Hi,

I've got a 120 reef. I plan on keeping an Acanthurus lineatus as the king fish in my tank. The tank has been established since August 2000. I've heard that this fish is very difficult, so I want to get as much info as I can about what to do to keep it successfully...

PLEASE ADVISE ANYTING YOU CAN THINK OF!!!

http://www.saltaquarium.about.com/pe...2498clsurg.htm http://www.exotictropicals.com/encyc...angs/clown.htm
And here is a link from fishbase.org http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/Spec...sname=lineatus

Hope these help this fish looks rather large but very nice.

Henry

Hi NCF ~

OK, the first thing I can thing of is that a 120-gallon tank is nowhere near large enough. [img]/ubb/biggrin.gif[/img]

These guys get bigger than 12" and are probably the meanest of all tangs. Oh, and their caudal spine is venomous! [img]/ubb/eek.gif[/img]

I would hate to guess at what size tank would be sufficient or what tankmates would be able to survive very long.

This is what Robert Fenner has to say about this species: "This fish can become an unholy terror towards its tankmates, getting progressively worse with growth."

Ninong [img]/ubb/biggrin.gif[/img]

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Irrational Exuberance!

well IME this surgeonfish is a great one... It wouldn't surprise me to get flamed....but My dad picked one up not knowing about them for his 55 (you think he would've learned after I had a discussion with him about the goniopora). Anyway, its about 4" long, and has been great with the other tank-mates. Its grown maybe .5 an inch in the last 6 months. It is an active fish, and will need a bigger tank pretty soon. He'll likely be moved to my 300 being planned in July-August. IME a great fish. However, this is just ONE fish and ONE opinion. I'm sure the experts know much more than I do. It is most likely an exception.

Read this not as me recommending the fish, just giving my experience which has been a pleasant one. From the info given above, I'd have definetly told pops to take it back. Also, wouldn't recommend getting one for anything smaller than a 6' x 30" tank.

BTW aren't the caudal spines on most tangs poisonous?

-Perry

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Some call it evolution,
And others call it God.
Each In His Own Tongue (1908)
William Herbert Carruth 1859-1924

Hi Perry ~

No, not all tangs have venomous spines. The problems with this fish seem to pop up as it reaches maturity. They become extremely territorial and have been known to viciously attach and kill tankmates. You may have to be prepared to deal with it even in your 300-gal tank once it gets around 10" or so.

How's your black tang coming along? Is it over the ich?

Later,

Ninong [img]/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

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Irrational Exuberance!

Yes but it is very beautifull, and is reef safe. I think I can give it a chance since it is not so high risk like an Angel/Buterfly... And besides once it has a good size it will look just as beautifull, How many times have you wished to have a fish in the beauty/coolnes/personality ranks of an imperator or a clown trigger... Well this is sort of that but reef safe...

Any other thoughts? How big to start with? How to get it to eat? What to avoid/look for?

None?