QUICK STATS

Care Level: Easy to Moderate
Diet: Herbivore / Omnivore
Temperament: Semi-Aggressive
Reef-Safe: Yes
Venomous/Toxic: No
Approximate Purchase Size: 1.25-4"
Approximate Max Size: Around 7-8"
Recommended Tank Size: 100 Gallons or Larger

YELLOW TANG

The Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens) is one of the most iconic saltwater aquarium fish, known for its bright yellow coloration, disc-shaped body, active swimming behavior, and constant algae grazing. It is instantly recognizable and brings bold movement to reef aquariums without needing the dramatic patterning of some tangs. It is just yellow. Aggressively yellow. Somehow, that was enough to become famous.

Yellow Tangs are active herbivorous grazers that spend much of the day cruising the aquarium and picking at algae on rockwork. They are generally hardy once established, but they still require strong water quality, proper nutrition, mature live rock, and enough swimming room for long-term success.

This species is considered reef-safe and should not bother corals or most invertebrates when properly fed. Like other Zebrasoma tangs, Yellow Tangs can become territorial toward other tangs, surgeonfish, or similarly shaped algae grazers. Beautiful, useful, and mildly convinced it owns the reef. Classic tang behavior, really.

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

AQUARIUM REQUIREMENTS

AQUARIUM SIZE

A minimum tank size of 100 gallons or larger is recommended for a Yellow Tang. While smaller juveniles may be raised temporarily in smaller aquariums, long-term care should be planned around adult size, swimming behavior, and territorial needs.

Tank length and open swimming space are important. A long aquarium with clear swimming lanes is much better than a tall narrow tank pretending volume alone solves everything. Juvenile tangs are cute little reminders that future upgrades are expensive and biology does not care about your budget.

HABITAT RECOMMENDATIONS

Yellow Tangs do best in 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 preferred, especially one with natural algae and biofilm growth. Yellow Tangs benefit from regular grazing opportunities throughout the day.

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

WATER PARAMETERS

Yellow Tangs are generally hardy once established, but they still need clean, stable marine conditions. “Hardy tang” does not mean “immune to bad water,” though apparently the hobby keeps trying to negotiate with chemistry.

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

Yellow 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, digestion, color, 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 Yellow Tang is not a free algae-control employee with a luxury paint job.

FEEDING FREQUENCY

Feed small amounts 1-2 times per day, with algae-based foods offered frequently. Tangs do best when they can graze throughout the day, so regular access to seaweed or algae-based foods is strongly recommended.

COMPATIBILITY

Yellow Tangs are semi-aggressive and can work well in large reef aquariums with appropriate tank mates. They may 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 constantly harass the tang, as well as very timid fish that may be outcompeted.

Other Tangs: Use caution when mixing with other tangs. Yellow Tangs may show aggression toward other surgeonfish, especially other Zebrasoma tangs or similarly shaped algae grazers. Larger aquariums, careful introduction, and plenty of territory help reduce conflict.

Same Species: Multiple Yellow Tangs may fight unless introduced carefully into a large aquarium with enough space and structure. Groups are possible in very large systems, but this is not something to casually attempt in a standard reef tank unless you enjoy turning the aquarium into a yellow courtroom.

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

Coral: Yellow 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 open swimming paths and should not be cramped into undersized aquariums.

Tang Scalpel: Like other surgeonfish, Yellow 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 bright yellow throughout the body and fins. Color intensity may vary depending on stress, diet, maturity, lighting, and overall health.

Captive-Bred Availability: Captive-bred Yellow Tangs are available and may adapt especially well to aquarium life, prepared foods, and shipping compared with larger wild-caught specimens.

Hardiness: Often considered a hardy tang once settled, but still requires stable water quality, strong nutrition, and enough swimming room.

Disease Susceptibility: Like many tangs, Yellow Tangs can be prone to external parasites and HLLE-related issues when stressed or poorly nourished. 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 tiny captive-bred juvenile and pretending it will stay tiny is denial in 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.