TankBud

Whitecheek tang

Acanthurus nigricans

Also known as Gold Rim Tang, Whitecheek Surgeonfish, Goldrim Surgeonfish

SaltwaterFish

Whitecheek tang (Acanthurus nigricans)
D Ross Robertson · Public domain

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–81°F
24–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
13.8 in
35 cm
Minimum tank
129 gal
490 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Herbivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Acanthuridae
Origin
Indo-Pacific reefs, from the Cocos-Keeling Islands to Hawaii and French Polynesia

Overview

The whitecheek tang is an Indo-Pacific surgeonfish that swims the middle of a large reef tank. It is less forgiving than the easier tangs, so it is best with a little experience.

Did you know

Whitecheek tangs occasionally hybridize with powder blue tangs where their ranges overlap in the Indo-Pacific. Mixed-pattern hybrids sometimes turn up in the aquarium trade.

Caring for the whitecheek tang

Keep a whitecheek tang in at least 129 gal (490 L), with open swimming room and plenty of rockwork. Hold the water at 75 to 81°F (24 to 27°C) with a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. It has a reputation as an ich magnet and does not forgive lapses in water quality. Stable parameters and a well-cycled tank matter more here than with easier tangs.

Feed it enough marine algae. A well-fed whitecheek tang generally leaves corals alone, but an underfed one will sometimes pick at large-polyp stony corals.

Whitecheek tangs are mostly peaceful toward other fish but will not tolerate other tangs, especially their own kind. Keep only one per tank.

Good to know

The whitecheek tang gets both of its common names, whitecheek and gold rim, from its markings. A small white patch sits on the cheek, and a gold band edges the dorsal and anal fins against a dark purplish black body. Like other Acanthurus species, it carries a sharp, scalpel-like spine on each side of the tail base. The spine folds out when the fish is threatened, and it gives surgeonfish their name.

In the wild

Whitecheek tangs range across a huge stretch of the Indo-Pacific. They are found from the Cocos-Keeling Islands and Christmas Island through the Great Barrier Reef to Hawaii and French Polynesia. They usually live alone along clear outer reef slopes, grazing algae off rock where the water moves strongly.

Common questions

What size tank does a whitecheek tang need?

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

What temperature and pH does a whitecheek tang need?

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

What does a whitecheek tang eat?

A whitecheek tang eats marine algae, and it needs enough of it. A well-fed fish leaves corals alone, while an underfed one may pick at large-polyp stony corals.

How big does a whitecheek tang get?

An adult whitecheek tang reaches about 13.8 in (35 cm).

Related species