Clown tang (Acanthurus lineatus) care guide

Group
Marine fish
Family
Acanthuridae (surgeonfishes and tangs)
Water
saltwater
Maximum size
38 cm
Temperature
24–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Hardness
Salinity SG 1.023–1.026
Minimum tank
800 litres
Care level
expert
Temperament
aggressive
Reef safe
yes

Care

Tank and decor: an active, open-water swimmer that needs a long tank with plenty of swimming room, live rock for grazing and strong, well-oxygenated flow. Minimum tank: about 800 litres (an estimate based on its 38 cm adult size and active swimming). Water: our sources give no species-specific figures, so the values here are general marine aquarium guidance, not species-specific: 24–27 °C, pH 8.1–8.4 and specific gravity 1.023–1.026. Keep nitrate low and the water well oxygenated. Behaviour and identification: a striking tang with blue, yellow and black horizontal stripes. The list calls it one of the most aggressive tangs, and it needs a very large tank with strong flow. The list gives a maximum size of 15 inches (about 38 cm). Safety: like all surgeonfishes it has a sharp, scalpel-like spine on each side of the tail base that can cut hands and get caught in nets. Use a container to move it. Selling: our policies require the adult size and long-term tank needs to be stated clearly in the listing. Large fish must travel by a specialist live-animal courier (see the Livestock shipping guide). Sources: Wikipedia, List of marine aquarium fish species (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Listofmarineaquariumfishspecies). Checked October 2026.

Diet

Herbivore. Offer marine algae every day: dried nori or seaweed sheets on a clip, spirulina- and seaweed-based flakes and pellets, and frozen herbivore foods, with occasional mysis. Live rock with algae growth helps. Several feeds a day suit it best.

Breeding

Our sources for this page do not describe breeding. Tangs spawn in open water and have long-lived planktonic larvae, and almost all aquarium tangs are wild-caught.

Compatibility and tank mates

Reef safe: it leaves corals and invertebrates alone. It is one of the most aggressive tangs and will fight other surgeonfishes and sometimes other fish; keep it as the only tang, or add it last to a very large tank of robust fish.

Last updated 8 October 2026. Community-edited care guide on Aquatic-Auctions.

About Aquatic-Auctions

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  • Items are sold by auction, buy it now or classified advert, by hobbyist and business sellers in the UK.
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  • Buyers are told to pay by PayPal Goods & Services, never PayPal Friends and Family, gift cards or crypto.
  • Live fish and other vertebrates must be sent by specialist live-animal couriers (for example APC Overnight or DX Express), never by Royal Mail. Some invertebrates and plants may go by Royal Mail Special Delivery or 1st Class within its rules.
  • Banned and invasive species (for example those on the GB invasive species lists) cannot be listed, and sellers must meet the site’s animal welfare standards.
  • Members must be 16 or over to buy (16 and 17-year-olds with a parent or guardian’s agreement); sellers must be 18 or over.
  • Business sellers show their address, company details and pet-selling licence to buyers. Seller ratings run from 0 to 100: +1 for each positive feedback, −1 for each negative.
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