We love to see tank-bred saltwater fish in our stock tanks, and we’ve been eagerly anticipating these Yellow tangs (Zebrasoma flavescens) for a while. After decades of unrestricted availability, it may take a bit of getting used to that these familiar fish are now one of a number of more expensive tangs. Their looks and personality mean that they’re well worth the money and when compared to rare, expensive relatives such as the Black Tang (Zebrasoma rostratum) they’re certainly more attractive.

One of the biggest factors that drive the price of tank bred tangs is the length of time they spend as planktonic larvae and the problems of rearing them past this tricky stage. As these issues get resolved and streamlined, hopefully, the economics will follow suit and result in a drop in price as productivity increases.

As can be seen from the video, these youngsters at our Crawley store were feeding enthusiastically and can be expected to take a wide range of prepared and frozen foods. Good nutrition is key to helping them develop the warm yellow pigmentation that they’re famous for and quality dried foods are vital in this regard. It seems that tangs of many kinds are also susceptible to dietary deficiencies, and this is where fortified diets play a key role.

Find out more about these fish here: https://www.fishkeeper.co.uk/help-and-advice/marine/tangs/yellow-tang/