Powder Blue Tang Fish

Facts about the Powder Blue Tang Fish. The Powder Blue Tang is a bright blue member of the surgeon fish family.

The Powder Blue Tang has the scientific name Acanthurus leucosternon. It is popularly called the Powder Blue Surgeonfish.

The Power Blue Tang has a dark blue body with light blue fins on the bottom of its body. The tail is light blue with dark edging. The caudal fin possesses a crescent shape. The Powder Blue Tang has an upper fin that is bright yellow. The Powder Blue Tang has a light blue vertical stripe behind the gills and has a horizontal light blue stripe under its snout. The “face” around the eyes and snout are dark blue or black. The Powder Blue Tang fish has a beak-like snout with small, sharp teeth.

The Powder Blue Tang in the wild can reach 16 inches in length. Those Powder Blue Tang kept in an aquarium tend to max out at ten inches in length. The Powder Blue Tang have an oval body shape and is compressed laterally. The Powder Blue Tang have the surgeon’s scalpel spine at the base of the tail for which the species family is named.
This Powder Blue Tang species is very susceptible to marine ich and white spot. The health of the Powder Blue Tang fish is evident in how bright its blue coloring is. Sick fish are darken and dim. However, this Powder Blue Tang species does not change colors as it matures.
These tropical Powder Blue Tang fish need the water temperature between 72 and 78F. Their ideal water conditions are between 8 and 12 dKH, water hardness between 1.020 and 1.025 sg and water pH from 8.1 to 8.4. These Powder Blue Tang fish are sensitive to ammonia, nitrates and nitrite. Due to this sensitivity, many members of this Powder Blue Tang species die or become ill when added to a new tank; that is why they are recommended only for advanced aquarium keepers.

This Powder Blue Tang fish is an herbivore. It feeds constantly, at least three times a week but ideally daily. The Powder Blue Tang can be fed nori seaweed, romaine lettuce put on a clip and lowered in the tank and blanched zucchini. These foods, however, are only supplements to herbivore foods based on spirulina algae. The Powder Blue Tang will eat pellet foods, flake foods, and greens.
The Powder Blue Tang Fish prefer flat top reefs and seaward slopes in the ocean. They are diurnal, active around sunrise and sunset.
These Powder Blue Tang fish are fairly aggressive. Only have one of this species in the fish tank unless it is very large. One fish needs at least 90 gallons, while 125 gallons is necessary for larger specimens. The Powder Blue Tang need a lot of space to swim around. Two fish will need at least 180 gallons.
Do not put the Powder Blue Tang in a tank with other Tangs and Surgeonfish; it will be aggressive toward other Tangs and Surgeon fish. The Powder Blue Tang are especially aggressive to similarly colored Tangs. If you are going to keep more than one of this or related species in the same tank, introduce them at the same time

This Powder Blue Tang is native to the Indian Ocean. It is commonly found around Indonesia.
These Powder Blue Tang are reef safe if well fed. Ideally, they should be placed in tanks with live rock with lots of hiding places. They can be kept in fish only tanks. The Powder Blue Tang will not bother invertebrates.

This Powder Blue Tang species was identified by E. T. Bennett in 1833.