the most aggressive and territorial and can stress very easy due to that type of personality.
The two commonly called P.Browns...one, known as the whiteface (A. japonicus) is not as high strung and some what easier than the whitecheeck (A. nigricans) that rarely survives at all in captivity...
The powders are in a Genus Acanthurus that are even more difficult than other tangs and several of those species are even harder than others....The P. Blue is one of the most aggressive and territorial and can stress very easy due to that type of personality.
The two commonly called P.Browns...one, known as the whiteface (A. japonicus) is not as high strung and some what easier than the whitecheeck (A. nigricans) that rarely survives at all in captivity...
stanlalee
Active Member
this site has its powder brown and white cheek characteristics confused. a few species tangs are sold as powder browns and appearently they made a mix up somewhere. I checked at least two other reputable sources that say this site has it wrong.
here's a cut and paste I wrote in another thread:
well there is some cause for confusion here. According to wetweb the ones sold as gold rim here and white cheek at the doctors ( A. nigricans) have a poor captivity record but the one sold as powder brown (A. japonicus) on this site are relatively hardy. as does marine depot say the same thing.
Acanthurus (glaucopareius) nigricans (Linnaeus 1958), the Powder Brown or Gold-Rimmed Surgeon (and Whitecheek Surgeon to science). The corrected scientific name of this species is A. nigricans (per Randall, 1988); a revision no doubt as unpopular to some as my labeling the species as "bad". The very similar A. japonicus is a far better aquarium fish; A. nigricans rarely lives for more than a few months in captivity.
Acanthurus japonicus (Fowler 1946), the Japanese or White-Faced Surgeonfish; is also sold as a/the Gold-Rimmed or Powder-Brown Surgeon, confusing it with A. glaucopareius (nigricans) (see below). To further confuse matters, this fish is also sold as the Whitecheek Surgeon/Tang in the aquarium trade...A. japonicus has a much larger white eye patch. Ranges from the Philippines to Japan and is relatively hardy.
White Cheek Tang - Acanthurus nigricans
Also known as: Whitecheek, Powder Brown, Gold-Rimmed Surgeon
Maximum Size: the Acanthurus nigricans grows up to 10 inches.
General Size Specifications: The small size will come to you generally 1 to 2 inches; the medium generally 3 to 4 inches; the large generally 5 to 6 inches.
Minimum Tank Size: The White Cheek Tang prefers a tank of at least 100 gallons with plenty of places to hide & swim.
Diet: The Acanthurus nigricans is a herbivore and likes to eat Dried Seaweed (best), marine algae, mysid shrimp, Spirulina, Romaine Lettuce (blanched) , fresh seaweed, and other meaty treats.
Level of Care: The White Cheek Tang is a high maintenance fish.
Behavior: The White Cheek Tang may act peacefully toward other fish.
Hardiness: this is not a hardy fish
Powder Brown Tang - Acanthurus japonicus
Also known as: Powder Brown Surgeon
Maximum Size: the Acanthurus japonicus grows up to 10 inches.
General Size Specifications: The small size will come to you generally 1 to 2 inches; the medium generally 3 to 4 inches; the large generally 5 to 6 inches.
Minimum Tank Size: The Powder Brown Tang prefers a tank of at least 100 gallons with plenty of places to hide & swim.
Diet: The Acanthurus japonicus is a herbivore and likes to eat Dried Seaweed (best), marine algae, mysid shrimp, Spirulina, Romaine Lettuce (blanched) , fresh seaweed, and other meaty treats.
Level of Care: The Powder Brown Tang is a medium maintenance fish.
Behavior: The Powder Brown Tang may act peacefully toward other fish.
Hardiness: This is a hardy fish
this site is mistaken listing what they sell as white cheeks as "easy" when they have a very poor survival rate and what they sell as powder brown moderate when they have a good success rate as far as tangs go. Powder blues are somewhere inbetween. prone to ich but not the poor record of white cheek (Acanthurus nigrican) or achilles tang.
here's a cut and paste I wrote in another thread:
well there is some cause for confusion here. According to wetweb the ones sold as gold rim here and white cheek at the doctors ( A. nigricans) have a poor captivity record but the one sold as powder brown (A. japonicus) on this site are relatively hardy. as does marine depot say the same thing.
Acanthurus (glaucopareius) nigricans (Linnaeus 1958), the Powder Brown or Gold-Rimmed Surgeon (and Whitecheek Surgeon to science). The corrected scientific name of this species is A. nigricans (per Randall, 1988); a revision no doubt as unpopular to some as my labeling the species as "bad". The very similar A. japonicus is a far better aquarium fish; A. nigricans rarely lives for more than a few months in captivity.
Acanthurus japonicus (Fowler 1946), the Japanese or White-Faced Surgeonfish; is also sold as a/the Gold-Rimmed or Powder-Brown Surgeon, confusing it with A. glaucopareius (nigricans) (see below). To further confuse matters, this fish is also sold as the Whitecheek Surgeon/Tang in the aquarium trade...A. japonicus has a much larger white eye patch. Ranges from the Philippines to Japan and is relatively hardy.
White Cheek Tang - Acanthurus nigricans
Also known as: Whitecheek, Powder Brown, Gold-Rimmed Surgeon
Maximum Size: the Acanthurus nigricans grows up to 10 inches.
General Size Specifications: The small size will come to you generally 1 to 2 inches; the medium generally 3 to 4 inches; the large generally 5 to 6 inches.
Minimum Tank Size: The White Cheek Tang prefers a tank of at least 100 gallons with plenty of places to hide & swim.
Diet: The Acanthurus nigricans is a herbivore and likes to eat Dried Seaweed (best), marine algae, mysid shrimp, Spirulina, Romaine Lettuce (blanched) , fresh seaweed, and other meaty treats.
Level of Care: The White Cheek Tang is a high maintenance fish.
Behavior: The White Cheek Tang may act peacefully toward other fish.
Hardiness: this is not a hardy fish
Powder Brown Tang - Acanthurus japonicus
Also known as: Powder Brown Surgeon
Maximum Size: the Acanthurus japonicus grows up to 10 inches.
General Size Specifications: The small size will come to you generally 1 to 2 inches; the medium generally 3 to 4 inches; the large generally 5 to 6 inches.
Minimum Tank Size: The Powder Brown Tang prefers a tank of at least 100 gallons with plenty of places to hide & swim.
Diet: The Acanthurus japonicus is a herbivore and likes to eat Dried Seaweed (best), marine algae, mysid shrimp, Spirulina, Romaine Lettuce (blanched) , fresh seaweed, and other meaty treats.
Level of Care: The Powder Brown Tang is a medium maintenance fish.
Behavior: The Powder Brown Tang may act peacefully toward other fish.
Hardiness: This is a hardy fish
this site is mistaken listing what they sell as white cheeks as "easy" when they have a very poor survival rate and what they sell as powder brown moderate when they have a good success rate as far as tangs go. Powder blues are somewhere inbetween. prone to ich but not the poor record of white cheek (Acanthurus nigrican) or achilles tang.
clekchau
Member
Originally Posted by durgeonman
IME they are both difficult to keep. they are very prone to ick. more so then anyother tang. i have tryed a powder blue twice and one died in QT cuase of ick. the other was in my main tank for a few months. after a while it too got ick and it never got over it. i treated it for almost a month before he died. that being said there are many people out there that have great success with keeping both of these fishes. its all a matter of finding a good specimen and being prepared for disease.
well said , especially the last sentence