TankBud

Tomini tang

Ctenochaetus tominiensis

Also known as Tomini Surgeonfish, Tomini Bristletooth, Yellowtip Bristletooth

SaltwaterFish

Tomini tang (Ctenochaetus tominiensis)
Rickard Zerpe · CC BY 2.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–81°F
24–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
6.3 in
16 cm
Minimum tank
70 gal
265 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Acanthuridae
Origin
Western Pacific reefs, from Indonesia to Fiji and the Great Barrier Reef

Overview

Territorial toward other tangs, especially other bristletooths, but easygoing with the rest of the tank once it settles in. Reef safe with corals and invertebrates, and valued for cleaning up detritus and film algae that other grazers leave behind. Offer nori or dried seaweed several times a week along with small meaty foods. It handles shipping and new-tank stress reasonably well for a tang, but marine ich is still a risk with any surgeonfish, so quarantine new arrivals rather than skip the step.

In the wild

Native to western Pacific reefs from Indonesia and the Philippines to Fiji and the Great Barrier Reef, typically on steep drop-offs with dense coral growth in sheltered inshore water. It is a smaller, less boisterous tang that still appreciates an open lane for swimming along with a good spread of live rock to comb for algae film and detritus. A tank of at least 265 litres (70 US gal) suits a single fish, with more room always welcome.

Good to know

Belongs to the bristletooth genus Ctenochaetus, named for the rows of fine, flexible, comb-like teeth used to brush algae film and detritus off rock rather than scrape it the way coarser-toothed Acanthurus tangs do. It still carries the family's folding scalpel spine at the base of the tail, though it is a smaller and generally less pugnacious fish, topping out around 16 cm. Juveniles are tan with yellow, blue, and white highlights that darken into a more solid, blue-tailed adult pattern.

Did you know

Its fine, brush-like teeth let it feed on detritus and the diatom film that coats live rock, food sources too fine for most other tangs to bother with, which is why bristletooths are often chosen to help keep a reef tank's rockwork clean.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

Tomini tang is a mostly peaceful, solitary 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 Tomini tang need?

A Tomini tang needs at least 70 gal (265 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Tomini tang need?

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

How big does a Tomini tang get?

An adult Tomini tang reaches about 6.3 in (16 cm).

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