{"product_id":"mustard-guttatus-tang","title":"Mustard Guttatus Tang | Acanthurus guttatus","description":"\u003ch2\u003eDescription\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Mustard Guttatus Tang, or Whitespotted Surgeonfish, is a handsome dark tang peppered with fine white spots. It is a beautiful fish but an advanced one: a surf-zone species that can be tricky to acclimate and is boisterous with other tangs. Best for experienced keepers with a large system. Adults reach around 26 cm.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eNatural Habitat\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eAcanthurus guttatus lives in the turbulent surge zones and shallow reef flats of the Indo-Pacific, where it grazes algae in heavy wave action and fast-moving, highly oxygenated water. This demanding natural home is the key to its care: it does best with strong flow, excellent oxygenation and pristine water. In the aquarium it needs large open swimming space, plenty of live rock for grazing, and very stable, well-established conditions.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAppearance\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe body is dark brown to charcoal, densely covered in small white spots, usually with a pair of pale vertical bars behind the head. It carries the scalpel-like tail spine common to all surgeonfish. The deep, disc-shaped body is built for holding position in surge. Healthy specimens are plump, brightly spotted and graze actively; thin or dull fish should be avoided, as this species can be difficult to recover once it declines.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eTemperament and Compatibility\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eTemperament is semi-aggressive and it can be quite pushy, especially toward other tangs and surgeonfish. Keep only one Acanthurus of this type per tank unless the aquarium is very large, and add tangs together where possible. It is generally tolerant of unrelated species such as clownfish, wrasse, angelfish and rabbitfish, provided they are robust enough to share space with an active grazer.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eFeeding\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis species is a herbivore and needs plentiful marine algae. Offer dried seaweed (nori) on a clip several times daily, plus spirulina and herbivore preparations, with occasional meaty foods such as mysis for variety. Newly imported specimens can be reluctant feeders, so encourage grazing with plenty of natural algae and fresh nori. Consistent, high-quality vegetable feeding is essential for colour, weight and immune health.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eCare Requirements\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eProvide a minimum of 700 L, with 900 L or larger recommended for long-term housing of this active, surge-loving fish. Maintain temperature at 24–27°C, pH 8.1–8.4 and salinity 1.023–1.025. Strong flow, very high oxygenation and open swimming length are essential, along with live rock for grazing. Use strong biological filtration, protein skimming and regular water changes to keep water pristine. Careful, low-stress acclimation and a mature tank greatly improve the odds of success with this challenging species.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eBreeding\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eBreeding in home aquariums is not practical. Like all tangs it is a pelagic spawner with tiny larvae that require specialised commercial rearing systems. For aquarium keeping, focus entirely on stable water, strong flow, excellent nutrition and suitable tank mates rather than breeding.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eSpecies Information\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eScientific Name\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAcanthurus guttatus\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCommon Name\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMustard Guttatus Tang (Whitespotted Surgeonfish)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOrigin\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eIndo-Pacific surge zones and shallow reef flats\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMaximum Size\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e26 cm\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLifespan\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e10+ years\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTemperament\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSemi-aggressive\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDifficulty\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAdvanced\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMinimum Tank Size\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e700 L\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eRecommended Tank Size\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e900 L or larger\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDiet\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHerbivore; marine algae, dried seaweed (nori), spirulina preparations and occasional meaty foods\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWater Temperature\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e24–27°C\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003epH Range\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e8.1–8.4\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eGH Range\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNot applicable for marine fish\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSalinity\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e1.023–1.025\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSuitable For\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLarge, mature reef and FOWLR systems with strong flow, kept by experienced aquarists\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eReef Safe\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eYes; safe with corals and invertebrates\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePlant Safe\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNot applicable for marine fish\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\u003ch2\u003eSuitable Tank Mates\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eSuitable tank mates include clownfish, wrasse, angelfish, rabbitfish, cardinalfish and other robust reef fish able to share space with an active, semi-aggressive grazer. Avoid pairing with similarly shaped tangs unless the tank is very large.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAvoid Keeping With\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eAvoid keeping with other tangs and surgeonfish in smaller tanks, timid or slow fish that will be outcompeted, and any system that cannot provide strong flow, high oxygenation and pristine, stable water.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nick's Aquarium Oceanarium Terrarium","offers":[{"title":"Small (1-5cm) \/ Imported","offer_id":55234129690915,"sku":"AA1348-S","price":425.5,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Medium (5-10cm) \/ Imported","offer_id":55234129723683,"sku":"AA1348","price":489.5,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Large (10-15cm) \/ Imported","offer_id":55234129756451,"sku":"AA1348-L","price":565.5,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false},{"title":"X-Large (15-26cm) \/ Imported","offer_id":55351932027171,"sku":"AA1348-XL","price":650.5,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0972\/7236\/5347\/files\/mustard-guttatus-tang-43090655576355.webp?v=1790305845","url":"https:\/\/nicksaquariumoceanariumterrarium.com.au\/products\/mustard-guttatus-tang","provider":"Nicks AOT","version":"1.0","type":"link"}