QUICK STATS

Care Level: Moderate to Difficult
Diet: Herbivore / Omnivore
Temperament: Semi-Aggressive
Reef-Safe: Yes
Venomous/Toxic: No
Approximate Purchase Size: 2-5"
Approximate Max Size: Around 8-9"
Recommended Tank Size: 125 Gallons or Larger

WHITE CHEEK TANG

The White Cheek Tang (Acanthurus nigricans), also known as the Gold Rim Tang or Whitecheek Surgeonfish, is a striking surgeonfish known for its dark brown to black body, yellow fin edging, bright white cheek marking, and elegant reef-patrolling behavior. It has a cleaner, darker appearance than the Powder Brown Tang, with a smaller white cheek patch near the face and bold yellow accents along the dorsal and anal fins.

White Cheek Tangs are beautiful, active, and highly rewarding fish, but they are not one of the easiest tangs. They require strong water quality, high oxygenation, excellent diet, mature live rock, and careful acclimation. They can be sensitive during transport and may be more prone to stress-related issues than hardier tang species. In plain English: this is not the tang for someone whose aquarium maintenance plan is “vibes and maybe a water change eventually.”

This species is considered reef-safe and should not bother corals or most invertebrates when properly fed. Like other Acanthurus tangs, it may become territorial toward other tangs or similarly shaped algae grazers. It is best suited for established reef aquariums with experienced care, stable parameters, and plenty of swimming room.

Note: Image is a representation of what to expect. The fish you receive may vary slightly in size, color, cheek marking, fin edging, maturity, and overall appearance.

AQUARIUM REQUIREMENTS

AQUARIUM SIZE

A minimum tank size of 125 gallons or larger is recommended for a White Cheek Tang. A larger aquarium is strongly preferred, especially for long-term care, stronger swimming room, and reduced territorial stress.

Tank length and open swimming space are very important. This is an active surgeonfish that needs room to cruise, graze, and establish territory. A long aquarium with clear swimming lanes is much better than a tall narrow tank pretending volume alone solves everything. Fish live in space, not spreadsheet numbers, because apparently geometry had to get involved too.

HABITAT RECOMMENDATIONS

White Cheek Tangs do best in large, mature aquariums with open swimming space, stable rockwork, strong filtration, and plenty of grazing opportunities.

Aquascaping: Provide open swimming room along with stable rock structures for grazing, shelter, and territory. Avoid overly dense aquascapes that block long swimming paths.

Substrate: Sand, fine aragonite, crushed coral, or bare-bottom systems can all work. This species does not depend heavily on the substrate.

Rockwork: Live rock is strongly recommended. It provides grazing surfaces, hiding places, territory, and biological filtration.

Tank Maturity: A mature aquarium is strongly preferred, especially one with natural algae and biofilm growth. White Cheek Tangs benefit from regular grazing opportunities throughout the day.

Filtration & Oxygenation: Strong filtration, stable water quality, and high oxygenation are important. This species does best in clean, well-maintained systems with strong gas exchange.

Tank Cover: A tight-fitting lid is recommended. Tangs are not the most famous jumpers, but large startled fish can still make athletic mistakes with expensive consequences.

WATER PARAMETERS

White Cheek Tangs require clean, stable marine conditions and do best in well-oxygenated aquariums. This is not a fish that appreciates sloppy water quality, because apparently even gorgeous surgeonfish have standards.

Temperature: 72-78°F
pH Level: 8.1-8.4
Salinity: 1.020-1.026 specific gravity
Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate: Ammonia and nitrite should remain undetectable. Nitrate should be kept as low as reasonably possible, ideally below 20 ppm.
Water Flow: Moderate to strong water movement is ideal. Provide strong oxygenation, efficient filtration, and enough flow to move waste toward filtration while still allowing comfortable swimming space.

DIET

White Cheek Tangs are primarily herbivorous grazers, though they will accept a variety of omnivore foods in the aquarium. A diet rich in marine algae is important for maintaining body weight, color, digestion, and immune health.

PRIMARY DIET

Frozen Food: Offer algae-rich frozen foods, mysis shrimp, enriched brine shrimp, marine blends, and other high-quality frozen foods. We at Summit City Coral prefer frozen foods such as LRS Herbivore Frenzy and PE Mysis.

Prepared Herbivore Foods: High-quality herbivore pellets, marine algae pellets, spirulina flakes, and omnivore blends can help provide balanced nutrition.

Algae-Based Foods: Nori, seaweed sheets, spirulina, algae wafers, herbivore blends, and marine algae foods should be offered regularly. Clip seaweed sheets to the glass or rockwork so the tang can graze naturally.

