TankBud

Convict tang

Acanthurus triostegus

Also known as Convict Surgeonfish, Manini, Fiveband Surgeonfish

SaltwaterFish

Convict tang (Acanthurus triostegus)
brian.gratwicke · CC BY 2.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–82°F
24–28°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
10.6 in
27 cm
Minimum tank
124 gal
470 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Acanthuridae
Origin
Indo-Pacific and eastern Pacific reefs, from East Africa to Central America

Overview

One of the calmest tangs available and unusual in that it genuinely does better with company: a group introduced together will shoal peacefully, while a lone fish added to a tank with other surgeonfish is more likely to be bullied than to start trouble itself. Reef safe with corals and invertebrates. Feed it nori and dried seaweed often, since its diet in the wild is almost entirely filamentous algae, with meaty frozen food offered as a supplement rather than a staple. It is still a tang and can pick up marine ich under stress, so quarantine new arrivals rather than assume its mild temperament makes it any hardier than the rest of the family.

In the wild

One of the most widely distributed reef fish in the world, found from East Africa across the Indo-Pacific to Central America. Juveniles crowd shallow tide pools and reef flats before adults move out to lagoons and seaward reefs down to 90 m. It is an active swimmer that does best with a long, open lane for cruising plus mature live rock to graze; a single fish needs at least 470 litres (125 US gal), and a proper school needs considerably more room.

Good to know

Carries the same folding tail spine as other surgeonfish but is far less inclined to use it than most of its relatives. Named for the five to six vertical black bars across its silvery-white body, it reaches about 27 cm, though most individuals seen on the reef are closer to 17 cm. In the wild it forms large feeding schools that can overwhelm territorial damselfish by sheer numbers, a strategy that also spreads out the risk from any one predator.

Did you know

Hawaiians call it manini, and the word has drifted into local slang to mean stingy or insignificant, since a modest-sized manini was considered a meager catch next to bigger reef fish.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

Convict tang is a peaceful, schooling species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a Convict tang need?

A Convict tang needs at least 124 gal (470 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Convict tang need?

A Convict tang is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

How big does a Convict tang get?

An adult Convict tang reaches about 10.6 in (27 cm).

Does a Convict tang need a group?

Yes. A Convict tang is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

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