Sohal Tang: Everything You Need to Know
- Feb 28, 2022
- Anshika Mishra
- 773 0 0
Let's learn about one of the most highly-demanded and expensive Tang, the Sohal Tang, the Sohal Surgeonfish, and the Red Sea Clown Surgeonfish.
This fish's hardiness and long life span make it a beginner's favorite. So, if you are looking for a fish that will last in your tank forever, this is the fish for you.
Sohal Tang
Prices: You can buy the Juveniles for about $250. They are a very expensive fish, and anything larger than that, the price will continually go up for them.
Tank Size: It is recommended to keep them in a 250-gallon tank. Try to home the in six to eight feet long tank. This is a very active fish. It swims back and forth in the tank constantly. So, give them a long tank, and they will be very happy.
If you have a juvenile, though, they can come as small as two inches. Therefore, you can start with a smaller tank, but you will have to upgrade the tank later on.
Care Level: Moderate. As with Tang, it takes a couple more things to add to your routine; nothing crazy, though.
Temperament: Semi-agressive. Most of the stories you see about them usually lean more towards the aggressive side because they keep bullying other fish in the tank.
Another thing with Tangs is that they typically become the kings and queens of the tank. These fishes are very territorial. They swim all over the tank and think they own it all. So, adding additional fish after already having a Tang, you will see them chase after them initially.
At this point, you want to make sure they are not bullying the newcomer.
Origin: They come from the red sea.
Reef Safe: They are a great reef fish to have in your tank. They are not going to mess with your corals or inverts. Instead, they are great algae eaters. So, if you have a hair-algae problem in the tank, these guys will tear it up fast.
You will see them picking at the rocks all day long. In the wild, you will see them running along reefs, constantly speeding by super fast, picking out on rocks, and then going on to the next one.
Water Parameter
- Temperature: 72-78 degrees Fahrenheit
- dKH: 8-12
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Salinity: 1.020-1.025
Appearance
Maximum Size: These fishes can go up to a foot and a half by the end of their lifespan. So, it is a very large Tang to have in your tank. Typically, it takes a few years before they grow to this size.
Colors: They usually have a gray body with black stripes. The thing that catches people's eye is the blue accent that runs along with the fins. They look very pretty under LEDs
Diet
In a tank setting, they are omnivores. They have really on algae for their diet. So, you have to feed them algae multiple times a day. On the flip side, you can let some algae grow in your tank.
These fishes also eat macroalgae. So, if you don't have naturally growing algae in your tank, add some macro algae in your tank.
On the flip side, they are omnivores. So, anytime you are feeding your fish some meaty food. Whether it is Brine shrimp or krill, this fish will come and eat with them. But, make sure you provide them ample algae because it will keep them healthy and their colors bright and beautiful.
Tankmates
Shoals can be very aggressive fish. Therefore, you want to keep them with fishes that can hold their own. Body shape is a key factor and is different amongst Tangs. Otherwise, you risk them fighting.
You can keep the same shaped fish like the Clown Tang. But you can, however, have them in a tank with Yellow Tangs and fishes like this.
Make sure to add all the Tangs at the same time. It always helps their aggression lower and helps them not fight over territory. Another thing you can do is add them last.
Shoals also do great in fowler tanks, i.e., fish-only tanks with live rock. They even do great in predator tanks.
Rockwork and Cave
When building a tank for Sohal, the rockwork should be grand and open. So, you want to have over-arching live rocks similar to bridge.
Also, you want deep caves for hiding. This way, it will hide if it is new to the tank.
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