Natural Grazing: Established live rock with film algae, filamentous algae, and biofilm helps support natural feeding behavior. This should be viewed as supplemental, not the entire feeding plan. A White Cheek Tang is not a free algae-control employee with a luxury paint job.

FEEDING FREQUENCY

Feed small amounts 2-3 times per day, with algae-based foods offered frequently. Regular access to seaweed or algae-based foods is strongly recommended. This species benefits from frequent grazing and strong nutrition, especially during acclimation and the first few weeks after introduction.

COMPATIBILITY

White Cheek Tangs are semi-aggressive and work best in larger reef aquariums with appropriate tank mates. They can become territorial toward other tangs, surgeonfish, or similarly shaped algae grazers, especially once established.

COMMON TANK MATES

Fish: Clownfish, cardinalfish, wrasses, gobies, blennies, rabbitfish, foxfaces, dwarf angelfish, larger peaceful fish, and other community reef fish.

Avoid: Other tangs or surgeonfish in smaller aquariums unless the tank is large enough and introductions are carefully managed. Avoid overly aggressive fish that may stress the tang, as well as very timid fish that may be outcompeted.

Other Tangs: Use caution when mixing with other tangs. White Cheek Tangs may show aggression toward other surgeonfish, especially similarly shaped Acanthurus species. Larger aquariums, careful introduction, and plenty of territory help reduce conflict.

Similar Species: This species is sometimes confused with Powder Brown Tangs and other similar Acanthurus tangs. Avoid mixing similar-looking tangs unless the aquarium is very large and compatibility is carefully managed.

Invertebrates: Usually safe with cleaner shrimp, hermit crabs, snails, urchins, and common cleanup crew animals.

Coral: White Cheek Tangs are considered reef-safe and should not bother soft corals, LPS, SPS, zoanthids, mushrooms, clams, or anemones when well-fed. Like many herbivores, underfed individuals may become more likely to investigate surfaces they should leave alone, because hunger remains a terrible consultant.

BEHAVIORAL NOTES

Temperament: Semi-aggressive. Usually manageable in properly sized aquariums, but may become territorial once established.

Algae Grazing: Strong grazer for film algae, filamentous algae, and soft algae growth. Still requires regular feeding and should not be used as the entire algae-control plan.

Reef Compatibility: Excellent for reef tanks when properly fed. They generally ignore corals and most invertebrates.

Swimming Style: Active swimmer that needs long open swimming paths and should not be cramped into undersized aquariums.

Tang Scalpel: Like other surgeonfish, White Cheek Tangs have a sharp scalpel-like spine near the tail used for defense. Use caution when catching, transferring, or working around the fish. It is not venomous, just equipped with a tiny biological box cutter, because fish apparently needed hardware.

Territoriality: May show aggression toward other tangs or similarly shaped fish, especially after becoming established.

Coloration: Typically shows a dark brown to black body, yellow fin edging, and a white cheek marking near the face. Color intensity may vary depending on stress, diet, maturity, lighting, and overall health.

Sensitivity: This species can be sensitive during shipping, acclimation, and early introduction. Careful acclimation, stable water quality, and a low-stress environment are important.

Disease Susceptibility: Like many Acanthurus tangs, White Cheek Tangs can be prone to Marine Ich and other external parasites when stressed. Quarantine, observation, strong nutrition, and stable water quality are strongly recommended.

Tank Size Reality: This is an active surgeonfish that should be planned around adult size and swimming behavior, not purchase size. Buying a juvenile and pretending it will stay small is denial wearing a fish bag.

Jumping: A tight-fitting lid is recommended. Large fish can still make sudden, athletic mistakes.

ACCLIMATION PROCESS

This acclimation method helps reduce stress by gradually introducing the fish to your aquarium’s temperature and water chemistry.

1. TURN OFF THE LIGHTS & ATO

Turn off aquarium lights to reduce stress. If you have an Auto Top Off system, switch it off before starting acclimation.

2. FLOAT THE BAG

Float the sealed bag in the aquarium for 15-20 minutes to allow the temperature in the bag to equalize with the tank.

3. OPEN BAG, ADD FISH TO CONTAINER

Carefully open the bag and transfer the fish and shipping water into a clean bucket or container.

4. ACCLIMATE USING TANK WATER

Add 1/4 cup of tank water to the container every 5 minutes for 40 minutes.

5. TRANSFER FISH TO AQUARIUM

Once acclimation is complete, gently transfer the fish into the aquarium using a net or specimen container. Use caution near the tail spine when handling tangs. Discard the shipping water. Do not pour shipping water into your aquarium.

6. REFILL THE AQUARIUM WITH SALTWATER

You may need to replace the saltwater removed during acclimation with fresh mixed saltwater.