Blue tang changes color!?

Ka1428 · 08/28/2006, 05:25 PM

My 90 gallon reef tank is 14 months old and contains the usual suspects - fish and inverts who all get along and seem to be flourishing this far (knock on wood) My Blue Tang has been in the tank for 8 to 10 months and is now about 6" and is the big guy of the tank - never aggressive at all, however. Around dinner time (before or after) and/or lights out, it has become his habit to race around the tank and he sometimes changes colors! His face becomes lighter and his dark stripe turns kind of yellowish. He doesn't seem to do it in response to anything and he reverts to his normal colors quickly. Any ideas as to the cause of this behavior??

Paintbug · 08/28/2006, 05:35 PM

im not sure why they do it but i find its pretty common for tangs to change colors. my Powder Blue will change several times a day. his black spot on his face will almost turn white sometimes. it never last long, then hes back to normal. it usually happens when the lights first come on, and right after feeding time.

thor32766 · 08/28/2006, 07:13 PM

yes tangs change colors at night to camoflauge themselves from predators. The yellow tangs, naso's, etc they all will change colors at night to go to sleep.

BurntOutReefer · 08/28/2006, 09:53 PM

and when stressed...but in your case...he knows it bed time

ChunksInClemson · 08/28/2006, 10:17 PM

My yellow tang turns white and his stripe on his side turns brown...very ugly.

essexboy73 · 08/28/2006, 11:39 PM

almost gave my manderin a ride down the drain one night because he changed color so much, that i thought he was dead

Freed · 08/28/2006, 11:51 PM

My blue hippo tang will change his black stripe to yellow and back several times in a few minutes at times and this is during the day in full view of everything not when lights go out or are about to. Just does it for no apparent reason usually. He has done it a few times when I wore a certain colored sweater though.

kass03 · 08/29/2006, 01:19 AM

They do it when something scares them to. That sweater must be pretty scary lol.

kass

08/28/2006, 05:25 PM	#1
Ka1428 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 6	Blue tang changes color!? My 90 gallon reef tank is 14 months old and contains the usual suspects - fish and inverts who all get along and seem to be flourishing this far (knock on wood) My Blue Tang has been in the tank for 8 to 10 months and is now about 6" and is the big guy of the tank - never aggressive at all, however. Around dinner time (before or after) and/or lights out, it has become his habit to race around the tank and he sometimes changes colors! His face becomes lighter and his dark stripe turns kind of yellowish. He doesn't seem to do it in response to anything and he reverts to his normal colors quickly. Any ideas as to the cause of this behavior??

08/28/2006, 05:35 PM	#2
Paintbug Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Stoneville, NC Posts: 6,169	im not sure why they do it but i find its pretty common for tangs to change colors. my Powder Blue will change several times a day. his black spot on his face will almost turn white sometimes. it never last long, then hes back to normal. it usually happens when the lights first come on, and right after feeding time. __________________ Never ask a girl over to see your crabs!! <-Tony-> Current Tank Info: NONE currently

08/28/2006, 07:13 PM	#3
thor32766 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Chuluota, FL Posts: 6,072	yes tangs change colors at night to camoflauge themselves from predators. The yellow tangs, naso's, etc they all will change colors at night to go to sleep. __________________ "Live your life so no one has to lie about who you were at your funeral" click on my red house to see my tang compound! Current Tank Info: 29 gallon in Wall!

08/28/2006, 10:17 PM	#5
ChunksInClemson Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Anderson, SC Posts: 824	My yellow tang turns white and his stripe on his side turns brown...very ugly. __________________ Me to my brother-"Dude, you don't need to spend 75 dollars on a shirt! My brother to me-"Man, you just spent 100 dollars on some rocks" Me and him- "Laughs" Current Tank Info: 29g, a pair of true percs so far. Tank is newer!

08/28/2006, 11:51 PM	#7
Freed It's what it's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: 41° 2' 45" N 85° 8' 43" W Posts: 7,579	My blue hippo tang will change his black stripe to yellow and back several times in a few minutes at times and this is during the day in full view of everything not when lights go out or are about to. Just does it for no apparent reason usually. He has done it a few times when I wore a certain colored sweater though. __________________ Freed Current Tank Info: 180gal(1120 watts of MH/VHO light), 60gal "sump", Deltec 601 calcium reactor, Euro Reef CS8-3+ skimmer, 20 gallon QT

08/28/2006, 09:53 PM	#4
BurntOutReefer Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Granada Hills Posts: 4,376	and when stressed...but in your case...he knows it bed time

08/28/2006, 11:39 PM	#6
essexboy73 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: baltimore Posts: 51	almost gave my manderin a ride down the drain one night because he changed color so much, that i thought he was dead

08/29/2006, 01:19 AM	#8
kass03 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Kaukauna, Wi Posts: 2,937	They do it when something scares them to. That sweater must be pretty scary lol. kass