Differences between powder blue and brown tangs

[ReefJCB]

I’ve wanted a powder blue tang for a loooong time. I finally have a tank size that is acceptable (120g 60” long 18” wide” 25” tall) but the more I’m reading about it, the less sure I am that it is the right fish for me.

Ideally, I’d like my tank to be another foot long. I know that the blues are very ich prone, and can become very aggressive.

So I’ve been looking at other options and came across the powder brown. It is another stunning fish but I haven’t been able to get a whole lot of info on it like the blue.

Are they as ich prone and do they have the same aggressive issues that people see in the blues? Would it be a good substitute, or would I just be dealing with the same problems in a different color?

 

[Deezill]

IMHO they are both ICH prone. make sure you qt. very beautiful fish. I joked with me sons and told them not to look at our powder blue tang otherwise he might catch ich. He caught it not because
they look but i think they just do. I can't remember if I Qt though. WHen I first started the hobby I had a powder brown tang I called him pancake. I did not know about QT. Day after i got him he was ICH infested. looked like he had salt sprinkled all over him. I did not know any better so I left him in the tank. ICH wiped out my entire tank of clown fish, trigger fish damsels, sweet lips etc. Just qt those guys no matter which you get.
i have had bad luck with both. Also ensure you are getting them from a reputable source. No telling what my LFS had in thier tanks. I would definitly QT now for 2 months but im scarred to get either one of those fish at this point.

 

[ReefJCB]

Live Aquaria has them both listed as moderate skill, semi aggressive, and 125 minimum tank size. The only difference I see is the brown max size is listed as 8” where the blue is 9”.

I’m hoping to get peoples personal experience with their being ich prone and aggression levels from multiple people.

 

[CaptainsReef]

I had a brown for 25 days. He wasn't aggressive at all, in fact he seemed kind of sweet. He would follow me from one end of the tank to the other. He didn't have ich but one day he just started leaning to the side a little and he looked blochy. He finally laid on his side and that was it. The LFS was convinced he was stung by my long spine urchin.

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Both are about the same survival wise. I have seen browns fair better but only from what I have seen in friends tanks. Neither are not as hardy as yellow or purple imo.
I would definitely qt. I have not had good luck with the blue. After I was on track to making them extinct in the early 90’s I gave up.

 

[Deezill]

ok so I have had a yellow tang for a 3 years. he was the lone survivor of an ICH outbreak. WHen I did have a PBT the yellow tang was the jerk. However I could not get rid of my yellow because he is the king of the tank and he has been with me the longest so its really his tank lol. The powder blue caught ich which i dont know how but he did. I understand how the Powder brown caught it in my first 125. The power went out and the temp dropped and I am not sure if I had wavemakers int heat 6 foot long tank. I was a noob. By the time the power came back on the powder brown was like freaking out swing around and around all fast next thing you know looked like someone sprinkled salt on him. Please excuse any typos.

 

[tautog83]

I've had a powder brown for about 5 months now , stunning fish . He was fine with other fish for first month or so until I got a female bellus angel . He did not like her at all , then that agression transferred to my majestic angel . So I did the mirror trick on one side of the tank and he literally raged out on his reflection . Had an emergency and forgot the mirror up for like 5 hours whoops . When I got home he was still trying to kill his reflection . In any event after taking it down and feeling terrible about it , the next couple days there was 0 aggression towards any other fish . He did swim.back to that side of the tank often that next day but after that, model citizen. Hes still going strong now and no aggression at all . Real pretty fish just be careful with aggression

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Great looking fish, love the angel. @tautog83

 

[Gablami]

I would consider powder brown and powder blue acanthurus tangs to be the essentially the same fish but with different coloration. Whatever concerns you have about adding a powder blue are probably transferable to the powder brown. Personally I find the powder brown to have the better looking coloration and would love one. But my Achilles would probably object.

