TankBud

Powder brown tang

Acanthurus japonicus

Also known as White-faced Surgeonfish, Japan Surgeonfish, White-nose Surgeonfish

SaltwaterFish

Powder brown tang (Acanthurus japonicus)
Rickard Zerpe · CC BY 2.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–81°F
24–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
8.3 in
21 cm
Minimum tank
129 gal
490 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Acanthuridae
Origin
Western Pacific reefs, from southern Japan to Indonesia

Overview

The powder brown tang is a docile surgeonfish for a large reef tank. It suits a keeper with a little marine experience.

Did you know

The powder brown tang has a near-twin in the whitecheek surgeonfish. Where their ranges overlap, in the Philippines and the Ryukyu Islands, the two species interbreed. Some wild fish there show a blend of both patterns.

Caring for the powder brown tang

Give a powder brown tang at least 129 gal (490 L), with a long, uninterrupted swimming lane. Add plenty of live rock coated in film algae for it to graze between meals.

Keep the water at 75 to 81°F (24 to 27°C) with a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. Tangs are among the more ich-prone marine fish, and this one is no exception. A full quarantine and stable water quality matter more here than with hardier fish.

Feed dried seaweed or nori several times a week, along with meaty frozen foods to round out the diet. It is reef safe and leaves corals and invertebrates alone.

The powder brown tang is a bit shy around other kinds of fish. It will spar with other tangs or surgeonfish of similar shape or coloring, so keep only one per tank unless the aquarium is very large.

Good to know

Like every surgeonfish, Acanthurus japonicus carries a scalpel-sharp spine folded into a groove on each side of the tail base. The spine locks upright when the fish is threatened or sparring with a rival tang. Its small terminal mouth has fine, comb-like teeth, built for scraping algae film off rock rather than taking large bites.

In the wild

Powder brown tangs live on clear lagoon and seaward reefs across the western Pacific, from southern Japan to Indonesia. They usually stay in water less than 20 m deep, where algae turf grows thick on rock and rubble. They forage over open ground during the day and retreat to a crevice at night.

Common questions

What size tank does a powder brown tang need?

A powder brown tang needs at least 129 gal (490 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a powder brown tang need?

A powder brown tang is comfortable at 75–81°F (24–27°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

What does a powder brown tang eat?

A powder brown tang eats dried seaweed or nori several times a week. Add meaty frozen foods to round out its diet.

How big does a powder brown tang get?

An adult powder brown tang reaches about 8.3 in (21 cm).

Related species