Tangs are some of the most sought-after fish in the saltwater fishkeeping hobby. They are active, attractive & provide a valuable service in chowing down on algae.
If you are thinking about getting a Surgeonfish (Tang) for your tank, take a look at our Top 5 Affordable Tangs. We’ve chosen to do the affordable tangs as paying over £500.00 for a fish is just not in reach for some of us, and we think that every marine enthusiast should have the chance to own a fish that tops a list!
Tangs are very active swimmers and require a tank suitable for their requirements. The prices that are shown below are correct on 16/05/2019, prices may have changed since this post was published.
5. The Blue Tang
Thanks to Finding Nemo & Finding Dory, the Blue Tang is probably the most recognised tang within the saltwater fishkeeping hobby.
As one of the less aggressive tangs, this tang makes an ideal tank mate for a community reef aquarium. They look fantastic under both white & blue lights and will remain active for most of the day.
They are now available as captive bred specimens, meaning they are now sustainably sourced, which is much better for our ocean reefs. For a captive bred, juvenile specimen you can expect to pay around £50.00 – £80.00
4. The Clown Tang
This fish can top the size chart at around 11 inches when fully grown. At that size, you can guarantee it will want to be the boss of your tank!
But with a price point of just £30.00 – £50.00 as juveniles, these Tangs are hard to resist.
The beautiful colouration on these fish is a bound to be a talking & focal point within your aquarium.
3. The Yellow Tang
With the ban on taking these fish from Hawaii, they did sky-rocket price wise, but we are hopeful that now the ban has been lifted the prices will start to come down a bit.
These fish are amazing algae eaters and a great addition to your tank for that reason alone. They are one of the more aggressive tangs, so should be one of the last added to your aquarium.
For a medium sized Yellow Tang you should expect to pay £90.00 – £130.00 per fish.
2. The Orange Shoulder Tang
You will not be disappointed with this Surgeonfish. Buy it as a juvenile and watch it change colours from a bright yellow, to a more mellow cream with a bright orange shoulder and electric blue fins.
They are one of the more placid Tangs, so should be added early on in the aquarium if you are planning on keeping multiple tangs.
To buy an adult of these you will be looking at £300.00 per fish, which would exclude it from this list… BUT, you can pick up an all yellow juvenile for as little as £40.00 – £70.00.
1. The Yellow Eyed Kole Tang
Taking out top spot in the Top 5 Affordable Tangs is the Yellow-Eyed Kole Tang.
This beautiful fish has interesting patterns and colours along with one of the milder Tang personalities. Under blues, these fish are absolutely stunning!
It doesn’t eat the same types of algae as other Tangs, it will make short work of any detritus based microalgae within you tank, making it a great part of your clean up crew.
For a juvenile you should expect to pay between £20.00 – £50.00
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