 

[OrionN]

I don't have problem with Powder Blue tang. You can put the PBT in the 120 with another tang if you want, likely the PBT need to be the second on going into the tank.
They do get big fast. Here is my PBT emaciated 2.5 inches and full of Ich in a 65 gal DT office tank, and another picture 6 months (sorry it was 12 months not 6) later at 5+ inches. He grew so fast that I have to move him to my 320 DT after about 5 months.
I don't particularly compulsive about the tank. about 10% water change monthly and keep him well fed. He was in the 65 with a pair of Flame Angel, a pair of Percula clown, a Melanurus Wrasse and a trio of Azure damsels.
If you like PBT, go for it.

 

[ReefJCB]

I don't have problem with Powder Blue tang. You can put the PBT in the 120 with another tang if you want, likely the PBT need to be the second on going into the tank.
They do get big fast. Here is my PBT emaciated 2.5 inches and full of Ich in a 65 gal DT office tank, and another picture 6 months later at 5+ inches. He grew so fast that I have to move him to my 320 DT after about 5 months.
I don't particularly compulsive about the tank. about 10% water change monthly and keep him well fed. He was in the 65 with a pair of Flame Angel, a pair of Percula clown, a Melanurus Wrasse and a trio of Azure damsels.
If you like PBT, go for it.

Stunning fish! Glad you were able to nurse him back to health

 

[OrionN]

Sorry, it was 12 months not 6 on my PBT

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

Both Tangs are amazing and can be aggressive but the mirror trick works. The two things you cannot try to side step with is 1) you must QT IMO because they are very succeptible to disease because of their thin slime coat. 2) they need to be fed nutritiously with Nori sheets and I would suggest Mysis.
If you do those two things you will have a fat, happy, and happy Tang in your tank.

 

[Tautog]

I have a few in my DT,, Yellow, Naso, Sailfin(Red Sea), Tomato, Regal Blue, and years ago I had to have that Powder Blue. My other Tangs were fine, and this PB that I purchased was healthy. I had that fish for a year or so, then Ick. I treated my display, but only lost the PB. I had no additions, no changes, and water parameters were fine.

 

[Kmsutows]

I’ve wanted a powder blue tang for a loooong time. I finally have a tank size that is acceptable (120g 60” long 18” wide” 25” tall) but the more I’m reading about it, the less sure I am that it is the right fish for me.

Ideally, I’d like my tank to be another foot long. I know that the blues are very ich prone, and can become very aggressive.

So I’ve been looking at other options and came across the powder brown. It is another stunning fish but I haven’t been able to get a whole lot of info on it like the blue.

Are they as ich prone and do they have the same aggressive issues that people see in the blues? Would it be a good substitute, or would I just be dealing with the same problems in a different color?

Virtually the same. I've heard of very nasty browns just like powder blues. Tank size is fine. If you ever want to add more tangs in the future you're better off adding them all at once. If you do get multiple just keep nori available at all times. I have a powder blue, mustard tang and Achilles in my 150 gal with a yellow tang and blue tang. Achilles was there before the little mustard and powderblue so hes boss

 

[MTLAndy]

IMHO they are both ICH prone. make sure you qt. very beautiful fish. I joked with me sons and told them not to look at our powder blue tang otherwise he might catch ich. He caught it not because
they look but i think they just do. I can't remember if I Qt though. WHen I first started the hobby I had a powder brown tang I called him pancake. I did not know about QT. Day after i got him he was ICH infested. looked like he had salt sprinkled all over him. I did not know any better so I left him in the tank. ICH wiped out my entire tank of clown fish, trigger fish damsels, sweet lips etc. Just qt those guys no matter which you get.
i have had bad luck with both. Also ensure you are getting them from a reputable source. No telling what my LFS had in thier tanks. I would definitly QT now for 2 months but im scarred to get either one of those fish at this point.

Hi, FYI -- you likely had VELVET - not ICH. Velvet is much quicker to spread (looks covered in sugar powder..) , and would kill all the fish... Ich wouldn't do that.