Please ID this Tang

[Troy V]

It was sold to me as a juvenile orange shoulder, however its "orange shoulder" markings seem less pronounced than when I first got it over 2 months ago. Any ideas? Thank you.

 

[KJ]

Wow it is a Gigas clam?
Tang look like a Chocolate Surgeontfish (Mimic Surgeontfish)
@HotRocks

 

[Reeferguy365]

Looks like a juvenile chocolate Tang

 

[Reeferguy365]

 

[Troy V]

Yes it is, and it's also the Tang's shelter whenever I get near the tank.

 

[KJ]

Yes it is,

Great looking clam hard to find in the hobby

 

[ca1ore]

Gigas hasn’t been imported in close to a decade, so any that persist in people’s tanks have had plenty of time to get huge.

 

[reef lover]

Awesome clam!! Theres a pic for photo of the month!!

 

[Troy V]

Thank you everyone for your input!
I made a short video. Are you still thinking juv. Chocolate Tang? It is the markings on the shoulder that are throwing me off. I would be totally happy with it being a Chocolate Tang.

https://goo.gl/images/1xRNKv

 

[Pbh-reef]

I think it is an orange shoulder. The lips are not as pointy as the chocolate tang juvenile and the anal and dorsal fin look too pointy. Meanwhile the caudal fin isn’t as round as the mimic tang/chocolate tang juvenile IMO

 

[Pbh-reef]

I have seen orange shoulder juveniles with very faint markings and have seen threads here were people’s Orange shoulder tangs revert to juvenile coloration, perhaps because other more dominant tangs are in the tank and the juvenile coloration protects them from aggression

 

[Troy V]

I have seen orange shoulder juveniles with very faint markings and have seen threads here were people’s Orange shoulder tangs revert to juvenile coloration, perhaps because other more dominant tangs are in the tank and the juvenile coloration protects them from aggression

I've read this before, and this is why I went with an Orange shoulder, because it would be a solo Tang in a tank full of damsels and a wrasse. However the 2 side tanks have Tangs in them. Do you think that would make a difference?

 

[Pbh-reef]

I've read this before, and this is why I went with an Orange shoulder, because it would be a solo Tang in a tank full of damsels and a wrasse. However the 2 side tanks have Tangs in them. Do you think that would make a difference?

I wish I knew enough about fish to say yes or no to this question but I don’t. Since you’ve only had it for 2 months I wonder if the transition may have had a hand in it reverting.

 

[Troy V]

The tank on the left has a single yellow Tang and the tank on the right has a small Naso.

 

[Troy V]

I wish I knew enough about fish to say yes or no to this question but I don’t. Since you’ve only had it for 2 months I wonder if the transition may have had a hand in it reverting.

That is a good point. I have a few damsels, particularly a large blue damsel that picked on it for the first couple of weeks. It stopped now, but it could be related to that.

 

[Pbh-reef]

The best part of this thread is seeing this amazing system

 

[Troy V]

The best part of this thread is seeing this amazing system

Thank you!
I am afraid to say the pics make it look better than it really is. I am battling a nasty case of cyano that seemed to be a result of dosing Potassium Nitrate (lab grade) for the last 4 months. The improved SPS coloration has been nice to see but the artificial imbalace I created grows cyano as a side effect. Today I added Chemiclean hopefully to finally erraticate it. I've never needed it, and I swore I would never use the stuff, but I am at my wits end. So I used half the recommended amount, and will be doing 30% (150 gallon) water change once it's gone. Fingers crossed!!

 

[User1]

I can't help you any other than to say I always enjoy seeing your tank(s). I remember watching another thread of you upgrading and moving that huge clam. Impressive and makes me want to try one. Just not sure I have similar skills or would know how to handle the maturity size. So I'll just keep to the small unknown biovalve type I see hidden on a couple of my rocks

On that note I was going to purchase a orange shoulder tang but ended up going with something similar in the Lt. Tang. I picked him/her up from LA and it arrived about 3" in size. This was back in May so I figured it was a youngster. It is pushing close to 7 or 8" now and pretty girthy. It will completely eat a single sheet of nori a day if I let it. I was feeding two earlier (green and purple from two little fishes, so the smaller sheets granted) but then now alternate between them. So it is a single sheet with little waste. Again, I don't think it helps you but what I noticed the most on mine when I got it was that its tail had the look with the tips or baby streamers and it was more bullet shape with a mark just behind its eyes and above the fins. So clearly a Lt. Tang at that size and age.

 

[Troy V]

I can't help you any other than to say I always enjoy seeing your tank(s). I remember watching another thread of you upgrading and moving that huge clam. Impressive and makes me want to try one. Just not sure I have similar skills or would know how to handle the maturity size. So I'll just keep to the small unknown biovalve type I see hidden on a couple of my rocks

On that note I was going to purchase a orange shoulder tang but ended up going with something similar in the Lt. Tang. I picked him/her up from LA and it arrived about 3" in size. This was back in May so I figured it was a youngster. It is pushing close to 7 or 8" now and pretty girthy. It will completely eat a single sheet of nori a day if I let it. I was feeding two earlier (green and purple from two little fishes, so the smaller sheets granted) but then now alternate between them. So it is a single sheet with little waste. Again, I don't think it helps you but what I noticed the most on mine when I got it was that its tail had the look with the tips or baby streamers and it was more bullet shape with a mark just behind its eyes and above the fins. So clearly a Lt. Tang at that size and age.

Thank you for your kind words!

Your tang has an incredible growth rate. That is around 1" a month! So hopefully by Jan.-Feb. the true identity of this Tang should be revealed.

 

[Pbh-reef]

When it is please post about it - would love to see how it grows