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The Blue Hippo Tang (Paracanthurus hepatus), also widely known as the Regal Tang, Palette Surgeonfish, or Blue Tang, is one of the most iconic and recognizable marine fish in the world. It features a brilliant, electric-blue body contrasted by a bold black swirl pattern resembling a painter’s palette and a striking, vibrant yellow triangular tail fin. Known for its highly energetic swimming and quirky behavioral habits, it adds massive color and movement to a reef aquarium, though it requires specialized attention due to its rapid growth and susceptibility to skin parasites.
Tank Requirements
Minimum Tank Size: 180 gallons or larger; while frequently sold as tiny, coin-sized juveniles, they grow exceptionally fast and require at least a six-foot long tank to support their rapid, powerful swimming lines.
Aquarium Decor: Intricate live rock setups with large, open swimming lanes paired with numerous deep crevices where it can tightly wedge itself into rockwork at night to sleep.
Temperature: 72°F – 78°F (22°C – 26°C).
Salinity (Specific Gravity): 1.020 – 1.025.
pH Range: 8.1 – 8.4.
Care and Feeding
Diet: Omnivore; unlike most other heavily herbivorous tangs, this species is a planktivore in the wild. It needs a balanced diet of meaty frozen foods like mysis and brine shrimp mixed with heavy, daily supplements of dried marine algae (nori) and spirulina to maintain its bright blue skin tones.
Reef Safe Rating: Reef safe; it is completely harmless toward small polyp stony (SPS) corals, clams, and mobile invertebrates, though exceptionally large, hungry adults may occasionally pick at fleshy large polyp stony (LPS) corals or zoanthids.
Temperament: Peaceful to semi-aggressive; it is generally docile toward non-tang tank mates but can fight with other surgeonfish of similar shape or color. It is notoriously prone to marine ich and velvet, requiring strict quarantine protocols and high-grade UV sterilization.
The Blue Hippo Tang (Paracanthurus hepatus), also widely known as the Regal Tang, Palette Surgeonfish, or Blue Tang, is one of the most iconic and recognizable marine fish in the world. It features a brilliant, electric-blue body contrasted by a bold black swirl pattern resembling a painter’s palette and a striking, vibrant yellow triangular tail fin. Known for its highly energetic swimming and quirky behavioral habits, it adds massive color and movement to a reef aquarium, though it requires specialized attention due to its rapid growth and susceptibility to skin parasites.
Tank Requirements
Minimum Tank Size: 180 gallons or larger; while frequently sold as tiny, coin-sized juveniles, they grow exceptionally fast and require at least a six-foot long tank to support their rapid, powerful swimming lines.
Aquarium Decor: Intricate live rock setups with large, open swimming lanes paired with numerous deep crevices where it can tightly wedge itself into rockwork at night to sleep.
Temperature: 72°F – 78°F (22°C – 26°C).
Salinity (Specific Gravity): 1.020 – 1.025.
pH Range: 8.1 – 8.4.
Care and Feeding
Diet: Omnivore; unlike most other heavily herbivorous tangs, this species is a planktivore in the wild. It needs a balanced diet of meaty frozen foods like mysis and brine shrimp mixed with heavy, daily supplements of dried marine algae (nori) and spirulina to maintain its bright blue skin tones.
Reef Safe Rating: Reef safe; it is completely harmless toward small polyp stony (SPS) corals, clams, and mobile invertebrates, though exceptionally large, hungry adults may occasionally pick at fleshy large polyp stony (LPS) corals or zoanthids.
Temperament: Peaceful to semi-aggressive; it is generally docile toward non-tang tank mates but can fight with other surgeonfish of similar shape or color. It is notoriously prone to marine ich and velvet, requiring strict quarantine protocols and high-grade UV sterilization.