🐠 Blue Tang (Paracanthurus hepatus)
Marine Reef-Safe Tang • Iconic Electric Blue "Dory" Fish • Genuinely Ich-Prone Species • Intermediate Marine Fish
 
📋 The Blue Tang (Paracanthurus hepatus) — also known as the Palette Surgeonfish, Regal Tang, or Hippo Tang — is one of the most instantly recognisable marine fish in the hobby, with a vivid royal-blue body, a bold black palette-shaped pattern, and a bright yellow tail.
Native to reefs across the Indo-Pacific, from East Africa to Kiribati, north to southern Japan, and south to the Great Barrier Reef, this species is a constant, active swimmer that needs genuine horizontal swimming space to thrive.
One completely normal behaviour worth knowing about in advance: newly arrived Blue Tangs commonly lie on their side, sometimes wedged into rockwork, when settling in — this can look alarming but is typical arrival behaviour rather than a sign of illness. What we do want to be honest about is that this species is genuinely prone to marine ich and other parasitic infections, particularly under stress, so a proper quarantine period and stable, well-cycled water conditions matter more with this species than with many other tangs.
With ample swimming space, strong water flow, and consistent algae-based feeding, it thrives as an Iconic Active Reef Display Fish.
 
💙⚫ Highlights
🎨 Iconic Electric Blue Colouration: Instantly recognisable "Dory" fish pattern
⚠️ Genuinely Ich-Prone: Quarantine and stable water quality genuinely matter
🌿 Reef Safe: Compatible with corals and most invertebrates
🏊 Constant Active Swimmer: Needs genuine horizontal swimming space
😌 Normal Side-Lying Behaviour: New arrivals often rest on their side — this is typical, not illness