Tomini Tang is one of the most popular saltwater kept fish in the aquarium. This is due to its tough nature, which requires minimal attention. It is also suitable for beginners. This article will look at its size, behavior, diet, breeding, lifespan, tank mates, and how you can take care of your Tomini Tang.
Overview
Bristletooth Tomini Tang is a beautiful reef-protected fish that will bring beauty to any reef tank. They need plenty of swimming space, preferably 70 gallons or more. They have many names, such as Tomini Surgeonfish, Bristletooth Tomini Tang, and Flame Fin Tang.
Where are tomini tangs from? This species belongs to the family Acanthuridae, first found in Fiji’s seawater, the Indo-Pacific, the West Central Pacific, and the Solomon Islands.
They kept separate due to their aggressive nature and coexisted with some fish species. It is also relatively easy to take care of, giving your tank more time to enjoy.
Tomini has yellow, blue, and white highlights as a teenager, which matures body color changes. You should place them in a tub with plenty of swimming room.
The Tomini Tang is a low maintenance fish, and it is considered safe for the coral reefs that can keep with corals and exotic shrimp. It is considered an excellent scavenger for reef tank friendly, and it is also considered a prototype janitor in your tank. Tomini is a quiet fish but can be a threat to creatures introduced after it in its aquarium.
Appearance
The color of these fishes is usually combined with blue, yellow, and white highlights. As it matures, the body color solidifies, the tail turns blue, while the spine and anal fins are dyed yellow-gold.
They have a brown body with yellow dorsal and white caudal fin with pelvic fins. When you look at the area above the eyes, you will see small gold scales with a golden semicircle at the bottom.
Flame tang, Yellowfin tang, and blue tang types of tang species on color bases. There are numerous differences within this species. This is why your pet should not have all of the above features.
Size and lifespan
Tomini tangs can grow up to about 6 inches in size, and they are very stiff. For this reason, it makes an excellent addition even for small tanks. This fish is a tough one and thrives even in bad tank conditions.
However, if properly maintained, great tangs can live for five years or more. If we talk about Blue tang’s lifespan, they can live up to six years.
Tomini Tang Care:
Add lots of rocks and corals to the bottom of the tank to provide hiding and resting places. Reef safe tang loves shoaling so that a spacious tank would be fine.
Moderate lighting is more desirable as it is a deep-dwelling fish. Make a partial water change at least once a week and a complete water change when the ammonia level is high.
Tank Requirements:
They are the best reef tank-friendly scavengers. If you have enough tank size of these Tomini tangs, you can put them with other non-tang fishes. They are generally quiet but can be a threat to creatures that are introducing after them. But bullying must go away over time, and they must live well with other creatures. There are always exceptions to this.
- This fish is tough, so it will thrive well in any tank if a suitable marine environment provides.
- Reef safe tangs can easily adapt to different water conditions if the water quality is good.
- Make sure there is enough oxygen by properly ventilating the tank.
- If you have live rock and coral in your tank, you will need a protein slider.
- Provide your Tomini tank with a 70-gallon tank or a large fish tank.
- There are plenty of live rocks below, which would be an excellent start for your fish to grow well.
This will provide enough swimming area and hidden grazing space for your fish. Above mention conditions will make them live comfortably.
Related Article: Best Fish For 5 Gallon Tank
Water Parameters:
The amount of ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites in any tang species should always be zero for the healthy and happy life of your fish. Always check water parameters regularly. Water should be changed immediately when you notice that nitrate levels have exceeded the 10 ppm peak. Also, the water temperature should be constant. A range of 2 degrees is desirable. Here is a summary of the advice tank conditions:
- Water temperature: 75-80 F.
- Gravity: 1.024-1.026 (1.025 desirable)
- pH level: 8.1-8.4
- Ca: 420-440 ppm
- Alk: 8-9.5 D.K.
- MG: 1260-1350
- Nitrates: <10 ppm
- Phosphates: <.10 ppm
Tang Fish Food
As for tang fish food, rock work and glass will continue to take over, but giving them a good meal will be heavier on greens. Tomini tang eat dried algae (called nori), although not as aggressive as some other tang species. It is good to mix in flakes, granules, and frozen foods.
They are exemplary guards in your tank. However, Tangs will enjoy eating meat dishes with others in your tank community. It is essential to provide them with seafood and algae. In this way, you can increase their immunity, reduce their aggression on your tank community, and generally enhance their health.
How to Feed Tang Fish:
Always work to feed your fish slowly. Reduce the residue to zero as the number of nitrates and phosphate in your tank will increase. A good place is to place the food for eating entirely before reaching the bottom of the tank. It means that you are giving your fish enough time to eat the whole food.
Power Tip for Feeding:
Use a rubber band to tie a dry sponge or live macroalgae to a rock at the bottom of the tank, or use a vegetative clip, or you can attach it to a PVC pipe. It looks very natural and attracts fishes. Feed them at least three times a week. If you have a busy or erratic schedule, it is also a good idea to consider investing in an automatic fish feeder.
Another tip is to soak all fish foods, including algae, with vitamins that will enhance their health and make them more susceptible to disease. Collecting the waste food in algae is a great idea, especially when adding fresh fish or you notice that your fish are suffering from eye itching or other conditions.
Garlic can repel external parasites such as an Itch and boost the immune system of the tank. If you have a mixed species tank community, come up with a way to feed less aggressive fishes. You can use the turkey paste to target different fish species in your tank.
Great Tangs Breeding
It is almost impossible to obtain captive breeding because of how sensitive children are to water levels. As mentioned earlier, tanks are very receptive to disease. In such a small, enclosed space (compared to the sea), it is challenging to create the right environment for tang baby tanks’ growth. Getting a pair of tanks, placing tomini tang in a minimum 175-gallon system without any other predators, and providing an almost perfect water level (0 nitrates, 0 phosphates, etc.) is your best option.
Female eggs and male sperm are released into the water column after a ritual. Adult tanks are more prone to fry diseases, especially when they live in a contained space (home fisheries).
However, if you are stubborn about mating, keep the same space in a separate tank at least 175 gallons large without sharing it with any other fish. This space is good for tomini tang growth rate. Your goal should be to create almost perfect water chemistry to kickstart the spawning process. If you manage to couple your tomini tang pair and grow into teens successfully – you will be one of the few people in the world who can do so.
Tomini Tang Tankmates
The Tomini Tang tends to be aggressive to the tang species but coexists perfectly with other fishes. This fish is much aggressive towards a similar body shape, such as the Mimic Tang and flame fin tomini tang.
If you are so excited about having more than a single Tang in your tank, it is best to add them in groups. Also, arrange for enough space to swim freely without getting in each other’s way.
Best Tang Fish Tank Mates Are:
Summing Up
In one sentence, tomini tang is a beautiful fish! They go after everything you place in your reef tank. It also does a beautiful job of keeping the tank clean. Tominies are also friendly with the other species in the community. You wouldn’t have to worry about your invertebrates and corals being eaten.